title: Emetic Bacillus cereus are more volatile than thought: recent foodborne outbreaks and prevalence studies in Bavaria (2007-2013).
abstract: Several Bacillus cereus strains possess the genetic fittings to produce two different types of toxins, the heat-stable cereulide or different heat-labile proteins with enterotoxigenic potential. Unlike the diarrheal toxins, cereulide is (pre-)formed in food and can cause foodborne intoxications shortly after ingestion of contaminated food. Based on the widely self-limiting character of cereulide intoxications and rarely performed differential diagnostic in routine laboratories, the real incidence is largely unknown. Therefore, during a 7-year period about 4.300 food samples linked to foodborne illness with a preliminary report of vomiting as well as food analysed in the context of monitoring programs were investigated to determine the prevalence of emetic B. cereus in food environments. In addition, a lux-based real-time monitoring system was employed to assess the significance of the detection of emetic strains in different food matrices and to determine the actual risk of cereulide toxin production in different types of food. This comprehensive study showed that emetic strains are much more volatile than previously thought. Our survey highlights the importance and need of novel strategies to move from the currently taxonomic-driven diagnostic to more risk orientated diagnostics to improve food and consumer safety.
authors.affiliation: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0413-9416
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Messelhäusser
authors.affiliation: Functional Microbiology, IBMH, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria ; Microbiology Unit, Center for Nutrition and Food Research ZIEL, Technical University of Munich, 85350 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Elrike
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1564-0660
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frenzel
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Unit, Center for Nutrition and Food Research ZIEL, Technical University of Munich, 85350 Freising, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blöchinger
authors.affiliation: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zucker
authors.affiliation: Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kämpf
authors.affiliation: Functional Microbiology, IBMH, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7384-0594
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ehling-Schulz
mesh_terms: D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013045:Species Specificity; D014839:Vomiting / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*