Korean J Clin Microbiol.  2009 Mar;12(1):48-52. 10.5145/KJCM.2009.12.1.48.

A Case of Emetic Toxin Producing Bacillus cereusStrains Isolated from Outbreak

• Kim JH
• Lim EG
• Jang HC
• Park JY
• Lee SJ
• Park MS
• Choi GB
• Lee BK

• KMID: 1469970
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5145/KJCM.2009.12.1.48

Abstract

Bacillus cereus causes two types of gastrointestinal diseases: emesis and diarrhea. It produces one emetic toxin and nine different enterotoxins. In March 2008, eight of a family became sick after eating slices of raw fish. We isolated emetic toxin producing B. cereus from the stools of 6 patients and 2 subclincal humans. In this study, the presence of enterotoxin genes, such as those of haemolysin BL (Hbl), nonhemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe), B. cereus enterotoxin T (BceT), enterotoxin FM (EntFM), cytotoxin K (cytK) and cereulide were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Their enterotoxin activities were assayed using the BCET- RPLA, Tecra ELISA kit and Hep-2 vacuole activity. Bacterial isolates were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). This study demonstrates the emetic toxin-producing stains of B. cereus in clinical specimens, for the first time in the Republic of Korea.

Keyword

Emetic toxin; Cereulide; B. cereus

MeSH Terms

Bacillus
Bacillus cereus
Coloring Agents
Depsipeptides
Diarrhea
Eating
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
Enterotoxins
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Republic of Korea
Vacuoles
Vomiting
Coloring Agents
Depsipeptides
Enterotoxins

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Vacuolation responses in Hep-2 cells after treatment with isolated B. cereus supernatant. (A) Hep-2 cell treated with B. cereus (case 1) culture supernatant at 1/64 dilution, 8 h after treatment. Arrow indicate vacuolation of cell (200× magnification). (B) B. cereus (case 2). (C) B. cereus (case 3). (D) B. cereus (case 4). (E) B. cereus (case 5). (F) B. cereus (case 6). (G) B. cereus (case 7). (H) B. cereus (case 8). (I) Hep-2 cells control with no vacuolation present, 8 h after treatment (200× magnification).

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  Fig. 2. PFGE patterns of emetic toxin producing B. cereus isolated from patients of the outbreak. Control 1 and control 2 strain isolates from human and food in 2007, respectively.

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