Pathogènes
Bacillus species

Bacillus species

General Information

Vancomycin as empiric therapy for systemic infections. Food poisoning illness is usually self-limited and usually requires no antimicrobial therapy.

Bacillus species are aerobic spore forming rods that stain gram positive or gram variable.

  • Bacillus organisms are widely distributed in the environment although the primary habitat is the soil. These organisms are usually found in decaying organic matter, dust, vegetable, water, and some species are part of the normal flora. In the hospital setting, outbreaks and pseudo epidemic have been traced to contaminated ventilator equipment, disinfectant (ethyl alcohol), hospital linen and dialysis equipment.
  • The most clinically significant isolate of this group in humans is B. cereus. Sources of B. cereus in food borne outbreaks have been described including rice, meat loaf, turkey loaf, mashed potatoes, beef stew, apples and hot chocolate sold in vending machines.
  • Certain risk factors have been associated with significant Bacillus infections including intravenous drug abuse, sickle cell disease immunosuppression from malignancy, neutropenia and corticosteroid therapy and foreign devices including indwelling intravascular catheters central nervous system shunts, breast implants, and pacemakers.
  • B. anthracis can be classified as a zoonosis, causing infected animals to transmit the disease to humans. It is also an bacteria associated with bioterrorism.