A day-care center decided to prepare stir-fried rice to serve for lunch the next day. The rice was cooked to the correct temperature at 1:00 p.m. It was then covered and placed on a countertop, where it was allowed to cool at room temperature. At 6:00 p.m., the cook placed the rice in the cooler. At 9:00 a.m. the following day, the rice was combined with the other ingredients for stir-fried rice and cooked to 165F(74C) for at at least 15seconds. The cook covered the rice and left it on the stove until noon when she reheated it. Within an hour of eating the rice, several of the children complained that they were nauseous and began to vomit.
– What pathogen caused the illness and why?