Incidence and characterization of diarrheal enterotoxins of fecal Bacillus cereus isolates associated with diarrhea

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2007 Dec;59(4):383-7. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2007.06.014. Epub 2007 Sep 18.

Abstract

A total of 490 stool specimens were collected from patients with diarrhea and healthy controls without diarrhea to investigate the incidence of Bacillus cereus and its enterotoxins. B. cereus was found more significant in stools of persons with diarrhea than without diarrhea (9.5% versus 1.8%, P < 0.05), and was also detected more frequent but not significant in individuals aged > or =1 year and in adults than in children aged <1 year (11% and 8% versus 7.8%, P > 0.05). The hemolytic enterotoxin HBL genes of B. cereus isolates (hblA, hblC, hblD) were detected in 58%, 58%, and 68%, respectively, whereas the nonhemolytic enterotoxin NHE genes (nheA, nheB, nheC) were detected more frequent in 71.%, 84%, and 90% of the isolates, respectively. This study suggests that B. cereus isolates harboring 1 or more enterotoxin gene(s) can be a potential cause of diarrhea in Jordanian population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Bacillus cereus / genetics
  • Bacillus cereus / isolation & purification*
  • Bacillus cereus / metabolism*
  • Bacillus cereus / pathogenicity
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diarrhea / epidemiology*
  • Diarrhea / microbiology
  • Enterotoxins / classification
  • Enterotoxins / genetics*
  • Enterotoxins / metabolism*
  • Feces / microbiology*
  • Hemolysin Proteins / genetics
  • Hemolysin Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Jordan / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Prevalence

Substances

  • Enterotoxins
  • Hemolysin Proteins
  • enterotoxin, Bacillus cereus