Staphylococcus is a genus containing multiple bacterial species. The term “spp.” signals a group-level result. That is different from identifying Staphylococcus aureus, determining methicillin resistance or showing that a staphylococcal toxin caused food poisoning.
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Why names at different levels matter
GI-MAP lists the broad Staphylococcus group and S. aureus separately. A group flag should not be interpreted as a positive result for every member of that group. The numbers are also not necessarily independent populations that can be added together. [1]
What a high result can show
The assay detected its targeted DNA above the laboratory’s comparison range. That is a finding in stool; it does not show an infected skin lesion or organisms in the bloodstream. It cannot determine where the DNA originated or whether living bacteria are causing a current intestinal illness.
Why this does not establish food poisoning
Staphylococcal food poisoning is associated with toxin produced by S. aureus in food. A broad Staphylococcus stool count is not a test of that food or a measurement of the toxin you may have ingested. Illness timing and clinical history are essential to evaluating a suspected foodborne episode. [2]
How to use the finding appropriately
Record symptoms and recent medicines, then review the full report rather than acting on one flag. Do not begin antibiotics or a decolonization routine solely from a genus result. A normal count also does not rule out a staphylococcal infection at another site.
Common questions
Does Staphylococcus spp mean MRSA?
No. MRSA is methicillin-resistant S. aureus. A genus-level count establishes neither that species nor resistance.
Can the genus be high while S. aureus is not?
The assays address different target scopes. Ask the laboratory about an unexpected pattern rather than assuming one line invalidates the other.
Sources and review
Sources checked October 7, 2026. Manufacturer material describes the test; clinical guidance and research support the interpretation limits.
- Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory: GI-MAP interpretive guide (manufacturer specifications)
- CDC: About staph food poisoning
Medical review of this article is pending. For a correction or source question, contact GI MAP Test.