Alkalihalobacillus clausii

Alkalihalobacillus clausii or its old scientific name Bacillus clausii is a rod-shaped, motile, and spore-forming bacterium that lives in the soil but is also a natural microbiota of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. It is classified as probiotic microorganism that maintains a symbiotic relationship with the host organism. It is currently being studied in relation to respiratory infections and some gastrointestinal disorders. Bacillus clausii has been found to produce antimicrobial substances that are active against gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium and Clostridium difficile. It is sold as an anti-diarrhoea and under the brand name Erceflora by Sanofi.

This species has been recently transferred into the genus Alkalihalobacillus. The correct nomenclature is thus Alkalihalobacillus clausii.

The Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) warns about serious risks for bacteraemia and sepsis due to previous publications. PRAC stipulates marketing conditions for Bacillus clausii. Amendments to be included in the relevant sections of the Product Information (new text underlined and in bold) including

1 Bacteraemia (in immunocompromised patients)

2 In case of reduced body’s defence mechanisms and you are taking (product name) Bacillus clausii may be found in your blood.

Genome structure
Alkalihalobacillus clausii has a relatively small genome that contains 4.30 Mbp with 4,108 protein coding genes.