Sorbitol-negative phenotype among enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli strains of different serotypes and from different sources.
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains detected with DNA probes (for virulence plasmid and Shiga-like toxins) from subjects with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (n = 19) or diarrhea (n = 41) or asymptomatic carriers (n = 29) were examined for sorbitol fermentability, as were enterotoxigenic (n = 40), enteropathogenic (n = 40), and enteroinvasive (n = 40) E. coli and urinary tract infection (n = 40) strains and normal flora E. coli strains (n = 40). Sorbitol negativity was common only in EHEC, particularly among strains from severe clinical infections. All 19 EHEC strains from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome, irrespective of O:H serotype or Shiga-like toxin genotype, were sorbitol negative.
Ojeda
A
A
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago.
Prado
V
V
Martinez
J
J
Arellano
C
C
Borczyk
A
A
Johnson
W
W
Lior
H
H
Levine
M M
MM
D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D003092:Colitis / Q000382:microbiology; D015342:DNA Probes; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D005285:Fermentation; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000382:microbiology; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D012703:Serotyping; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000378:metabolism*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D015342:DNA Probes; D013012:Sorbitol