Bacteria Genomes - BACILLUS CEREUS

Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive , facultatively aerobic pathogenic sporeformer whose cells are large rods.

Bacillus cereus causes two types of food-borne intoxications (as opposed to infections). One type is characterised by nausea and vomiting and abdominal cramps and has an incubation period of 1 to 6 hours. It resembles Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning in its symptoms and incubation period. This is the "short-incubation" or emetic form of the disease.

The second type is manifested primarily by abdominal cramps and diarrhea with an incubation period of 8 to 16 hours. This type is referred to as the "long-incubation" or diarrheal form of the disease, and it resembles food poisoning more often caused by Clostridium perfringens. In either type, the illness usually lasts less than 24 hours after onset. In a few patients symptoms may last longer. Bacillus cereus food poisoning occurs year-round and is without any particular geographic distribution.

Bacillus cereus is commonly found in soil, air, and water, the microbe forms spores that enable it to survive pasteurization and low levels of heat. Many cases of B. cereus food poisoning occur from eating contaminated rice.

Nonanthrax Bacillus species, especially Bacillus cereus, are occasionally implicated in local infections especially involving the eye. They can cause conjunctivitis, keratitis, iridocyclitis, dacryocystitis, orbital abscess, and panophthalmitis. The usual setting is that of previous occurrence of penetrating nonsurgical trauma.

B. cereus has also been linked with bovine mastitis, severe systemic and pyogenic infections, gangrene, septic meningitis, cellulitis, panophthalmitis, lung abscesses, infant death, and endocarditis.

References:

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap12.html
http://textbookofbacteriology.net/B.cereus.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~zinkd/b_cereus.htm
Nature 423 (6935):87-91 (2003)
Nucleic Acids Res. 32(3):977-988(2004)