Bacillus cereus: a potentially serious spore former

摘要

Bacillus species are the most common spore-forming bacteria in raw and pasteurised milk. The spores in raw milk mainly come from surfaces of teats through contact with the air, soil, manure and feed, and from milking equipment such as teat cups, lines and bulk storage vats. Of the Bacillus species, B. licheniformis, B. cereus, B. subtilis and B. megaterium are the most commonly isolated from raw milk - although the species vary considerably between milks.