Infantile gastro-enteritis with special reference to the specific serological type O55 B5 H6 (Betatype) ofBacterium coli

Abstract

1. An account is given of the relationship of Bact. coli type O55 B5 H6 to cases of infantile gastro-enteritis.2. In Aberdeen this organism has now largely replaced the O111 variety (alpha) which had been the prevalent type during 1947 and 1948 in its association with the disease.3. A brief description has been given of the clinical findings, which show no marked deviation from those found in similar cases elsewhere. The actual severity of the illness as judged by the mortality rate has been greatly lessened.4. The value of medication with chloromycetin in a small number of cases has been discussed. It is believed that the use of the drug eliminates the organism from the bowel in certain cases and helps to reduce the number of cross-infections even in a cubicle ward. The average weekly weight increase of children on chloromycetin was almost double that of a group of healthy, untreated children.5. Several small outbreaks of infantile diarrhoea associated with the O55 B5 H6 type in wards and institutions have been recorded. In some the numbers of symtomless carriers of the O55 type have exceeded those of clinical cases also harbouring the same organism.6. ‘O’ and ‘H’ agglutination tests made with suspensions of the prevalent strain of Bact. coli on sera from cases examined early in the disease were mostly negative. Such positive titres as were obtained were low. Examination of paired acute and convalescent sera from 29 cases gave some evidence of increasing titre during the course of the disease in eight cases, but such increase was of low order.7. The present bacteriological evidence suggests that further specific types of Bact. coli will be found to be associated with the disease.