Nutrition: staphylococcal food poisoning: practice question

A PSM 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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PSM · Nutrition: staphylococcal food poisoning

Sample item

Three hours after a wedding feast, many guests develop sudden vomiting and cramps, with little fever. They had eaten cream-filled pastries kept unrefrigerated. Which organism is the most likely cause?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus from a food handler multiplies in unrefrigerated milk or cream products and forms a heat-stable preformed enterotoxin. Illness starts within 1 to 6 hours with vomiting and recovers within a day. Reheating does not destroy the toxin.

Option by option

  • A. Salmonella Typhimurium

    Salmonella has an incubation of 12 to 36 hours and causes fever and diarrhoea.

  • B. Vibrio parahaemolyticus

    Vibrio parahaemolyticus is linked to raw seafood and has a longer incubation.

  • C. Staphylococcus aureus (correct)

    Correct. A short incubation with vomiting after cream products suggests preformed staphylococcal enterotoxin.

  • D. Clostridium perfringens

    Clostridium perfringens produces diarrhoea after 8 to 16 hours, usually from reheated meat dishes.

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 PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is C, Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus from a food handler multiplies in unrefrigerated milk or cream products and forms a heat-stable preformed enterotoxin.

Why is "Salmonella Typhimurium" not the answer?

Salmonella has an incubation of 12 to 36 hours and causes fever and diarrhoea.

Why is "Vibrio parahaemolyticus" not the answer?

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is linked to raw seafood and has a longer incubation.

Why is "Clostridium perfringens" not the answer?

Clostridium perfringens produces diarrhoea after 8 to 16 hours, usually from reheated meat dishes.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nutrition: staphylococcal food poisoning in PSM. Illness starts within 1 to 6 hours with vomiting and recovers within a day. Reheating does not destroy the toxin.

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 Nutrition: staphylococcal food poisoning?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM 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.