Background: There is lack of information on staphylococcal contamination of foods in the Dutch Caribbean. The aim of this study was to evaluate retailed ground beef for contamination with Staphylococcus aureus in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean). Methods: Fifty-one samples of ground beef collected from three different supermarkets in Bonaire were inoculated on Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) for selective isolation of Staphylococcus aureus. Aseptic techniques were used for collection and processing of samples. Results: The isolates tentatively identified as S. aureus on MSA were confirmed by characteristic microscopic morphology in Gram stain and by production of catalase and coagulase. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in ground beef samples from the three markets varied in quantities from 130 to 300 colony forming units/g. Conclusion: The detection of S. aureus in high quantities in samples of retail ground beef emphasizes the public health importance of this work. The public health authorities in Bonaire should alert the management of the supermarkets of this finding, and urge them to take precautionary measures to avoid or minimize bacterial contamination.

Keywords: Ground Beef; Bonaire; Staphylococcus aureus Count