Bacteriological findings in an epidemic of Sonne dysentery

Abstract

During an epidemic of Sonne dysentery in Tooting Bec Hospital of which the epidemiological aspects have been described by one of us (Buckle, 1938), and during a recurrence of this epidemic, a number of strains were isolated of the causal organism (140) and various bacilli which were somewhat similar in their cultural and biochemical behaviour. It was thought that a close bacteriological and serological examination of these might be useful in giving information about the constancy of behaviour of the Sonne group, the question of possible biochemical subgroups of Sonne bacilli (Bojlén. 1934), and the relationship of the dysenteroid organisms isolated to the true dysentery bacilli, their classification, and significance.