Observations on Pathogenic Coliform Bacteria from the Adult Human Mouth

¹ University of Kansas City, School of Dentistry, Kansas City, Missouri, and Department of Bacteriology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

Twenty-two cultures (8.6 per cent) of coliform bacteria were isolated from a group of 254 adult human mouths studied. Among these, 3 cultures (1.2 per cent) were E. coli, and 19 cultures (7.4 per cent) were A. aerogenes.

Four known E. coli serotypes were used as controls for studying the antigens and the pathogenicities of the isolates. No antigens were found in the E. coli isolated from the mouth. However, six cultures of the isolated A. aerogenes were found to possess B antigen of E. coli serotypes 0111:B4. The pathogenicities of these A. aerogenes cultures compared favorably with E. coli serotype 0111:B4.

Some offspring resulted from the mixed culture of the known E. coli serotypes, and the isolated A. aerogenes presented atypical morphologic, biochemical, and serologic characteristics.

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