Bacillus cereus : Reheated rice syndrome

Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive, rod-shaped, aerobe, motile, beta-hemolytic, and spore forming bacterium commonly found in soil and food. Cereus is a Latin word which means “waxy” and it refers to waxy appearance of its growth on blood agar.

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It causes foodborne illnesses, Ingestion of food contaminated with endospores of Bacillus cereus is the mode of transmission. Cooking temperature less than 100°c can allow microbe to survive, when such food is improperly refrigerated endospores germinates and forms enterotoxin named Cereulide.

Foodborne illness is also called Reheated rice syndrome.

There are two types –

• Emetic type- it is most commonly seen after ingestion of contaminated, improperly refrigerated rice and pasta. Nausea and vomiting within 1-5 hr of ingestion are chief symptom.
• Diarrhea type- it causes watery, nonbloody diarrhea and abdominal cramping within 8-18 hr. of consumption.

Treatment

Fluid and electrolyte balance – oral rehydration solution.

Antibiotics – only in severe diarrhea. Clindamycin or Aminoglycosides.

Further reading https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3232990/

Revision today https://creativemeddoses.com/topics-list/pseudomonas-aeruginosa-nosocomial-terrorist/