Question:medium
Which of the following staphylococcal infections is not toxin mediated?
Which of the following staphylococcal infections is not toxin mediated?
Show Hint
Three options map to a named staphylococcal toxin; one is caused by bacteraemia.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Toxic shock syndrome
- Scalded skin syndrome
- Food poisoning
- Septic shock
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Split staphylococcal illness into two groups, those driven by a defined exotoxin and those driven by the bacteria themselves spreading through the body.
Step 2: Septic shock falls in the second group. It arises when Staphylococcus aureus enters the bloodstream and the resulting bacteraemia ignites a massive host inflammatory cascade, with no single specific toxin responsible. That marks it as the non-toxin-mediated condition, choice (d).
Step 3: The other three each map to a named toxin: toxic shock syndrome to TSST-1, scalded skin syndrome to exfoliative toxin, and food poisoning to a preformed heat-stable enterotoxin. Their mechanism is purely toxin based.
Step 4: So the contrast is invasion-plus-cytokines (septic shock) versus toxin action (the rest), and the odd one out is septic shock.
\[\boxed{\text{Septic shock}}\]
Step 2: Septic shock falls in the second group. It arises when Staphylococcus aureus enters the bloodstream and the resulting bacteraemia ignites a massive host inflammatory cascade, with no single specific toxin responsible. That marks it as the non-toxin-mediated condition, choice (d).
Step 3: The other three each map to a named toxin: toxic shock syndrome to TSST-1, scalded skin syndrome to exfoliative toxin, and food poisoning to a preformed heat-stable enterotoxin. Their mechanism is purely toxin based.
Step 4: So the contrast is invasion-plus-cytokines (septic shock) versus toxin action (the rest), and the odd one out is septic shock.
\[\boxed{\text{Septic shock}}\]
Was this answer helpful?
0
