Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anthracis and Other Pathogenic Bacillus Species

Bacillus cereus causes two types of foodborne disease. During growth of B. cereus in the gastrointestinal tract, virulence factors can be produced, leading to diarrheal illness. Several toxins are suspected as virulence factors, of which the protein toxins Hbl, Nhe and CytK have been studied the most. The emetic syndrome is an intoxication caused by a pre-formed toxin (cereulide). Bacillus anthracis can cause food poisoning by eating undercooked contaminated meet. Bacillus species outside the B. cereus group have also been implicated in foodborne disease. Species such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus mojavensis, Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus licheniformis can produce cyclic lipopeptides which show toxic activity, although their link to foodborne disease remains uncertain.