Persistent Bacillus cereus Bacteremia in 3 Persons Who Inject Drugs, San Diego, California, USA

Emerg Infect Dis. 2016 Sep;22(9):1621-3. doi: 10.3201/eid2209.150647.

Abstract

Bacillus cereus is typically considered a blood culture contaminant; however, its presence in blood cultures can indicate true bacteremia. We report 4 episodes of B. cereus bacteremia in 3 persons who inject drugs. Multilocus sequence typing showed that the temporally associated infections were caused by unrelated clones.

Keywords: Bacillus cereus; California; United States; bacillus; bacteremia; bacteria; heroin; injection drug use; multilocus sequence typing; persons who inject drugs.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Alleles
  • Bacillus cereus / classification
  • Bacillus cereus / genetics*
  • Bacillus cereus / isolation & purification
  • Bacteremia*
  • California
  • Drug Users*
  • Female
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / transmission*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multilocus Sequence Typing
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / complications
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / diagnosis
  • Young Adult