[Detection of Bacillus cereus-toxins (author's transl)]

During the logarithmic state of growth, B. cereus produced extracellular toxins, which could be precipitated by ammoniumsulphate. The toxins were not dialysable. 9 strains of B. cereus were tested and showed lethal, hemolytic, and phospholipase-C-reactions. The lethal toxin injected i.v., killed mice within 20 minutes. An intradermal injection of the 9 toxin-precipitates in rabbits produced skin reactions, which could be neutralized by a specific antiserum against the B. cereus strain B-4ac. Relatively high doses (50 mg/ml) of the toxin caused fluid accumulation after injection in ligated loops of rabbit gut (Tab). The hemolysin of the tested B. cereus strains was found to be thermolabile. The phospholipase-C activity withstood the temperature of 55 degrees C for a period of 10 minutes. The prepared specific antiserum, which inhibited the phsopholipase-C activity totally, had no effect on the hemolysis. Intradermal and enteropathogenic activities point to the presence of an enterotoxin. For detection of the enterotoxin, the skin-test in guinea pigs or rabbits seems to be most appropriate.