Abstract
Ingesting foods contaminated with Bacillus cereus bacteria can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Though B. cereus is commonly found in many types of fresh and processed foods, proper cooking, handling, and storage can minimize the risk of contamination. This 5-page fact sheet explains how B. cereus is transmitted, what foods it is commonly associated with, the methods used to prevent contamination, and good practices for receiving, handling, processing, and storing food. Written by Keith R. Schneider, Renée Goodrich Schneider, Rachael Silverberg, Ploy Kurdmongkoltham, and Bruna Bertoldi, and published by the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs269
References
British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). 2002. "Foodborne Illness Outbreaks: Bacillus cereus." Milk Safety Notes. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.bccdc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/34B36D22-D767-4140-B032-35FE8AAD409F/0/Outbreak_Bacillus_Milk.pdf
Bottone EJ. 2010. "Bacillus cereus, a Volatile Human Pathogen." Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 23 (2): 382-398. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00073-09
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2012a. Pathogens Causing US Foodborne Illnesses, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, 2000-2008. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/PDFs/pathogens-complete-list-01-12.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2012b. Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks United States, 2012: Annual Report. Accessed March 6, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/pdfs/foodborne-disease-outbreaks-annual-report-2012-508c.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1994. "Epidemiologic Notes and Reports: Bacillus cereus Food Poisoning Associated with Fried Rice at Two Child Day Care Centers-Virginia, 1993." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 43 (10):177-178. Accessed March 13, 2017. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4310.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1986. "Bacillus cereus - Maine." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 35 (25): 408-410. Accessed March 13, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000754.htm
Dierick, K, E Van Coillie, I Swiecicka, G Meyfroidt, H Devlieger, A Meulemans, G Hoedemaekers, L Fourie, M Heyndrickx, and J Mahillon. 2005. "Fatal Family Outbreak of Bacillus cereus-Associated Food Poisoning." Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 43 (8): 4277-4279. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.43.8.4277-4279.2005
Delbrassinne, L, N Botteldoorn, M Andjelkovic, K Dierick, and S Denayer. 2015. "An Emetic Bacillus cereus Outbreak in a Kindergarten: Detection and Quantification of Critical Levels of Cereulide Toxin." Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 12 (1): 84-87. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2014.1788
Florida Department of Public Health (DOH). 2011. "Outbreak at Okeechobee Correctional Institute." Food for Thought. Accessed April 19, 2017 http://www.outbreakdatabase.com/reports/Florida_Dept._of_health_Publication,_Food_for_Thought,_Issue_1,_February_2011,_See_page_2_.pdf
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2017. Code of Federal Regulations Title 21-Part 117-Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food. Accessed January 30, 2017: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=242e99958fe0d430b7ab4c404b393bba&mc=true&node=pt21.2.117&rgn=div5
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2016. Real Progress in Food Code Adoption. Accessed April 13, 2017. https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/UCM476819.pdf
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2013a. Food Code 2013. US Public Health Service. Accessed March 7, 2017. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/UCM374510.pdf
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2012. Bacillus cereus and Other Bacillus spp. Bad Bug Book: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook. 92-95. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). 2013. Bacillus cereus. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/Documents/Bacillus%20cereus.pdf
Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC). 2012. "Bacillus cereus Food-borne Illness." Infectious Intestinal Disease: Public Health and Clinical Guidance. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/Gastroenteric/GastroenteritisorIID/Guidance/File,13492,en.pdf
Marriot, NG and RB Gravani. 2006. The Relationship of Microorganisms Sanitation. Principles of Food Sanitation (5th ed.) Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-4329.2006.00004.x
Naranjo, M, S Denayer, N Botteldoorn, L Delbrassinne, J Veys, J Waegenaere, N Sirtaine, R Driesen, K Sipido, J Mahillon, and K Dierick. 2011. "Sudden Death of a Young Adult Associated with Bacillus cereus Food Poisoning." Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 49 (12): 4379-4381. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.05129-11
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP). 2015. "Case Study: Evidence of Foodborne Outbreaks Associated with Pizza." Public Health Ontario Partners for Health. Accessed March 9, 2017. http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/Case_Study_Pizza_2015.pdf
Rajkovic, A. 2014. "Microbial toxins and low level of foodborne exposure." Trends in Food Science & Technology. 38 (2): 149-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2014.04.006
Scallan, E, RB Hoekstra, FJ Angulo, RV Tauxe, MA Widdowson, SL Roy, JL Jones, PM Griffin. 2011. "Foodborne Ilness Acquired in the United States- Major Pathogens." Emerging Infectious Diseases. 17(1): 7-15. Accessed March 6, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3375761/#SD1 https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1701.P11101
Todar, K. 2012. "Bacillus cereus Food Poisoning." In Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology. Accessed March 27, 2017. http://textbookofbacteriology.net/B.cereus.html
Zhou, G, K Bester, B Liao, Z Yang, R Jiang, and NB Hendriksen. 2014. "Characterization of Three Bacillus cereus Strains Involved in a Major Outbreak of Food Poisoning After Consumption of Fermented Black Beans (Douchi) in Yunan, China." Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 11 (10): 769-774. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2014.1768
Bottone EJ. 2010. "Bacillus cereus, a Volatile Human Pathogen." Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 23 (2): 382-398. https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00073-09
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2012a. Pathogens Causing US Foodborne Illnesses, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, 2000-2008. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/PDFs/pathogens-complete-list-01-12.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2012b. Surveillance for Foodborne Disease Outbreaks United States, 2012: Annual Report. Accessed March 6, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/pdfs/foodborne-disease-outbreaks-annual-report-2012-508c.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1994. "Epidemiologic Notes and Reports: Bacillus cereus Food Poisoning Associated with Fried Rice at Two Child Day Care Centers-Virginia, 1993." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 43 (10):177-178. Accessed March 13, 2017. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm4310.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1986. "Bacillus cereus - Maine." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 35 (25): 408-410. Accessed March 13, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000754.htm
Dierick, K, E Van Coillie, I Swiecicka, G Meyfroidt, H Devlieger, A Meulemans, G Hoedemaekers, L Fourie, M Heyndrickx, and J Mahillon. 2005. "Fatal Family Outbreak of Bacillus cereus-Associated Food Poisoning." Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 43 (8): 4277-4279. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.43.8.4277-4279.2005
Delbrassinne, L, N Botteldoorn, M Andjelkovic, K Dierick, and S Denayer. 2015. "An Emetic Bacillus cereus Outbreak in a Kindergarten: Detection and Quantification of Critical Levels of Cereulide Toxin." Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 12 (1): 84-87. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2014.1788
Florida Department of Public Health (DOH). 2011. "Outbreak at Okeechobee Correctional Institute." Food for Thought. Accessed April 19, 2017 http://www.outbreakdatabase.com/reports/Florida_Dept._of_health_Publication,_Food_for_Thought,_Issue_1,_February_2011,_See_page_2_.pdf
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2017. Code of Federal Regulations Title 21-Part 117-Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food. Accessed January 30, 2017: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=242e99958fe0d430b7ab4c404b393bba&mc=true&node=pt21.2.117&rgn=div5
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2016. Real Progress in Food Code Adoption. Accessed April 13, 2017. https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/UCM476819.pdf
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2013a. Food Code 2013. US Public Health Service. Accessed March 7, 2017. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/UCM374510.pdf
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2012. Bacillus cereus and Other Bacillus spp. Bad Bug Book: Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook. 92-95. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). 2013. Bacillus cereus. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/Documents/Bacillus%20cereus.pdf
Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC). 2012. "Bacillus cereus Food-borne Illness." Infectious Intestinal Disease: Public Health and Clinical Guidance. Accessed March 6, 2017. http://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/Gastroenteric/GastroenteritisorIID/Guidance/File,13492,en.pdf
Marriot, NG and RB Gravani. 2006. The Relationship of Microorganisms Sanitation. Principles of Food Sanitation (5th ed.) Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-4329.2006.00004.x
Naranjo, M, S Denayer, N Botteldoorn, L Delbrassinne, J Veys, J Waegenaere, N Sirtaine, R Driesen, K Sipido, J Mahillon, and K Dierick. 2011. "Sudden Death of a Young Adult Associated with Bacillus cereus Food Poisoning." Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 49 (12): 4379-4381. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.05129-11
Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP). 2015. "Case Study: Evidence of Foodborne Outbreaks Associated with Pizza." Public Health Ontario Partners for Health. Accessed March 9, 2017. http://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/eRepository/Case_Study_Pizza_2015.pdf
Rajkovic, A. 2014. "Microbial toxins and low level of foodborne exposure." Trends in Food Science & Technology. 38 (2): 149-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2014.04.006
Scallan, E, RB Hoekstra, FJ Angulo, RV Tauxe, MA Widdowson, SL Roy, JL Jones, PM Griffin. 2011. "Foodborne Ilness Acquired in the United States- Major Pathogens." Emerging Infectious Diseases. 17(1): 7-15. Accessed March 6, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3375761/#SD1 https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1701.P11101
Todar, K. 2012. "Bacillus cereus Food Poisoning." In Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology. Accessed March 27, 2017. http://textbookofbacteriology.net/B.cereus.html
Zhou, G, K Bester, B Liao, Z Yang, R Jiang, and NB Hendriksen. 2014. "Characterization of Three Bacillus cereus Strains Involved in a Major Outbreak of Food Poisoning After Consumption of Fermented Black Beans (Douchi) in Yunan, China." Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 11 (10): 769-774. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2014.1768
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