A new diagnostic problem: isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains with aberrant biochemical properties.
Over a five-year period (1995-1999) the Microbial Diseases Laboratory received 34 strains of E. coli O157:H7 each with a single aberrant biochemical property. In addition, 27 O157 strains with negative or delayed motility were noted during the same time period. These observations suggest that there may be an increased likelihood to misdiagnose O157:H7 infections using commercial systems in the future due to increasing phenotypic variability.
Ware
J M
JM
Microbial Diseases Laboratory, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Health Services, 2151 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-1011, USA.
Abbott
S L
SL
Janda
J M
JM
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000378:metabolism; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism
D013012:Sorbitol; D014508:Urea