Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Culturing and Maintaining Clostridium difficile in an Anaerobic Environment
11:13

Culturing and Maintaining Clostridium difficile in an Anaerobic Environment

Published on: September 14, 2013

Bacillus cereus: the forgotten pathogen

Anand Pillai1, Stephanie Thomas, Jayant Arora

  • 1Departments of Orthopaedics & Trauma Surgery, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Surgical Infections
|August 1, 2006
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Bacillus cereus typically causes food poisoning but can lead to serious surgical site infections. Vigilance is crucial as dismissed contaminants may cause rapid deterioration.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Surgical Site Infections

Background:

  • Bacillus cereus is commonly linked to foodborne illness, particularly from contaminated rice.
  • Clinical isolates of B. cereus from non-gastrointestinal sources are often disregarded as contaminants.
  • This case highlights a rare non-gastrointestinal manifestation of B. cereus infection.

Observation:

  • A case of Bacillus cereus surgical site infection (SSI) following fasciotomy is presented.
  • The patient was a healthy 31-year-old male with a comminuted tibia fracture.
  • No clear source of B. cereus infection was identified.

Findings:

  • B. cereus can cause severe surgical site infections, challenging its typical association with gastrointestinal illness.
  • Early identification and appropriate treatment are critical to prevent rapid clinical decline.
  • The bacterium, often dismissed as a contaminant, poses a significant risk in surgical settings.

Implications:

  • Healthcare providers must maintain vigilance for unusual pathogens in surgical site infections.
  • Antimicrobial therapy should consider broad coverage, including for potential nosocomial pathogens.
  • This case underscores the need to investigate seemingly contaminant organisms in postoperative infections.

More Related Videos

Recombinant Protein Expression, Crystallization, and Biophysical Studies of a Bacillus-conserved Nucleotide Pyrophosphorylase, BcMazG12:23

Recombinant Protein Expression, Crystallization, and Biophysical Studies of a Bacillus-conserved Nucleotide Pyrophosphorylase, BcMazG

Published on: May 16, 2017

The Insect Galleria mellonella as a Powerful Infection Model to Investigate Bacterial Pathogenesis13:00

The Insect Galleria mellonella as a Powerful Infection Model to Investigate Bacterial Pathogenesis

Published on: December 11, 2012

Related Concept Videos

Botulism01:22

Botulism

Botulism is a life-threatening neuroparalytic condition caused by botulinum neurotoxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, a Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobe.In adults, the toxin enters the body in different ways: in foodborne botulism, the preformed toxin is absorbed in the intestine. In wound botulism, spores grow in injured tissue and release the toxin into the blood. Infant botulism differs mechanistically from adult forms. In infants, botulism commonly...
Reservoir of Infection01:30

Reservoir of Infection

Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
Bacterial Toxins01:12

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial toxins are sophisticated virulence factors that enable pathogenic bacteria to interact with, invade, and damage host tissues. These toxins fall broadly into two types: protein exotoxins, which are secreted into the environment and target specific host receptors, and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins, which are structural components of the bacterial outer membrane released primarily during bacterial lysis or membrane shedding. Exotoxins generally act more selectively, binding to cell...
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria01:30

Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria

Coryneform bacteria are gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile rods that exhibit irregular, club-shaped, or V-shaped arrangements. Their V-shape results from snapping division, where the inner cell wall layer forms the cross-wall, while the outer layer remains intact until it ruptures on one side, causing the daughter cells to bend away.The primary genera are Corynebacterium and Arthrobacter. Corynebacterium includes diverse species, ranging from saprophytes to pathogens like Corynebacterium...
Bacterial Gastroenteritis01:18

Bacterial Gastroenteritis

Bacterial gastroenteritis, characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting, is often caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water and is frequently associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. These microbes exploit two principal mechanisms to inflict disease.Shiga toxin–producing E. coli, also referred to as STEC—notably O157:H7—release Shiga toxins that target ribosomes, blocking protein synthesis. The B subunit of the toxin binds the host glycolipid receptor...
Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology01:26

Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology

Bacterial meningitis typically begins when pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae colonize the nasopharynx and invade the bloodstream. This process is facilitated by bacterial virulence factors, such as polysaccharide capsules, which resist phagocytosis and complement-mediated killing. Less commonly, bacteria reach the central nervous system via contiguous spread from infections like otitis media or sinusitis, through congenital or acquired dural defects, or...