DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF BACILLUS CEREUS, BACILLUS ANTHRACIS , AND BACILLUS CEREUS VAR. MYCOIDES

Abstract

These results strongly imply the presence in some anthrax bacilli of a latent genetic potential for motility. Such mutant cultures do not differ significantly from their parent cultures of B. anthracis except with respect to motility. Difficulties have been encountered in the repetition of the experiments on the induction of motility in B. anthracis by means of bacteriophage lysates. This has been discussed by Sterne and Proom (1957). This paper attempts to define the present status of laboratory tests for the diagnosis of anthrax by reporting the writers' experience based on the examination of more than 250 499

A Sporulation Medium for Bacillus anthracis

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MUCH of the research which has been done on the aetiologic agent of anthrax, Bacillus anthracis, has focused on the ecology, physiology, and pathological properties of this organism (Brewer et al, 1946a;Nungester, 1967;Lincoln & Fish, 1970; Van Ness, 1971). In addition, various papers on the detection and characterization of this organism have appeared in the literature (Brown & Cherry, 1955;Brown, Moody, Treece & Smith, 1958). In contrast, relatively little has been done on sporulation of B. anthracis and a search of the literature failed to yield a description of a medium that was consistently effective in promoting good sporulation by the various strains of B. anthracis that were tested.Because of an interest in preparing antisera against exosporium antigens of B. anthracis it was important to employ a medium that would support good spore production by the test strains.

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Bacillus cereus-Induced Fluid Accumulation in Rabbit Ileal Loops

“…c Strains isolated from food poisoning outbreaks. exception, B. thuringiensis ATCC 10792, closely resembles B. cereus and has, in fact, been considered a variety of it by some investigators (2,22). In a later survey of five additional strains of B. thuringiensis, three proved capable of eliciting fluid accumulation.…”

Identification of Bacillus anthracis by using monoclonal antibody to cell wall galactose-N-acetylglucosamine polysaccharide

“…A variety of methods for the identification of Bacillus anthracis, the etiologic agent of anthrax, have emerged over the past century. These tests include determinations of colony characteristics on various media and susceptibility to penicillin and gamma-phage (27), interaction with specific lectins (4, 5, 9), demonstration of capsule formation (27,5), determination of characteristics of spores and vegetative cells (27), carbohydrate fermentation tests (24), fatty acid profiles (18), anthrax toxin production tests, and tests for pathogenicity in laboratory animals (1,2,20,27,28,30). Demonstration of the production of the components of the anthrax lethal toxin (i.e., protective antigen [PA] and lethal factor) or edema toxin (i.e., PA and edema factor) (21) by an isolate is perhaps the most reliable means of identifying anthrax strains.…”

“…The products of both plasmids are required for virulence. Although the identification of most B. anthracis strains can be made with certainty by using a combination of tests, Brown et al (1) have proposed that transition strains may bridge the traits used to distinguish B. anthracis from the closely related species Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus mycoides (18,19).…”