You Can’t B. cereus – A Review of Bacillus cereus Strains That Cause Anthrax-Like Disease

Baldwin, Victoria M.

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.01731

Cited by 77 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 109 publications

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“…In addition, B. cereus is also associated with rare but also more serious non-gastrointestinal pathologies, such as eye infections, pneumonia or meningitis, with sometimes fatal outcomes [ 10 ]. In addition, a strain of B. cereus carrying a plasmid similar to pXO1 and a plasmid carrying capsule genes, which are known as factors specific to B. anthracis , has been responsible for severe anthrax-like infections [ 11 ]. B. cereus can induce severe pathologies especially in vulnerable children, such as septicemia, respiratory tract infection, enterocolitis, hepatitis, endocarditis, endophthalmitis, encephalitis with cerebral abscess [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacillus cereus Induces Severe Infections in Preterm Neonates: Implication at the Hospital and Human Milk Bank Level

Cormontagne

Rigourd

Vidić

et al. 2021

Toxins

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Human breast milk (HBM) is a source of essential nutrients for infants and is particularly recommended for preterm neonates when their own mother’s milk is not available. It provides protection against infections and decreases necrotizing enterocolitis and cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, HBM spoilage can occur due to contamination by pathogens, and the risk of a shortage of HBM is very often present. B. cereus is the most frequent ubiquitous bacteria responsible for HBM being discarded. It can contaminate HBM at all stages, from its collect point to the storage and delivery. B. cereus can induce severe infection in newborns with very low birth weight, with sometimes fatal outcomes. Although the source of contamination is rarely identified, in some cases, HBM was suspected as a potential source. Even if the risk is low, as infection due to B. cereus in preterm infants should not be overlooked, human milk banks follow strict procedures to avoid contamination, to accurately identify remaining bacteria following pasteurization and to discard non-compliant milk samples. In this review, we present a literature overview of B. cereus infections reported in neonates and the suspected sources of contamination. We highlight the procedures followed by the human milk banks from the collection of the milk to its microbiological characterization in Europe. We also present improved detection and decontamination methods that might help to decrease the risk and to preserve the public’s confidence in this vital biological product for infants whose mothers cannot breastfeed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacillus cereus Induces Severe Infections in Preterm Neonates: Implication at the Hospital and Human Milk Bank Level

Cormontagne

Rigourd

Vidić

et al. 2021

Toxins

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“…For example, we observed the transmission of Bacillus cereus. Remarkably, some strains of Bacillus cereus are used as probiotics, while others are known to cause an anthrax-like disease (90)(91)(92). Furthermore,…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On Pickles: Biological and Sociocultural Links Between Fermented Foods and the Human Gut Microbiome

Flachs

Orkin

2021

Preprint

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BackgroundThe composition of the human microbiome varies considerably in diversity and density across communities as a function of the foods we eat and the places we live. While all foods contain microbes, humans directly shape this microbial ecology through fermentation. Fermented foods are produced from microbial reactions that depend on local environmental conditions, fermentation practices, and the manner in which foods are prepared and consumed. These interactions are of special interest to ethnobiologists because they link investigations of how people shape and know the world around them to local knowledge, food traditions, local flora, and microbial taxa. MethodsIn this manuscript, we report on data collected at a fermentation revivalist workshop in Tennessee. To ask how fermentation traditions are learned and influence macro and micro ecologies, we conducted interviews and participated in a four-day craft fermentation workshop, and then collected both fermented food products and stool samples from workshop participants eating those fermented foods. ResultsWe identified ten major themes comprised of 29 sub-themes drawn from 326 marked codes in the transcripts. In combination, this analysis allowed us to summarize key experiences with fermentation, particularly those related to a sense of authenticity, place, health, and the discovery of tactile work. From the 605 ASVs shared between food and fecal samples, we identified 25 candidate ASVs that are suspected to have been transmitted from fermented food samples to the gut microbiomes of the workshop participants. Our results indicate that many of the foods prepared and consumed during the workshop were rich sources of probiotic microbes. ConclusionsBy combining these qualitative social and quantitative microbiological data, we suggest that variation in culturally-informed fermentation practices introduces variation in bacterial flora even among very similar foods, and that these food products can influence gut microbial ecology.

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“…Possible risks of Bt use may be associated with the genetic material exchange between bacteria of the Bc group [ 175 , 176 , 177 ]. Transfer of the insecticidal plasmid pHT73 by means of conjugation has been shown from Bt to B. cereus , B. mycoides, and even to B. anthracis, the etiological agent of anthrax [ 103 , 178 , 179 ]. In the respective studies, the recipient strains produced the crystalline Cry1Ac protein encoded by the plasmid pHT73, which demonstrated positive toxicity to Helicoverpa armigera larvae.…”

Section: Vertebratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this light, previously accepted functional species signatures, such as pXO plasmids in B. anthracis and Cry gene plasmids in B. thuringiensis , may not be restricted to these species [ 11 ]. The potential for causing specific diseases is also not species-constrained since the new evidence shows that specific B. cereus strains varying in their genotypes and phenotypes may cause anthrax-like disease [ 179 ]. Given the possible outcomes that gene exchange with human pathogens may have in Bt , special attention should be paid to genetic control of the strains used for biocontrol and their potential for horizontal gene transfer.…”

Section: Vertebratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dissecting the Environmental Consequences of Bacillus thuringiensis Application for Natural Ecosystems

Belousova

Malovichko

Shikov

et al. 2021

Toxins

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Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a natural pathogen of different invertebrates, primarily insects, is widely used as a biological control agent. While Bt-based preparations are claimed to be safe for non-target organisms due to the immense host specificity of the bacterium, the growing evidence witnesses the distant consequences of their application for natural communities. For instance, upon introduction to soil habitats, Bt strains can affect indigenous microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, and further establish complex relationships with local plants, ranging from a mostly beneficial demeanor, to pathogenesis-like plant colonization. By exerting a direct effect on target insects, Bt can indirectly affect other organisms in the food chain. Furthermore, they can also exert an off-target activity on various soil and terrestrial invertebrates, and the frequent acquisition of virulence factors unrelated to major insecticidal toxins can extend the Bt host range to vertebrates, including humans. Even in the absence of direct detrimental effects, the exposure to Bt treatment may affect non-target organisms by reducing prey base and its nutritional value, resulting in delayed alleviation of their viability. The immense phenotypic plasticity of Bt strains, coupled with the complexity of ecological relationships they can engage in, indicates that further assessment of future Bt-based pesticides’ safety should consider multiple levels of ecosystem organization and extend to a wide variety of their inhabitants.

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You Can’t B. cereus – A Review of Bacillus cereus Strains That Cause Anthrax-Like Disease

Cited by 77 publications

References 109 publications

Bacillus cereus Induces Severe Infections in Preterm Neonates: Implication at the Hospital and Human Milk Bank Level

Bacillus cereus Induces Severe Infections in Preterm Neonates: Implication at the Hospital and Human Milk Bank Level

On Pickles: Biological and Sociocultural Links Between Fermented Foods and the Human Gut Microbiome

Dissecting the Environmental Consequences of Bacillus thuringiensis Application for Natural Ecosystems

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