Lifestyle switching -- Bacillus cereus is able to resist certain antibiotic therapies

(University of Veterinary Medicine -- Vienna) The pathogenic bacterium Bacillus cereus causes vomiting and diarrhoea as well as systemic and local infections. A team from the Vetmeduni Vienna has reported for the first time that B. cereus, following contact with certain antibiotics, can switch into a special slowed-down mode. The bacteria then form small colony variants (SVCs) that are difficult to diagnose and almost impossible to treat with certain antibiotics. This discovered mechanism may pr...