On the Paratyphoid Group of Bacilli

Abstract

1. The term “paratyphoid group of bacilli” has been confined in the present enquiry to those strains which in their cultural characters and agglutination reactions are indistinguishable from B. suipestifer and B. paratyphosus (B). B. enteritidis Gaertner and B. paratyphosus (A) are excluded.2. The strains of bacilli belonging to the “paratyphoid” group can be separated into two classes by means of the absorption method, namely one group identical with recognised, standard strains of B. suipestifer and one identical with standard strains of B. paratyphosus (B); and we regard these two bacilli as separate organisms.3. In our experience, B. suipestifer has been found only in food or in outbreaks of acute illness attributable to food-poisoning, whereas B. paratyphosus (B) has been found in cases of paratyphoid fever or in persistent paratyphoid “carriers.”.4. We are disposed to put forward the suggestion indicated by these observations, that these two organisms have a different distribution in nature, the normal habitat of B. suipestifer being the alimentary canal of the pig (and other animals) and of food derived from such animals, whereas the normal habitat of B. paratyphosus (B) is the human alimentary tract (including the gall-bladder).5. The examination of cultures from the faeces and urine of 300 typhoid convalescents was completely negative, neither B. suipestifer nor B. paratyphosus (B) being obtained. These observations confirm those of other writers, and, apart from carrier cases, the occurrence of B. paratyphosus (B) in healthy human beings appears to be unknown in this country.Our thanks are due to Drs Fisher, Trautmann, Uhlenhuth, Williams, Rommeler, Prigge, Schern, Friedrichs, Savage and Fowler, who have very kindly supplied us with strains of bacilli for investigation.