Bacillus cereus is a widespread bacterium found in soil and plants, and it can grow in the intestinal tracts of insects and mammals. It can cause foodborne illnesses, such as emetic and diarrhoeal diseases, which are increasingly important in industrialized countries. The emetic disease is caused by cereulide, a small ring-formed dodecadepsipeptide, while the diarrhoeal disease is caused by protein enterotoxins. Three pore-forming cytotoxins, haemolysin BL (Hbl), nonhaemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe), and cytotoxic K (CytK), are associated with diarrhoeal disease. These toxins are part of a virulence regulon activated by the transcriptional regulator PlcR. The B. cereus group includes six species, with B. cereus sensu stricto being the most common. The taxonomy of the B. cereus group is complex, with genetic and phenotypic differences between species. B. cereus is commonly found in food production environments due to its highly adhesive endospores and can cause a range of virulence factors in food or the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacteria, although most cases are mild and short-lived. The bacterium causes two types of gastrointestinal disease, the diarrhoeal and the emetic syndromes, which are caused by different types of toxins. The emetic toxin, causing vomiting, is a small ring-formed peptide, while the diarrhoeal disease is caused by one or more protein enterotoxins. The three toxins implicated in diarrhoeal disease are Hbl, Nhe, and CytK. These toxins are part of a virulence regulon that is activated by the transcriptional regulator PlcR. However, other regulatory factors are also involved in determining the pathogenic potential of individual strains. The B. cereus group includes six species, with B. cereus sensu stricto being the most common. The taxonomy of the B. cereus group is complex, with genetic and phenotypic differences between species. B. cereus is commonly found in food production environments due to its highly adhesive endospores and can cause a range of virulence factors in food or the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacteria, although most cases are mild and short-lived. The bacterium causes two types of gastrointestinal disease, the diarrhoeal and the emetic syndromes, which are caused by different types of toxins. The emetic toxin, causing vomiting, is a small ring-formed peptide, while the diarrhoeal disease is caused by one or more protein enterotoxins. The three toxins implicated in diarrhoeal disease are Hbl, Nhe, and CytK. These toxins are part of a virulence regulon that is activated by the transcriptional regulator PlcRBacillus cereus is a widespread bacterium found in soil and plants, and it can grow in the intestinal tracts of insects and mammals. It can cause foodborne illnesses, such as emetic and diarrhoeal diseases, which are increasingly important in industrialized countries. The emetic disease is caused by cereulide, a small ring-formed dodecadepsipeptide, while the diarrhoeal disease is caused by protein enterotoxins. Three pore-forming cytotoxins, haemolysin BL (Hbl), nonhaemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe), and cytotoxic K (CytK), are associated with diarrhoeal disease. These toxins are part of a virulence regulon activated by the transcriptional regulator PlcR. The B. cereus group includes six species, with B. cereus sensu stricto being the most common. The taxonomy of the B. cereus group is complex, with genetic and phenotypic differences between species. B. cereus is commonly found in food production environments due to its highly adhesive endospores and can cause a range of virulence factors in food or the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacteria, although most cases are mild and short-lived. The bacterium causes two types of gastrointestinal disease, the diarrhoeal and the emetic syndromes, which are caused by different types of toxins. The emetic toxin, causing vomiting, is a small ring-formed peptide, while the diarrhoeal disease is caused by one or more protein enterotoxins. The three toxins implicated in diarrhoeal disease are Hbl, Nhe, and CytK. These toxins are part of a virulence regulon that is activated by the transcriptional regulator PlcR. However, other regulatory factors are also involved in determining the pathogenic potential of individual strains. The B. cereus group includes six species, with B. cereus sensu stricto being the most common. The taxonomy of the B. cereus group is complex, with genetic and phenotypic differences between species. B. cereus is commonly found in food production environments due to its highly adhesive endospores and can cause a range of virulence factors in food or the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of the major foodborne pathogenic bacteria, although most cases are mild and short-lived. The bacterium causes two types of gastrointestinal disease, the diarrhoeal and the emetic syndromes, which are caused by different types of toxins. The emetic toxin, causing vomiting, is a small ring-formed peptide, while the diarrhoeal disease is caused by one or more protein enterotoxins. The three toxins implicated in diarrhoeal disease are Hbl, Nhe, and CytK. These toxins are part of a virulence regulon that is activated by the transcriptional regulator PlcR