title: Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolated in a gastroenteritis outbreak investigation.
abstract: During investigation of a gastroenteritis outbreak in a chronic care institution, Norwalk virus was found in stool specimens from two individuals and bacterial isolates presumptively identified as Bacillus cereus were isolated from four individuals (including one with Norwalk virus) and spice. Phage typing confirmed all Bacillus clinical isolates were phage type 2. All clinical isolates were subsequently identified as B. thuringiensis when tested as a result of a related study (L. Leroux, personal communication). Eight of 10 spice isolates were phage type 4. All B. cereus and B. thuringiensis isolates showed cytotoxic effects characteristic of enterotoxin-producing B. cereus. An additional 20 isolates each of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis from other sources were tested for cytotoxicity. With the exception of one B. cereus, all showed characteristic cytotoxic patterns.
authors.affiliation: Ontario Ministry of Health, Hamilton Public Health Laboratory, Canada.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Goodbrand
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasatiya
mesh_terms: D016863:Bacillaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001434:Bacteriophage Typing; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D009663:Norwalk virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D017365:Spices / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D003603:Cytotoxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C040792:enterotoxin, Bacillus cereus