Back to Main Food Poisoning PageBacillus cereus and other Bacillus spp.

What is it?

Bacillus cereus is an aerobic spore-forming rod.

What illness does the bacterium cause?

B. cereus food poisoning is the description of the illness this bacterium causes.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

The symptoms this disease causes are similar those that Clostridium perfringens cause including watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps occurring 6 to 15 hours after consumption. These symptoms along with nausea can last for 24 hours. Usually the vomit type outbreaks are caused by rice and other starchy products. A few complications are involved with the disease such as bovine mastitis severe systemic and pyogenic infections, gangrene, septic meningitis cellulitis, panophthalmitis, lung abscesses, infant death and endocarditis.

How is the disease diagnosed?

In order to diagnose this disease one needs to isolate the strains of the serotype from the suspected food, feces or vomit of the patient.

What foods are associated with the disease?

The foods that this disease is associated with include meats, milk vegetables and fish. Usually the vomit type outbreaks are caused by rice and other starchy products. A few complications are involved with the disease such as bovine mastitis severe systemic and pyogenic infections, gangrene, septic meningitis cellulitis, panophthalmitis, lung abscesses, infant death and endocarditis. Everyone is susceptible to B. cereus food poisoning.

What we can do to help

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Links for more info

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm070492.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol3no4/beuchat.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=1386

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