Bacillus cereus from the environment is genetically related to the highly pathogenic B. cereus in Zambia

Hirohito OGAWA; Miyuki OHNUMA; David SQUARRE; Aaron Simanyengwe MWEENE; Takayuki EZAKI; Daisuke FUJIKURA; Naomi OHNISHI; Yuka THOMAS; Bernard Mudenda HANG’OMBE; Hideaki HIGASHI

doi:10.1292/jvms.15-0059

Public Health

Bacillus cereus from the environment is genetically related to the highly pathogenic B. cereus in Zambia

Hirohito OGAWA, Miyuki OHNUMA, David SQUARRE, Aaron Simanyengwe MWEENE, Takayuki EZAKI, Daisuke FUJIKURA, Naomi OHNISHI, Yuka THOMAS, Bernard Mudenda HANG’OMBE, Hideaki HIGASHI

Author information

Hirohito OGAWA
Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Miyuki OHNUMA
Division of Infection and Immunity, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001–0020, Japan
David SQUARRE
Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), Private Bag 1, Chilanga 10101, Zambia
Aaron Simanyengwe MWEENE
Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Takayuki EZAKI
Department of Microbiology, Regeneration and Advanced Medical Science, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, 1–1 Yanagido, Gifu 501–1194, Japan
Daisuke FUJIKURA
Division of Infection and Immunity, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001–0020, Japan
Naomi OHNISHI
Division of Infection and Immunity, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001–0020, Japan
Yuka THOMAS
Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Bernard Mudenda HANG’OMBE
Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Hideaki HIGASHI
Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
Division of Infection and Immunity, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita-20 Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001–0020, Japan

Keywords: Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus group, Bacillus thuringiensis, epidemiology

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2015 Volume 77 Issue 8 Pages 993-995

DOI https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.15-0059

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Abstract

To follow-up anthrax in Zambia since the outbreak in 2011, we have collected samples from the environment and the carcasses of anthrax-suspected animals, and have tried to isolate Bacillus anthracis. In the process of identification of B. anthracis, we collected two isolates, of which colonies were similar to B. anthracis; however, from the results of identification using the molecular-based methods, two isolates were genetically related to the highly pathogenic B. cereus, of which clinical manifestation is severe and fatal (e.g., pneumonia). In this study, we showed the existence of bacteria suspected to be highly pathogenic B. cereus in Zambia, indicating the possibility of an outbreak caused by highly pathogenic B. cereus.

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