Summary of "Bacillus cereus (Food poisoning)"

Summary of Bacillus cereus (Food Poisoning)

The name derives from Latin: Bacillus means “little rod,” and cereus means “wax,” describing its rod-shaped, wax-like appearance.
It is a gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming, aerobic bacterium.
Motile due to thread-like flagella.
Catalase positive (produces catalase enzyme).
Beta-hemolytic: causes complete hemolysis on blood agar due to beta-hemolysin toxin.

Triggered by environmental stress such as extreme temperatures, dryness, or radiation.
Process steps: 1. DNA replication. 2. Formation of a mother cell wall isolating part of the cell. 3. Plasma membrane surrounds and pinches off the mother cell, forming a forespore. 4. Forespore is engulfed by the mother cell. 5. Forespore dehydrates, accumulates calcium, and is wrapped in a tough cortex. 6. Mother cell dies, releasing the resistant endospore.
Endospores can survive for over 1,000 years and resist heat, chemicals, enzymes, and antibiotics.
Commonly contaminates foods like rice or pasta.

Cereulide toxin:
Produced by germinated bacteria in food.
Heat-resistant.
Causes the emetic (vomiting) type of food poisoning.
Mechanism: binds gastrointestinal mucosal chemoreceptors, overstimulates the vagus nerve, triggering vomiting.
Symptoms onset: 1–5 hours after ingestion.
Enterotoxins (three types):
Hemolysin BL
Non-hemolytic enterotoxin
Cytotoxin K
These toxins damage intestinal epithelium, causing secretion of electrolytes and water into the intestine.
Result: diarrheal type of food poisoning.
Symptoms onset: 6–18 hours after ingestion.

Can contaminate medical devices such as needles, prosthetics, and catheters.
Causes bacteremia and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals (e.g., newborns, cancer patients).
Possible complications include:
Endocarditis (heart infection)
Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
Meningoencephalitis (central nervous system infection)
Eye infections:
- Endophthalmitis (inside the eye)
- Keratitis (cornea infection)

Emetic form: nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps (1–5 hours after eating contaminated food).
Diarrheal form: moderate to severe abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea (6–18 hours after ingestion).
Systemic infection: fever, chills, malaise.
Endocarditis: night sweats, new heart murmurs.
Osteomyelitis: bone pain, swelling.
CNS infection: headache, confusion, stiff neck.
Eye infections: severe pain, swelling, proptosis (eye bulging), impaired vision.

Food poisoning: supportive care only.
Systemic infections:
Remove or replace contaminated medical devices.
Antibiotic therapy:
- Vancomycin (drug of choice)
- Alternatives: imipenem, gentamicin.

Perform Gram stain to confirm gram-positive rods.
Catalase test: add hydrogen peroxide to bacterial colony; bubbling indicates positive.
Culture on blood agar to observe beta-hemolysis.
Quantify bacterial load in biological samples (>10^5 CFU/g).
Use toxin detection assays such as latex agglutination and immunochromatography.
PCR for detecting bacterial DNA.
Blood cultures if systemic infection is suspected.

The information is based on a narrated educational video by a medical or microbiology educator explaining Bacillus cereus and its role in food poisoning and systemic infections.