First evidence of a food poisoning outbreak due to staphylococcal enterotoxin type E, France, 2009.

At the end of 2009, six food poisoning outbreaks caused by staphylococci were reported in France. Soft cheese made from unpasteurised milk was found to be the common source of the outbreaks. Staphylococcal enterotoxin type E was identified and quantified in the cheese using both official and confirmatory methods of the European Union Reference Laboratory (EU-RL). To our knowledge, this is the first report of food poisoning outbreaks caused by staphylococcal enterotoxin type E in France.