Contamination of hospital linen by Bacillus cereus.

An investigation into two cases of post-operative Bacillus cereus meningitis revealed that hospital linen laundered by a batch continuous washing machine was heavily contaminated by B. cereus spores. The washing machine, detergents, other chemical additives and the water supply were eliminated as the source of contamination. It was found that the linen introduced into the washing machine had a high B. cereus spore content and that this was still present after the wash process. The spores were not killed by either the heat disinfection stage of the wash or the addition of chemical disinfectants and were not removed by the dilution in the process. The multiplication of B. cereus was thought to have occurred on used, damp linen stored in plastic bags, particularly when ambient temperatures were high. An increase in the water flow through the washing machine was the only measure associated with a decrease in B. cereus on laundered linen.