Fulminant liver failure in association with the emetic toxin of Bacillus cereus

A 17-year-old boy died from liver failure after eating spaghetti contaminated with the bacterium Bacillus cereus. He and his father had re-heated the spaghetti and developed symptoms of food poisoning 30 minutes after eating it. The father eventually recovered, but the boy was hospitalized with liver failure and died. Samples of his liver and the spaghetti sauce were found to contain the bacterium, which produces a toxin that can affect cell mitochondria. Inhibition of fatty acid metabolism in mitochondria could explain the pathologic changes in his liver.