Toxigenic Bacillus cereus as a cause of wound infections in the tropics.

A bacteriological survey was conducted on clinically infected traumatic wounds in members of an Operation Raleigh expedition, who were working in the Costa Rican rain forest. Bacillus cereus was isolated from the wounds of 14 of 18 patients, usually in pure and heavy growth. Most of the isolates were strongly toxigenic by in vivo pathogenicity tests. The organism was also isolated from the nose in 15 cases and the throat in five cases. The findings indicate that B. cereus was the principle pathogen in this series of traumatic wounds.