AEROBES (BACILLUS AND FRIENDS)

Family Bacillus belongs to

Bacillaceae

Gram-positive, aerobic, spore-forming rods

Bacillus

Bacillus anthracis capsule composition

Poly-D-glutamic acid

Primary Bacillus species causing anthrax

Bacillus anthracis

Primary Bacillus species causing food poisoning

Bacillus cereus

Common name for Bacillus anthracis

Woolsorter's bacillus

Bacillus cereus common name

Fried-rice bacillus

Stain for Bacillus spores

Schaeffer-Fulton Stain

Primary Bacillus habitat

Soil

Bacillus anthracis mode of transmission

Animals ingesting spores, humans accidental hosts

Bioterrorism potential in Bacillus

Bacillus anthracis

Catalase reaction of Bacillus

Positive

Bacillus anthracis virulence factor (capsule)

D-glutamic acid

Bacillus anthracis primary toxin components

Protective antigen, Edema Factor, Lethal Factor

Role of Protective Antigen (PA) in anthrax toxin

Binding molecule

Role of Edema Factor (EF)

Adenylate cyclase, increases cAMP

Role of Lethal Factor (LF)

Protease, leads to cell death

Anthrax infection common in which hosts

Herbivores, e.g., cows and sheep

Cutaneous anthrax common lesion

Eschar or malignant pustule

Anthrax inhalation disease nickname

Woolsorter's disease

Characteristic anthrax culture appearance on SBA

Medusa head, beaten egg whites

Microscopy appearance of Bacillus anthracis

Boxcar or bamboo rod morphology

Gram reaction of Bacillus

Gram-positive

Motility of Bacillus anthracis

Non-motile

Hemolysis on sheep blood agar (SBA) for Bacillus anthracis

Non-hemolytic

Foodborne disease associated with Bacillus cereus

Diarrheal and emetic syndromes

B. cereus colony appearance on SBA

Frosted glass appearance

Diarrheal syndrome incubation for B. cereus

8-16 hours

Emetic syndrome incubation for B. cereus

Short, ~9 hours

Type of toxin associated with B. cereus emetic syndrome

Heat-stable, cereulide

Type of toxin associated with B. cereus diarrheal syndrome

Heat-labile, Nhe

Common food associated with B. cereus emetic syndrome

Fried rice

Common food associated with B. cereus diarrheal syndrome

Meat, poultry

Bacillus spore component that provides resistance

Calcium dipicolinate

Growth temperature for Bacillus thermophiles

55°C or higher

Microscopy arrangement of Bacillus anthracis

Single or pairs, square-ended rods

B. anthracis glucose fermentation ability

Fermenter

Lecithinase production in Bacillus cereus

Positive

most common extraintestinal infection in B. cereus

Eye infections

B. anthracis transmission through ingestion

Gastrointestinal anthrax

Disease severity phase in inhalation anthrax

Severe respiratory distress

Non-motility characteristic in anthrax diagnosis

Non-motile

Appearance of B. anthracis colonies on MHA with penicillin

String of pearls

Bacillus subtilis role in laboratory

Biological indicator of oven sterilization

Bacillus pumilus indicator usage

Radiation

Bacillus anthracis survival in environment

Decades in soil as dormant spores

Sporulation trigger in Bacillus

High temperature and CO₂ in host

Gram-positive, spore-forming Bacillus bacteria

Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus

B. cereus disease association outside the gastrointestinal tract

Meningitis, endocarditis

Major fatality risk form of anthrax

Inhalational

Soft tissue infection from injected spores

Injectional anthrax

Bacillus cereus appearance on egg yolk agar

Wide zone of lecithinase

Specimen types for B. anthracis diagnosis

Blood, lung tissue, CSF

Anthrax severe phase symptom

Respiratory distress

High-mortality syndrome of anthrax

Pulmonary

Anthrax mortality rate post-exposure without treatment

High

Typical onset for B. cereus diarrheal type

8-16 hours after ingestion

Appearance of B. anthracis in Gram stain

Gram-positive, large rods

Primary test for anthrax detection

Culture and Gram staining

Acid-stable toxin in B. cereus emetic form

Cereulide

Common initial phase symptoms in inhalational anthrax

Non-specific symptoms

Bacillus circulans role

General Bacillus, environmental

Bacillus anthracis effect on blood cells

Resistant to phagocytosis

Treatment susceptibility of B. anthracis

Sensitive to penicillin

Spores of Bacillus as biological weapons

Ideal for inhalation in bioterrorism

Bacillus licheniformis environment

Soil and plant matter

Main diagnostic feature of Bacillus anthracis colonies

Medusa head colonies

Bacillus anthracis form that enters bloodstream

Vegetative form post-germination

Gram reaction of B. cereus

Positive

Laboratory indicator for Bacillus subtilis var niger

Oven sterilization

Common method of Bacillus anthracis transmission

Direct contact with infected animals

Most stable form of Bacillus in soil

Spore form

Non-hemolytic, large colony with irregular margin characteristic in Bacillus anthracis

Yes

Common disease caused by Bacillus cereus in healthy individuals

Food poisoning