title: Isolation and characterisation of intestinal spirochaetes.
abstract: Faeces or rectal swabs from 1527 subjects were examined for the presence of intestinal spirochaetes by anaerobic culture on blood agar incorporating spectinomycin (400 mg/l). Twenty three specimens (1.5%) were positive, and only one of these came from a patient with diarrhoea. All positive specimens came from either Asians or known homosexuals. Comparative tests showed a close phenotypic similarity between the human isolates and non-pathogenic porcine intestinal spirochaetes. These organisms differ from Brachyspira aalborgi, a spirochaete isolated from subjects with histologically confirmed intestinal spirochaetosis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013144:Spirochaetales / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013552:Swine; D014208:Treponema / Q000302:isolation & purification