Table 5.
Summary of Characteristics Associated With Outbreaks of Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus, United States
| Characteristic | Incubation (<5 h) | Vomiting (≥30% Cases) | Diarrhea (≥90% Cases) | Rice Implicateda | Meat or Poultry Implicateda | If Meat or Poultry, Most Common Typea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacillus cereus | Sometimesb | Usual | Sometimes | Sometimes | Infrequent | Poultry |
| Clostridium perfringens | Infrequent | Almost never | Usual | Never | Sometimes | Beef |
| Staphylococcus aureus | Usual | Usual | Sometimes | Almost never | Sometimes | Pork |
a
Among outbreaks with a single food implicated.
b
Scale uses proportion of confirmed outbreaks: never = 0% of confirmed outbreaks; almost never = 1%–10%; infrequent = 11%–30%; sometimes = 31%–69%; usual = 70%–89%; almost always = 90%–99%; always = 100%.