Bacillus cereus, a serious cause of nosocomial infections: Epidemiologic and genetic survey

Abstract

Bacillus cereus is the 2nd most frequent bacterial agent responsible for food-borne outbreaks in France and the 3rd in Europe. In addition, local and systemic infections have been reported, mainly describing individual cases or single hospital setting. The real incidence of such infection is unknown and information on genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the incriminated strains is generally scarce. We performed an extensive study of B. cereus strains isolated from patients and hospital environments from nine hospitals during a 5-year study, giving an overview of the consequences, sources and pathogenic patterns of B. cereus clinical infections. We demonstrated the occurrence of several hospital-cross-contaminations. Identical B. cereus strains were recovered from different patients and hospital environments for up to 2 years. We also clearly revealed the occurrence of inter hospital contaminations by the same strain. These cases represent the first documented events of nosocomial epidemy by B. cereus responsible for intra and inter hospitals contaminations. Indeed, contamination of different patients with the same strain of B. cereus was so far never shown. In addition, we propose a scheme for the characterization of B. cereus based on biochemical properties and genetic identification and highlight that main genetic signatures may carry a high pathogenic potential. Moreover, the characterization of antibiotic resistance shows an acquired resistance phenotype for rifampicin. This may provide indication to adjust the antibiotic treatment and care of patients.

Bacillus cereus biofilm formation on central venous catheters of hospitalised cardiac patients

“…Previously, B. cereus has often been regarded as an environmental contaminant in clinical samples. However, the repeated isolation of B. cereus from the CVCs of cardiac patients in this study, together with its known biofilm-and spore-formation capabilities, as well as the results from a recent longitudinal study of the epidemiology of B. cereus infections in French hospitals (Glasset et al 2018), all point towards B. cereus constituting a true nosocomial pathogen of importance to human health.…”

Bacillus cereus non-haemolytic enterotoxin activates the NLRP3 inflammasome

“…anthracis 64,65 , have been effective. These findings are of clinical importance given the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including B. cereus 1,66 . Therefore, a better understanding of the host defence strategy against B. cereus infection will be beneficial and neutralization of toxins might complement current therapies against infection caused by toxin-producing bacteria.…”

Whole-genome sequence-based comparison and profiling of virulence-associated genes of Bacillus cereus group isolates from diverse sources in Japan

“…The diversity of B. cereus is reflected by its virulence and life cycle in the environment [6]. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and virulence gene profiling analyses of the emetic toxin-producing B. cereus strains associated with food poisoning or nosocomial infection have been conducted in many countries [7]. In Japan, food poisoning caused by emetic toxin-producing B. cereus contamination of processed rice products has been reported [8] along with cases of diarrheal food poisoning [9].…”