Development of a bacteriophage typing system for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli

J Clin Microbiol. 1985 Jul;22(1):13-8. doi: 10.1128/jcm.22.1.13-18.1985.

Abstract

A bacteriophage typing system for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli was developed with phages isolated from poultry feces. Data for phage selection were generated from a set of isolates of C. jejuni and C. coli from humans in Illinois. Selection of 14 phages from the 47 phages available was assisted by determination of the Sneath-Jaccard similarity coefficients and subsequent unweighted pair-group arithmetic averaging cluster analysis. The typing set was reproducible and stable in the 255 isolates from Illinois. Of these isolates, 94.5% were typable, with 46% represented by the four most common phage patterns. In a set of 51 isolates from humans outside of Illinois, 88.1% of the C. jejuni isolates were typable. Phage typing for C. jejuni and C. coli has excellent epidemiologic potential and should serve as a useful adjunct or alternative to serotyping systems in current use.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteriophage Typing*
  • Campylobacter / classification*
  • Campylobacter fetus / classification*
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Illinois
  • Poultry / microbiology
  • Viral Plaque Assay