Staphylococcal toxin syndromes.

Staphylococcus aureus produces many extracellular products often referred to as toxins, some with definite disease-causing potential. The enterotoxins A through E are common causes of acute food poisoning characterized by a short incubation period after ingestion of performed toxin followed by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The epidermolytic toxins (A, B) are absorbed from a local site of colonization or infection and affect the granular cell layer of skin to cause the painful erythroderma and desquamation of the scalded skin syndrome. Other unique S. aureus strains produce one or more products that appear to be formed at sites of focal infection (wound infection, vagina during menstruation and tampon use) with systemic absorption and generalized effects resulting in toxic shock syndrome.