Staphylococcal enterotoxins diagnosis

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Campylobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis, cyclosporiasis, E. coli infections, Listeria monocytogenes, shigellosis, Vibrio infections, yersiniosis, ingestion of bacterial toxins such as staphylococcal enterotoxins or botulinum toxin. 

Differential Diagnosis An epidemic of inhalation anthrax in its early stage with nonspecific symptoms could be confused with a number of viral, bacteria, and fungal infections. Progression over two to three days with sudden development of severe respiratory distress followed by shock and death within twenty-four to thirty-six hours in essentially all untreated cases eliminates diagnosis other than inhalation anthrax. Other diagnosis to consider would include aerosol exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), plague, or tularemia pneumonia. 

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF CHEMICAL NERVE AGENT, BOTULINUM TOXIN, AND STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENTEROTOXIN B INTOXICATION FOLLOWING INHALATIONAL EXPOSURE... 

Biological samples from patients are generally not as useful for diagnosis of intoxications as they are for diagnosis of infectious diseases or chemical intoxications. The same is true of postmortem samples. Ricin can be identified with immunoassays in extracts of lung, liver, stomach, and intestines up to 24 hours after aerosol exposure. High doses of ricin can be identified in fixed lung tissue of aerosol-exposed laboratory animals by immunohistochemical methods. The staphylococcal enterotoxins can be detected by immunoassay in bronchial washes. Like blood and swab samples, postmortem tissue or fluid samples should be kept cold, preferably frozen, until they can be assayed. 

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