Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolated in a gastroenteritis outbreak investigation

Jackson, Susan; Goodbrand, R.B.; Ahmed, Rafiq; Kasatiya, S. S.

doi:10.1111/j.1472-765x.1995.tb01017.x

Cited by 191 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…As with B. cereus, B. thuringiensis strains produce various food poisoning toxins and a B. thuringiensis strain has been found associated with an outbreak of food poisoning (Jackson et al, 1995). However, by comparison with chemical pesticides, B. thuringiensis is generally recognized as a safe product and there is no evidence to suggest that its use for insect control should be reduced.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The plcR regulon is involved in the opportunistic properties of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus in mice and insects

Ramisse²,

et al. 2000

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Bacillus thuringiensis has been widely used for 40 years as a safe biopesticide for controlling agricultural pests and mosquitoes because it produces insecticidal crystal proteins. However, spores have also been shown to contribute to overall entomopathogenicity. Here, the opportunistic properties of acrystalliferous B. thuringiensis Cry N and Bacillus cereus strains were investigated in an insect species, Galleria mellonella, and in a mammal, BALB/c mice. In both animal models, the pathogenicity of the two bacterial species was similar. Mutant strains were constructed in which the plcR gene, encoding a pleiotropic regulator of extracellular factors, was disrupted. In larvae, coingestion of 10 6 spores of the parental strain with a sublethal concentration of Cry1C toxin caused 70 % mortality whereas only 7 % mortality was recorded if spores of the ∆plcR mutant strain were used. In mice, nasal instillation of 10 8 spores of the parental strain caused 100 % mortality whereas instillation with the same number of ∆plcR strain spores caused much lower or no mortality. Similar effects were obtained if vegetative cells were used instead of spores.The cause of death is unknown and is unlikely to be due to actual growth of the bacteria in mice. The lesions caused by B. thuringiensis supernatant in infected mice suggested that haemolytic toxins were involved. The cytolytic properties of strains of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus, using sheep, horse and human erythrocytes and G. mellonella haemocytes, were therefore investigated. The level of cytolytic activity is highly reduced in ∆plcR strains.Together, the results indicate that the pathogenicity of B. thuringiensis strain 407 and B. cereus strain ATCC 14579 is controlled by PlcR.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The plcR regulon is involved in the opportunistic properties of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus in mice and insects

Ramisse²,

et al. 2000

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“…An outbreak of foodbome illness associated with B. thuringiensis has been reported and certain strains of B. thuringiensis have been found to produce a diarrhegenic enterotoxin sirnilar to that of B. cereus (Ray, 1991;Jackson et al, 1995;Mikarni, 1995).…”

Section: Emetic Toxinmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The vegetative ce11 is s 1 p m long and Gram-positive (Krarner and Gilbert 1989; Turnbufl increasing cases of related food-borne disease (Turnbull and Krarner, 1991;Drobniewski, 1994;Jackson et al, 1995).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification of contamination sources of Bacillus cereus in pasteurized milk

Lin

Schraft

Odumeru

et al. 1998

International Journal of Food Microbiology

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“…An extensive description of the various potential enterotoxins of B. cereus, can be found in Granum and Baird-Parker (2000). A large proportion of strains from the species B. cereus, B. thuringiensis and B. weihenstephanensis have the genes for at least one of these diarrhoeal toxins (Guinebretière et al 2002;Gaviria Rivera et al, 2000;Stenfors et al, 2002 (Jackson et al 1995).…”

Section: Diarrhoeal Foodborne Infectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on biological hazards (BIOHAZ) on Bacillus cereus and other Bacillus spp in foodstuffs

2005

EFS2

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SUMMARYBacillus cereus is the cause of two kinds of foodborne diseases, an emetic (vomiting) intoxication due to the ingestion of a toxin (cereulide) pre-formed in the food and a diarrhoeal infection due to the ingestion of bacterial cells/spores which produce enterotoxins in the small intestine. Other Bacillus spp., B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. pumilus have more rarely beeen identified as agents of foodborne diseases characterized by diarrhoea and/or vomiting. Emetic intoxication is caused by a very homogeneous group of strains of B. cereus identified by their ability to produce cereulide. In contrast, B. cereus strains able to cause diarrhoea are not easy to identify because the mechanisms leading to infection are complex and diverse. Very little is known on the virulence mechanisms of other Bacillus spp and therefore it is not possible to identify the strains able to cause foodborne poisoning.In most instances, foodborne diseases caused by B. cereus were associated with 5 log to 8 log cells/spores per g of the food vehicle. However, in some outbreaks, lower numbers in the food (3 -4 log per g) were reported. Foodborne poisoning caused by other Bacillus spp. has always been linked to high numbers of cells/spores in the food vehicle (equal or more to 6 log per g).Bacillus cereus is ubiquitous and low numbers of its spores, too low to cause foodborne poisoning, can be found in a wide range of foodstuffs. Spores can germinate and multiply in humid, low acid foods, from 4-5°C to 55°C. However, strains able to multiply below 7°C, and strains able to multiply above 45°C, are not the most common. Emetic B. cereus are presumably unable to grow and produce their toxin cereulide below 10°C, or in the absence of oxygen. Other Bacillus spp. involved in foodborne poisoning cases are also frequent causes of food spoilage. Almost all kind of foods have been implicated in B. cereus foodborne poisoning. However, a majority of reported outbreaks were linked to the consumption of heat treated foods and frequently occurred in restaurant and catering establishments. Failure in refrigeration was frequently suspected. Cooked dishes containing pasta or rice were the main, but not the only, foods implicated in emetic intoxications.The major control measures are to control temperature and to establish HACCP system. Only heat treatments used for canning of low acid foods will ensure a complete destruction of spores of B. cereus. The number of spores in other processed foods must be kept as low as possible by proper cleaning and disinfection of equipments. Rapid cooling is necessary to prevent germination and growth of B. cereus spores. Low pH (below 4.5), reduction in a w (below 0. Community legislation on food hygiene is currently under revision. In this framework a revision of the microbiological criteria in Community legislation is taking place. The revised hygiene legislation provides also, among other things, a legal basis to set specific temperature control requirements for foodstuffs, when appropriate. QuestionThe European ...

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Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolated in a gastroenteritis outbreak investigation

Cited by 191 publications

References 12 publications

The plcR regulon is involved in the opportunistic properties of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus in mice and insects

The plcR regulon is involved in the opportunistic properties of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus in mice and insects

Identification of contamination sources of Bacillus cereus in pasteurized milk

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on biological hazards (BIOHAZ) on Bacillus cereus and other Bacillus spp in foodstuffs

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