Researchers find new way to combat food poisoning

Bacillius cereus is a common food poisoning bacteria, which causes both vomitting and diarrhoea. It can be found on many foods, including ccoked rice and pasta. It also produces spores which allow it to survive even boiling water and will then grow very easily if foods with it are not stored and handled correctly.

The symptoms of B.ceraus are caused by two different toxins.

A discovery made by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU) may have significantly reduced the impact of this pathogen and that of food poisoning from other toxin formers.

The research has found that the toxins from B.cerus cause illness by binding to a cell and punching a hole in it’s walls, which cause the immune system to react and vomitting or diarrhoea occurs.

Now that this method of attack has been found, methods can be developed to combat it.

Lead researcher and PhD student Ms Anukriti Mathur, from The John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCMSR) at ANU said; “We found how this bacteria interacts with our immune system. We have discovered how it sustains itself and also how we might treat the nastiness it causes.”

Prevention of food poisoning by correct handwashing, keeping hot food hot, cold food cold and separating raw from cooked is better than cure.

Ms Mathur found the bacteria has “a remarkable ability to secrete toxins” in contaminated food.

Ms Mathur said; “This research could help patients with a compromised immune system. We might be able to save patients by weakening the toxin, or in the case of sepsis, dampening inflammatory responses. It also means we have therapeutic drug options to further support antibiotic therapies, especially in the face of rising antibiotic resistance.”