Serovars and biovars of Campylobacter strains isolated from humans and slaughterhouse animals in northern Germany

Abstract

A total of 318 Campytobacter strains from sporadic cases of human enteritis (109 strains) and healthy slaughterhouse animals in northern Germany (209 strains) were bio-and serotyped according to the Lior typing schemes. Three hundred strains were typable (94.3%) and 38 serovars were identified. Among human strains 28 serovars were identified with 30% of them belonging to serovar 4. Strains from pigs were associated with 25 serovars, the most frequent being serovar 20 (21.2%). Fourteen serovars were identified in the ovine strains of which 31.1% were of serovar 49, and 22.2% of serovar 4. All of the strains from one chicken farm were of serovar 11, whereas in those from another serovar 1 was predominant (85.4%). Twenty-five of the 38 serovars identified were associated with at least two different biovars. Campylobacter jejuni biovar I was predominant in humans, sheep and chickens and Campylobacter coli biovar I in pigs. The results suggest that the combined use of bio-and serotyping according to the Lior typing schemes would be of use in studies on the epidemiology of human campylobacteriosis in Germany.

Bactericidal properties of Campylobacter jejuni-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies in commercial immunoglobulin preparations

“…C. jejuni strains of the Lior 4,9,11,29, and 36 serotypes were kindly provided by J. Bockemühl (German Reference Center for Enterobacteriaceae, Hamburg, Germany). These strains and serotypes were selected because they are the ones most frequently found in patients with Campylobacter infections in Germany (10,32 Isolation of OMPs. One hundred milliliters of a bacterial suspension of approximately 4 ϫ 10 5 microorganisms (C. jejuni Lior 4, 9, 11, 29, or 36) per ml was centrifuged at 4,000 ϫ g for 15 min.…”

“…jejuni isolates are typed either in terms of their O antigens, as described by Penner and Hennessy (27), or in terms of heat-labile antigens comprising structures on the somatic surface of the organism, as described by Lior et al (18). In this context, the association between certain serotypes of C. jejuni and different clinical manifestations of C. jejuni infection, as well as the occurrence of at least three different pathogenic groups of C. jejuni, is noteworthy (10,12,17,32). In Germany, C. jejuni Lior 4 is frequently found in stool samples from patients with uncomplicated enteritis, while infection with C. jejuni Lior 11 is linked to GBS (10,32).…”

“…In this context, the association between certain serotypes of C. jejuni and different clinical manifestations of C. jejuni infection, as well as the occurrence of at least three different pathogenic groups of C. jejuni, is noteworthy (10,12,17,32). In Germany, C. jejuni Lior 4 is frequently found in stool samples from patients with uncomplicated enteritis, while infection with C. jejuni Lior 11 is linked to GBS (10,32). In addition, enterotoxic, cytotoxic, and invasive strains have been demonstrated within the species (17,19,21).…”

Epidemiology of Ovine Campylobacter Infection Determined by Numerical Analysis of Electrophoretic Protein Profiles

“…To elucidate the source of these organisms it is essential to use epidemiological typing methods, which reliably and reproducibly discriminate between different strains, but recognize similar ones. The classical methods, including biotyping, serotyping and phage-typing have been widely used for differentiation of C. jejuni and C. coli (Wokatsch and Bockemühl, 1988;Varga et al, 1990a;Khakria and Lior, 1992). However, even these typing methods are not available for C. fetus ssp.…”

Epidemiology of OvineCampylobacterInfection Determined by Numerical Analysis of Electrophoretic Protein Profiles

“…The classical methods, including biotyping, serotyping and phage-typing have been widely used for differentiation of C. jejuni and C. coli (Wokatsch and Bockemühl, 1988;Varga et al, 1990a;Khakria and Lior, 1992). However, even these typing methods are not available for C. fetus ssp.…”