Combined use of microbiological methods for the intraspecific differentiation of Shigella sonnei. the use of the S. sonnei phage typing method in the People's Republic of Bulgaria
Trifonova, A.; Bratoeva, M.
Zhurnal Mikrobiologii Epidemiologii i Immunobiologii 11: 43-47
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0372-9311 PMID: 6760630 Document Number: 189745
The data on the use of the method for S. sonnei phage typing in Bulgaria during the period of 1973-1980 were analyzed. The comparative study with the use of two sets of phages (international and Bulgarian) were carried out. 9360 S. sonnei strains isolated in various districts of the country, mainly during epidemic outbreaks, were subjected to phage typing. 31 phage types corresponding to the international scheme were revealed; of these, 15 phage types could be subdivided into phage subtypes by means of Bulgarian phages. In systematic epidemiological study the combined use of both the sets of phages was shown to enhance the effectiveness of the method. The necessity of using, simultaneously with phage typing, the methods of biotyping, colicin and antibiotic typing, as well as the method of studying the properties of R-plasmids, is emphasized. This is based on the established correlation between different types and phage type changes occurring due to the action of R-plasmids.