Bacillus
From IDWiki
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 species1
- Often resistant to penicillins
- Usually susceptible to vancomycin, fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin), clindamycin, tetracycline
- Variable susceptibility to clindamycin, co-trimoxazole
References
- ^ V. A. Luna, D. S. King, J. Gulledge, A. C. Cannons, P. T. Amuso, J. Cattani. Susceptibility of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides and Bacillus thuringiensis to 24 antimicrobials using Sensititre(R) automated microbroth dilution and Etest(R) agar gradient diffusion methods. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2007;60(3):555-567. doi:10.1093/jac/dkm213.
