Cutaneous infection due to Bacillus cereus: a case report

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive bacterium prevalent in diverse environments.
• It is a known cause of gastrointestinal infections and food poisoning.
• Non-gastrointestinal infections due to B. cereus are infrequent but documented.

Observation:

• A case of Bacillus cereus cutaneous infection involving a hand wound in a young woman from rural Iran is presented.
• The patient presented with a localized skin lesion without systemic symptoms upon admission.
• Bacterial identification from wound isolates was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Findings:

• The causative agent isolated from the wound was identified as Bacillus cereus.
• The patient received targeted antibiotic therapy with ciprofloxacin.
• The antibiotic treatment proved successful in resolving the infection.

Implications:

• This case underscores that Bacillus cereus can manifest as a pathogen in non-gastrointestinal sites.
• Clinicians should consider B. cereus in the differential diagnosis of cutaneous infections, especially in endemic areas.
• Further research into the non-gastrointestinal pathogenic potential of B. cereus is warranted.