Toxicology: staphylococcal food poisoning: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Toxicology: staphylococcal food poisoning

Sample item

About twenty guests at a wedding develop sudden vomiting and cramps three hours after eating cream-filled pastries. Fever is slight and all recover within a day. Which is the cause?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Preformed Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin

A short incubation of one to six hours with vomiting, in people who ate a dairy or cream product, points to a preformed staphylococcal enterotoxin. It is heat stable, and recovery is quick. Salmonella has a longer incubation with fever and diarrhoea, and cholera and botulism have different features.

Option by option

  • A. Vibrio cholerae toxin

    Cholera causes profuse watery diarrhoea after a longer incubation.

  • B. Preformed Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin (correct)

    Correct. A short incubation with prominent vomiting indicates a preformed enterotoxin.

  • C. Clostridium botulinum toxin

    Botulism causes paralysis, not vomiting with quick recovery.

  • D. Invasion of the gut by Salmonella

    Salmonella has an incubation of 12 to 72 hours, with fever and diarrhoea.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Preformed Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin. A short incubation of one to six hours with vomiting, in people who ate a dairy or cream product, points to a preformed staphylococcal enterotoxin.

Why is "Vibrio cholerae toxin" not the answer?

Cholera causes profuse watery diarrhoea after a longer incubation.

Why is "Clostridium botulinum toxin" not the answer?

Botulism causes paralysis, not vomiting with quick recovery.

Why is "Invasion of the gut by Salmonella" not the answer?

Salmonella has an incubation of 12 to 72 hours, with fever and diarrhoea.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Toxicology: staphylococcal food poisoning in Forensic Medicine. It is heat stable, and recovery is quick. Salmonella has a longer incubation with fever and diarrhoea, and cholera and botulism have different features.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Toxicology: staphylococcal food poisoning?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.