Question

A patient complains about nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps after attending a social gathering party, which causative organism is likely responsible for Food Poisoning within 3 hours.

• A. Staphylococcus aureus
• B. Salmonella
• C. Clostridium botulinum
• D. Clostridium perfringens

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

When a patient presents with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps shortly after attending an event and consuming food, it is important to consider the timeline and specific characteristics of the various bacteria that cause food poisoning. Given that these symptoms developed within 3 hours, we look for organisms known to cause rapid onset of symptoms due to food poisoning.

Among the options provided, Staphylococcus aureus is notorious for causing rapid-onset food poisoning. The symptoms occur quite swiftly, typically within 1 to 6 hours after ingestion. This is because Staphylococcus aureus produces a heat-stable enterotoxin that directly irritates the intestinal lining, resulting in the acute gastrointestinal symptoms observed.

In contrast, other organisms listed:

• Salmonella typically causes symptoms 6-48 hours after ingestion.
• Clostridium botulinum symptoms can take 12-72 hours to appear.
• Clostridium perfringens generally causes symptoms 8-16 hours later.

Thus, based on the rapid onset of symptoms, the causative organism is most likely Staphylococcus aureus.