Step 1: Concept. Some staphylococcal diseases are caused by specific toxins, while others result from direct bacterial invasion and the bloodstream presence of organisms.
Step 2: Which one is not toxin mediated. Septic shock from Staphylococcus aureus is due to bacteraemia, that is, live bacteria circulating in the blood and provoking a systemic inflammatory response. It is not produced by a single named exotoxin. So septic shock is the answer, option (d).
Step 3: Why the others are toxin mediated. Toxic shock syndrome is caused by toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1). Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome is caused by exfoliative (epidermolytic) toxin. Staphylococcal food poisoning is caused by a preformed heat-stable enterotoxin. All three are clearly toxin-driven.
Step 4: Note. Septic shock represents invasive infection with cytokine-driven shock, distinct from the toxin-mediated staphylococcal syndromes.