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Fulminant This case represents a rare fulminant course of fried-rice associated food poisoning in an immunocompetent person due to pre-formed exotoxin produced by Bacillus cereus, with severe manifestations of sepsis, including multi-organ (hepatic, renal, cardiac, respiratory and neurological) failure, shock, metabolic acidosis, rhabdomyolysis and coagulopathy. Despite maximal supportive measures (continuous renal replacement therapy, plasmapheresis, N-acetylcysteine infusion and blood products, and broad-spectrum antimicrobials) and input from a multidisciplinary team (consisting of infectious diseases, intensive care, gastroenterology, surgery, toxicology, immunology and haematology), mortality resulted. This case is the first to use whole genome sequencing techniques to confirm the toxigenic potential of B. cereus It has important implications for food preparation and storage, particularly given its occurrence in home isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fulminant Sphingomonas paucimobilis is a low-virulence gram-negative bacillus known to cause various ocular infections such as endophthalmitis, panophthalmitis and keratitis that are usually associated with an underlying risk factor such as peri-partum or postpartum phase, cataract surgery, contact lens use, neurotrophic keratopathy or ocular trauma. We report a case of spontaneously occurring perforated corneal ulcer caused by the organism in a young man managed by penetrating keratoplasty. The course was followed by endophthalmitis with graft infection culminating in phthisis bulbi despite aggressive medical and surgical management. Along with reporting this case, we also present a review of literature on ocular infections caused by the same organism.

Fulminant Bacillus cereus is a Gram-positive spore-forming rod widely found in the environment and is thought to be a frequent source of contamination. This micro-organism is reportedly a significant pathogenic agent among immunocompromised individuals. Furthermore, multiple cases of fulminant septicaemia have been reported among individuals receiving chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukaemia. In some cases, B. cereus septicaemia was associated with multiple haemorrhages. We, herein, describe a patient with an extremely acute course of B. cereus septicaemia characterised by haemorrhage and infarction of multiple organs, which led to his death. Our findings suggest that delayed treatment of B. cereus in patients with haematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy may result in extremely poor outcomes; thus, immediate empirical treatment with vancomycin should be considered.