Patients may also present with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if they swallow toxin. Presumably, higher exposure can lead to septic shock and death. Diagnosis is clinical. Patients present with a febrile respiratory syndrome without CXR abnormalities. Large numbers of soldiers presenting with typical symptoms and signs of SEB pulmonary exposure would suggest an intentional attack with this toxin.
Treatment is limited to supportive care.
Artificial ventilation might be needed for very severe cases, and attention to fluid management is important. There is currently no human vaccine available to prevent SEB intoxication. Destroy any food that may have been contaminated. SEB is one of the pyrogenic toxins that commonly causes food poisoning in humans after the toxin is produced in improperly handled foodstuffs and subsequently ingested. SEB has a very broad spectrum of biological activity.