The Biol 2130 students and employees of a public-school system developed diarrheal illness on April 2. The cafeteria served chicken that day. On April 1, part of the chicken was placed in water-filled pans and cooked in an oven for 2 hours at a temperature of 177°C. The oven was turned off and the chicken was left overnight in the warm oven. Symptoms of the disease included nausea, vomiting, cramping, and a fever. All the patients recovered within 24 hours. Two "serotypes" of a Gram-positive, oxidase-negative, coagulase-positive cocci were isolated from 32 patients.
a. What was the probable "etiological" agent (pathogen)?
b. What is the most likely source of his infection, and how would you verify this?
c. Explain the difference between an "intoxication" and an infection.
d. Determine if the illness was due to an intoxication or an infection and give the information you based your answer on.
e. What was the probable treatment protocol for this illness? (How were they treated?)
f. Explain how this outbreak could have been prevented.