title: Bacillus cereus from blood cultures: virulence genes, antimicrobial susceptibility and risk factors for blood stream infection.
abstract: We characterized the profiles of virulence genes and antimicrobial susceptibility of Bacillus cereus isolates from blood cultures as well as the risk factors for blood stream infections (BSIs). The diversity of virulence gene patterns was found to be wide among 15 B. cereus isolates from BSIs and also among 11 isolates from contaminated blood cultures. The MicroScan broth microdilution method yielded results corresponding with those of the agar dilution (reference) method for levofloxacin, linezolid, and vancomycin, while the Etest results were consistent with the reference results for clindamycin, gentamicin, imipenem, levofloxacin, and linezolid. Compared with the reference values, however, some isolates showed marked differences of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for ampicillin and clindamycin when determined using the MicroScan method, or the MICs for ampicillin, meropenem, and vancomycin when determined using the Etest method. Significantly more patients were treated with antimicrobials for more than 3 days during the 3-month period before isolation in the BSI group. Prior antimicrobial therapy may be a risk factor for BSIs due to B. cereus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tottori University Faculty of Medicine, Yonago, Tottori, Japan. horii@med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Notake
authors.forename: Kiyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: Hideji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016863:Bacillaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D058889:Molecular Typing; D012307:Risk Factors; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D037521:Virulence Factors