The Bacillus cereus reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus is a Gram- & catalase-positivepositive, spore-forming facultative anaerobic rod-shaped bacteria.

It is a cause of foodborne illness, and is particularly noted for doing so in rice. During high-temperature cooking, bacilli that have contaminated the uncooked rice reproduce, then form protective spores when the rice cools. On rewarming, the spores germinate and, when the rice is eaten, can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.

This can be prevented by proper food handling techniques.

This is the "Bacillus cereus" reference article from the English Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.