Nutrition: Bacillus cereus food poisoning: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Nutrition: Bacillus cereus food poisoning

Sample item

A group of students eat fried rice from a roadside stall that was cooked in the morning and left at room temperature. Within 2 hours they develop vomiting. Which organism is most likely responsible?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus spores survive boiling, germinate when cooked rice is left at room temperature, and produce a heat-stable emetic toxin. Vomiting begins 1 to 6 hours after the meal. Rice should be cooled quickly and refrigerated, and reheating does not destroy the toxin.

Option by option

  • A. Bacillus cereus (correct)

    Correct. Rice kept warm allows B. cereus to form its emetic toxin.

  • B. Shigella sonnei

    Shigella causes dysentery after an incubation of days, not vomiting within hours.

  • C. Entamoeba histolytica

    Entamoeba histolytica causes amoebic dysentery after weeks of incubation.

  • D. Campylobacter jejuni

    Campylobacter has an incubation of several days and causes diarrhoea.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is A, Bacillus cereus. Bacillus cereus spores survive boiling, germinate when cooked rice is left at room temperature, and produce a heat-stable emetic toxin.

Why is "Shigella sonnei" not the answer?

Shigella causes dysentery after an incubation of days, not vomiting within hours.

Why is "Entamoeba histolytica" not the answer?

Entamoeba histolytica causes amoebic dysentery after weeks of incubation.

Why is "Campylobacter jejuni" not the answer?

Campylobacter has an incubation of several days and causes diarrhoea.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nutrition: Bacillus cereus food poisoning in PSM. Vomiting begins 1 to 6 hours after the meal. Rice should be cooled quickly and refrigerated, and reheating does not destroy the toxin.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Nutrition: Bacillus cereus food poisoning?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.