Bacillus cereus
Bacillus cereus
Characteristics
· Motile
· Non-encapsulated
· Obligate pathogen
Reservoirs
· humans (not normal flora)
· Soil (primarily spores)
Transmission
· Contaminated food (primarily rice)
Toxins
· Bacillus heat-labile enterotoxin (analogous to choleragen causes diarrheal food poisoning
· Bacillus heat-stabile enterotoxin (analogous to staphylococcal enterotoxin, causes emetic food poisoning)
Diseases
1. Diarrheal Food Poisoning
· Diarrheal gastroenteritis (abdominal pain, vomiting and watery diarrhea)
· Spontaneously resolves in < 24 hours
· Caused by Bacillus cereus contamination of food "production and secretion of bacillus heat-labile enterotoxin" ingestion of bacillus heat-labile enterotoxin-contaminated food
2. Emetic Food Poisoning
· Emetic gastroenteritis (severe vomiting)
· Spontaneously resolves in < 24 hours
· Caused by Bacillus cereus contamination of food "production and secretion of bacillus heat-stabile enterotoxin " ingestion of bacillus heat-stabile enterotoxin-contaminated food
Treatment
· Oral fluid and electrolyte replacement