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Toxigenic Bacillus cereus as a cause of wound infections in the tropics

M S Dryden1, J M Kramer

  • 1Department of Microbiology, St Thomas' Hospital, London, U.K.

The Journal of Infection
|November 1, 1987
PubMed

Insights

Bacillus cereus was identified as the primary cause of infections in traumatic wounds sustained by individuals in the Costa Rican rainforest. This toxigenic bacterium was prevalent in wound samples and also found in nasal and throat passages.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Tropical Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Traumatic wounds pose significant infection risks, especially in remote environments like rainforests.
  • Bacterial pathogens are a common cause of wound complications, necessitating identification and characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the principal bacterial pathogen responsible for clinically infected traumatic wounds.
  • To investigate the prevalence and pathogenicity of isolated bacteria in a specific expedition cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A bacteriological survey was performed on wound samples from patients with clinically infected traumatic wounds.
  • Isolation and identification of bacterial species were conducted.
  • In vivo pathogenicity tests were used to assess the toxigenicity of bacterial isolates.

Main Results:

  • Bacillus cereus was isolated from 14 out of 18 patients' wounds, often in pure and heavy growth.
  • Most Bacillus cereus isolates demonstrated strong toxigenicity in pathogenicity tests.
  • Bacillus cereus was also found in the nasal passages of 15 individuals and the throat of five.

Conclusions:

  • Bacillus cereus was identified as the principal pathogen in this series of traumatic wound infections.
  • The findings highlight the role of Bacillus cereus in wound infections within a tropical rainforest setting.
  • The presence of Bacillus cereus in nasal and throat passages suggests potential colonization reservoirs.

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