Staph food poisoning sickens 100 people in U.S.

Staph food poisoning has sickened about 100 people in the United States in the past two months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Monday. Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

The illnesses resulting from Staphylococcus aureus have been reported after four separate events in November and December, according to the FDA.

One event in Wisconsin led to 70 illnesses, while the other three events in Illinois were responsible for 30 cases.

Investigators traced the poisoning to desserts made by Rolf's Patisserie, a gourmet bakery located in Lincolnwood, Illinois, the agency said.

The outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning has prompted the company to recall all desserts made after Nov. 1, including cakes, cobblers, decorated cookies, pastries, pies, tarts and tiramisu.

Available via the Internet and in both retail and wholesale markets, the desserts may not always carry a Rolf's Patisserie label, the agency said.

"Consumers should not eat the desserts," the FDA said in a statement. "Consumers and product sellers should dispose of them in a sealed container so that people and animals (including wild animals) cannot get access to and eat them."

Staphylococcus, more familiarly known as Staph, is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases as a result of infection of various tissues of the body.

Staph-related illness can range from mild and requiring no treatment to severe and potentially fatal. The symptoms typically include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.xinhuanet.com