Background
Microbiology
- Genus of non-branching, catalase positive Gram-positive bacilli
- Often over-decolorized
Identification
| Organism | Width >1 μm | Wide Zone Lecithinase | Spores Swell Sporangium | VP Test | Ferments Mannitol | Ferments Xylose | Anaerobic Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacillus anthracis | + | + | – | + | – | – | + |
| Bacillus cereus | + | + | – | + | – | – | + |
| Bacillus subtilis | – | – | – | + | + | + | – |
| Paenibacillus | – | – | + | ± | ± | ± | + |
Clinical Presentation
| Species | Disease |
|---|---|
| Bacillus anthracis | anthrax |
| Bacillus cereus | food poisoning, central line infections |
Management
- Varies by species[1]
- Often resistant to penicillins
- Usually susceptible to vancomycin, fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin), clindamycin, tetracycline
- Variable susceptibility to clindamycin, co-trimoxazole
- ↑ Luna VA, King DS, Gulledge J, Cannons AC, Amuso PT, Cattani J. Susceptibility of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides and Bacillus thuringiensis to 24 antimicrobials using Sensititre automated microbroth dilution and Etest agar gradient diffusion methods. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2007 Sep;60(3):555-67. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkm213. Epub 2007 Jun 22. PMID: 17586563.
