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