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Virulence of Escherichia coli Serotypes for Mice¹

^a Department of Veterinary Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

ABSTRACT

A study was undertaken to determine whether virulence in mice could be used to assess the pathogenicity of a variety of Escherichia coli serotypes. Sixty-one E. coli strains isolated from animals, poultry, or humans were serotyped to determine their O, K, and H antigens, and were administered to mice via the intraperitoneal route with and without a mucin adjuvant. The LD₅₀ dose was then determined for each serotype. The results indicated that the source of the serotype may be associated with virulence for mice. Serotypes isolated from nonenteric, systemic sources showed a greater virulence for mice inoculated intraperitoneally than did the enteric and the nonenteric, nonsystemic (localized) isolates. It was observed that not all serotypes belonging to a specific serogroup were virulent for mice and that the presence or absence of a K antigen had no effect on the virulence of strains of one serotype.

¹ Authorized for publication 12 July 1966 as paper 3614 in the journal series of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station. This paper was presented in part at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, Calif., May 1966, and contains data from a dissertation submitted by the senior author to the Graduate School, The Pennsylvania State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree in microbiology.