Medicine & USMLE

Bacillus cereus

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Bacteria - Gram Positive
  1. Staph aureus: Overview
  2. Staph aureus: Presentation
  3. Methicillin-Resistant Staph aureus (MRSA)
  4. Staph saprophyticus
  5. Strep pneumoniae: Overview
  6. Strep pneumoniae: Presentation
  7. Strep viridans
  8. Strep pyogenes: Overview
  9. Strep pyogenes: Presentation
  10. Strep agalactiae
  11. Strep bovis
  12. Enterococcus
  13. Bacillus anthracis
  14. Bacillus cereus
  15. Clostridium tetani
  16. Clostridium perfringens
  17. Clostridium botulinum
  18. Clostridium difficile
  19. Corynebacterium diphtheriae
  20. Listeria monocytogenes
  21. Nocardia
  22. Actinomyces

Bacillus cereus 

  • Gram + rod
    • Aerobic
    • Spore-forming
  • Preformed heat-stable exotoxin causes food poisoning usually with rice and pasta
    • Cereulide is the pre-formed toxin
    • Nausea and vomiting within 1-5 hrs is most common
      • Diarrheal type causes watery, nonbloody diarrhea and GI pain within 8-18 hrs, associated with meats and sauces 
    • Spores survive cooking rice (reheated rice syndrome)
      • Keeping rice warm results in germination of spores and enterotoxin formation
  • Treatment
    • Rehydration for all patients
    •  Antibiotics if diarrhea is severe
      • Clindamycin or aminoglycosides