The use of Bacillus diarrhoeal enterotoxin (BDE) detection using an ELISA technique in the confirmation of the aetiology of Bacillus-mediated diarrhoea.
A commercially available ELISA kit was used for the detection of Bacillus diarrhoeal enterotoxin (BDE) in a variety of foods and faeces. The ability of isolates of Bacillus spp., including Bacillus cereus, to produce BDE in Brain Heart Infusion broth containing 0.1% glucose was also checked by use of the kit. Results show that 29 out of 31 B. cereus isolates were enterotoxigenic. Foods positive for performed BDE were always contaminated with > 10(5) B. cereus cfu g-1, but not all foods contaminated with large numbers of B. cereus were positive for BDE. Bacillus sp., other than one isolate which closely resembled B. subtilis, were negative for BDE production. Criteria for the confirmation of Bacillus-mediated diarrhoea should now include reports of symptoms and incubation periods consistent with the diarrhoeal form of food-poisoning by Bacillus spp., together with the results of tests for enterotoxigenicity of the Bacillus isolate, and detection of BDE in either the food and/or faeces.
Tan
A
A
Department of Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Heaton
S
S
Farr
L
L
Bates
J
J
D001407:Bacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans
D004768:Enterotoxins; C040792:enterotoxin, Bacillus cereus