Some strains of Bacillus cereus group bacteria may contain the gene for anthrax toxin, resulting in anthrax-like infections.
Reported location: Florida, Texas and Louisiana
Patient group: welders and metalworkers
Clinical features:
(1) fulminant pneumonia
(2) cutaneous skin lesion with eschar
Laboratory features:
(1) isolation of Bacillus cereus in culture
(2) genomic evidence of anthrax gene in culture isolate
Pitfall: assuming that the Bacillus isolate is a contaminant
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Specialty: Infectious Diseases
