Isolation of Bacillus cereus Group from the Fecal Material of Turtles.

Members of the <i>Bacillus cereus</i> group can be animal and human pathogens. They can be found in foods, the environment and in animals. In this study, two <i>B. cereus</i> group members were isolated in a previous study from the fecal material of endangered Wood Turtles ( <i>Glyptemys insculpta</i> ) and three additional isolates found in the fecal material of painted turtles ( <i>Chrysemys picta</i> ) were characterized. The genomes of the five isolates were sequenced and the toxicogenic profiles were determined using the virulence factor database. The most common enterotoxin genes found were <i>BAS3109</i> , <i>hblA</i> , <i>hblC</i> , <i>hblD</i> , <i>inhA</i> , nheA. <i>nheB</i> , and <i>nheC</i> .