Open AccessPotential application of a HEp‐2 cell assay in the investigation of Bacillus cereus emetic‐syndrome food poisoning
Author(s) -
Hughes Stephanie,
Bartholomew Barbara,
Hardy J.C.,
Kramer J.M.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1988.tb02563.x
Subject(s) - bacillus cereus , cereus , food poisoning , vacuole , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , biology , bacillales , vomiting , bacillus (shape) , bacteria , biochemistry , medicine , genetics , cytoplasm , bacillus subtilis
When grown for 15 h in rice culture, 13 out of 15 Bacillus cereus strains associated with emetic‐syndrome food poisoning (87%) caused vacuoles to appear in HEp‐2 cells, compared with 5 out of 11 B. cereus strains from other sources (45%). No other Bacillus species tested gave rise to this response under these conditions. Six out of eight rice samples involved in incidents of B. cereus emetic illness produced vacuoles in HEp‐2 cells, whereas control rice samples and foods from vomiting episodes caused by other Bacillus spp. failed to do so. This vacuole response may have application as a simple in vitro assay for organisms and foods implicated in B. cereus emetic‐syndrome food poisoning.