A severe necrotic enterotoxin produced by certain food, food poisoning and other clinical isolates of Bacillus cereus.

The ability of certain strains of Bacillus cereus consistently to elaborate a filterable non-dialysable toxin capable of causing severe disruption and necrosis of the intestinal mucosa and submucosa is confirmed. This property is not universal to all B. cereus strains and different degrees of production of this toxin are exhibited by the different strains which produce it. The necrotic effect is produced by whole-cell cultures of the toxin producing strains in broth and in boiled rice. Some characteristics of this necrotic toxin are described and its relationship with the diarrhoeal and other known B. cereus toxins is discussed.