Laboratory Misidentifications Resulting from Taxonomic Changes to <i>Bacillus cereus</i> Group Species, 2018–2022

Carroll, Laura M.; Matle, Itumeleng; Kovač, Jasna; Cheng, Rachel A.

doi:10.3201/eid2809.220293

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…B. paranthracis , which was first described in 2017 [ 9 ], has been identified as group III B. cereus according to microbiologic methods and panC phylogenetic group assignment [ 34 ]. In 2020, B. paranthracis was isolated from blood of a fatal Ebola virus disease case in Liberia and was identified by whole genome sequencing [ 35 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes of Both Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic B. cereus Group Isolates from Foodstuffs in Thailand

Sornchuer,

Saninjuk,

Amonyingcharoen

et al. 2024

Antibiotics

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Members of the Bacillus cereus group are spore-forming Gram-positive bacilli that are commonly associated with diarrheal or emetic food poisoning. They are widespread in nature and frequently present in both raw and processed food products. Here, we genetically characterized 24 B. cereus group isolates from foodstuffs. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed that most of the isolates were closely related to B. cereus sensu stricto (12 isolates), followed by B. pacificus (5 isolates), B. paranthracis (5 isolates), B. tropicus (1 isolate), and “B. bingmayongensis” (1 isolate). The most detected virulence genes were BAS_RS06430, followed by bacillibactin biosynthesis genes (dhbA, dhbB, dhbC, dhbE, and dhbF), genes encoding the three-component non-hemolytic enterotoxin (nheA, nheB, and nheC), a gene encoding an iron-regulated leucine-rich surface protein (ilsA), and a gene encoding a metalloprotease (inhA). Various biofilm-associated genes were found, with high prevalences of tasA and sipW genes (matrix protein-encoding genes); purA, purC, and purL genes (eDNA synthesis genes); lytR and ugd genes (matrix polysaccharide synthesis genes); and abrB, codY, nprR, plcR, sinR, and spo0A genes (biofilm transcription regulator genes). Genes related to fosfomycin and beta-lactam resistance were identified in most of the isolates. We therefore demonstrated that WGS analysis represents a useful tool for rapidly identifying and characterizing B. cereus group strains. Determining the genetic epidemiology, the presence of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes, and the pathogenic potential of each strain is crucial for improving the risk assessment of foodborne B. cereus group strains.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes of Both Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic B. cereus Group Isolates from Foodstuffs in Thailand

Sornchuer,

Saninjuk,

Amonyingcharoen

et al. 2024

Antibiotics

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“…The identification of specific STs can be useful in tracking outbreaks and understanding the genetic diversity of the bacteria. In addition to the outbreak strain ST205 in this study, the other currently described isolates of B. paranthracis related to human pathogenicity have STs of 26 and 1076 [ 1 , 37 ]. ST1149, ST378, ST1219, ST1766, ST1786, ST1265, ST476, and ST2171 were isolated from drinking water and environmental water, suggesting that strains carrying these STs may exhibit a remarkable resilience to external conditions and possess a high degree of adaptability to diverse environments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Bacillus cereus group of bacteria consists of a complex of very closely related species with varying pathogenic potential. Notably, it consists of three main species: B. cereus sensu stricto (s.s.), which has been associated with numerous illnesses, including foodborne emetic intoxication, diarrhoeal toxicoinfection, anthrax-like illness, and nongastrointestinal infections, are significant examples; B. anthracis , an etiologic agent of anthrax; and B. thuringiensis , an entomopathogen that is well-known for its use as a biopesticide [ 1 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A rare waterborne outbreak of Bacillus paranthracis in Shandong province, China, 2020: epidemiologic survey, genomic insights, and virulence characteristics

Wang,

Xie,

Liu

et al. 2024

Emerging Microbes & Infections

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Bacillus paranthracis , a Gram-positive conditional pathogen of Bacillus cereus group species, is capable of causing foodborne and waterborne illnesses, leading to intestinal diseases in humans characterized by diarrhoea and vomiting. However, documented cases of B. paranthracis infection outbreaks are rare in the world, and the genomic background of outbreak strains is seldom characterized. This study retrospectively analyzed strains obtained from an outbreak in schools, as well as from water systems in peri-urban areas, China, in 2020. In total, 28 B. cereus group isolates were retrieved, comprising 6 from stool samples and 22 from water samples. Epidemiological and phylogenetic investigations indicated that the B. paranthracis isolate from drinking water as the causative agent of the outbreak. The genomic comparison revealed a high degree of consistency among 8 outbreak-related strains in terms of antimicrobial resistance gene profiles, virulence gene profiles, genomic content, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The strains related to the outbreak show highly similar genomic ring diagrams and close phylogenetic relationships. Additionally, this study shed light on the pathogenic potential and complexity of B. cereus group through its diversity in virulence genes and mice infection model. The findings highlight the usefulness of B. paranthracis genomes in understanding genetic diversity within specific environments and in tracing the source of pathogens during outbreak situations, thereby enabling targeted infection control interventions.

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“…genomes with misleading, ambiguous, and/or incorrect species names, which can lead–and has led–to dangerous pathogen misidentifications and delayed response times in outbreak scenarios. 3,10,19 Further, species names alone are inadequate for properly communicating B. cereus s.l. pathogenic potential, as several important B. cereus s.l.…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…outbreak or bioterrorism attack scenarios. 10,19,27 To address these critical gaps, we developed BTyperDB (www.btyper.app), an atlas of B. cereus s.l. genomes with standardized, community-curated metadata (Fig.…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

A community-curated, global atlas ofBacillus cereus sensu latogenomes for epidemiological surveillance

Ramnath,

Larralde,

Menchik

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The ability to cause foodborne illness, anthrax, and other infections has been attributed to numerous lineages withinBacillus cereus sensu lato(s.l.). However, existing pathogen surveillance databases facilitate dangerous pathogen misidentifications when applied toB. cereus s.l., potentially hindering outbreak or bioterrorism attack response efforts. To address this, we developed BTyperDB (www.btyper.app), an atlas ofB. cereus s.l.genomes with standardized, community-curated metadata. BTyperDB aggregates all publicly availableB. cereus s.l.genomes (including >2,600 previously unassembled genomes) with novel genomes donated by laboratories around the world, nearly doubling the number of publicly availableB. cereus s.l.genomes. To showcase its utility for pathogen surveillance, we use BTyperDB to identify emerging anthrax toxin- and capsule-harboring lineages. Overall, our study provides insight into the epidemiology of an under-studied group of emerging pathogens and highlights the benefits of inclusive, community-driven metadata FAIRification efforts.

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Laboratory Misidentifications Resulting from Taxonomic Changes to Bacillus cereus Group Species, 2018–2022

Cited by 9 publications

References 13 publications

Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes of Both Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic B. cereus Group Isolates from Foodstuffs in Thailand

Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Genes of Both Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic B. cereus Group Isolates from Foodstuffs in Thailand

A rare waterborne outbreak of Bacillus paranthracis in Shandong province, China, 2020: epidemiologic survey, genomic insights, and virulence characteristics

A community-curated, global atlas ofBacillus cereus sensu latogenomes for epidemiological surveillance

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