PATHOGENICITY/TOXICITY: B. cereus causes self-limiting (24-48 hours) food-poisoning syndromes (a diarrheal type and an emetic type), opportunistic infections and is associated with clinical infections such as endophthalmitis and other ocular infections.. cereus can cause wound infections, bacteremia, septicaemia, meningitis, pneumonia, central nervous system infections, endocarditis, pericarditis, respiratory infections, and peripheral infections. Infection in immunocompromised individuals can be life-threatening.