Bacillus cereus is a gram-positive bacterium that is motile, spore-forming, and capable of producing toxins that cause food poisoning. Master of Science, Doctor Nguyen Anh Duy Tung, a specialist in Nutrition - Dietetics at Tam Anh General Clinic District 7, explains that this bacterium, when grown under unsanitary processing conditions or improper storage, can directly produce cereulide toxin in foods such as milk and cereals. This highly toxic biological toxin is heat-stable and is not completely destroyed by conventional heating. "Even if milk is prepared with boiling water, children can still be infected with cereulide toxin if the milk is already contaminated," Doctor Tung states.

Depending on the absorbed dosage, cereulide toxin stimulates the vagus nerve, transmitting signals to the brain's vomiting center. It also penetrates and disrupts the function of mitochondria (the cell's energy production center), affecting the body's metabolic processes. Children who consume formula milk contaminated with cereulide may experience symptoms of acute toxic digestive disorders, accompanied by a high risk of complications.

Cereulide toxin in formula milk can cause acute intoxication in children. Photo created by AI

Below are the symptoms that can occur if children consume milk contaminated with cereulide toxin:

Vomiting

Immediately after cereulide toxin enters the body, children will experience sudden and severe vomiting. This condition typically appears early, from 30 minutes to several hours after consuming the milk.

Diarrhea and dehydration

After vomiting, the accumulated toxicity of cereulide causes frequent diarrhea with loose stools. This leads to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration in children, manifesting as dry lips, reduced urination, and sunken eyes.

Abdominal pain and fussiness

A child's body, with its undeveloped functions, can experience abdominal pain or discomfort even from a small amount of cereulide toxin. Though the pain may be mild or moderate, the fatigue and discomfort cause children to cry continuously and be difficult to soothe.

Loss of appetite, lethargy, and slow reactions

Cereulide intoxication can cause intestinal mucosal damage, liver damage, and metabolic disorders in children, reducing nutrient absorption and affecting the entire body. Children may become exhausted and lethargic because they cannot eat, drink, or retain water in their stomachs.

Vomiting and abdominal pain symptoms often appear while the patient is digesting and absorbing food. They usually subside naturally after 12-24 hours if the child is rehydrated and monitored properly. However, if a large amount of toxin accumulates in the body, the condition becomes more severe, affecting health and future development.

Doctor Duy Tung advises against giving children milk batches that are on official warning and recall lists. Adults should check the batch code and expiration date on the packaging. If a child shows suspected symptoms of cereulide poisoning as described above, parents should take them to a medical facility for examination. Parents should not administer anti-diarrhea or anti-vomiting medication on their own. When intoxicated, the body needs to expel the toxins; using medication too early can cause the toxins to remain longer in the intestines.

On 27/1, the Ministry of Health requested relevant agencies and e-commerce platforms to urgently recall and remove information about five types of imported milk suspected of cereulide contamination, a toxin from Bacillus cereus bacteria.

Quoc An