The population structure and transmission of Escherichia coli in an isolated human community; studies on an antarctic base

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 107; no. 3; pp. 537 - 542
• Main Authors: Tzabar, Y., Pennington, T. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.1991
• Subjects: Adult; Alleles; Antarctic Regions; Bacteria; Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Dehydrogenases; Disease transmission; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Electrophoresis; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Enzymes; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - classification; Escherichia coli - enzymology; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - transmission; Feces - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Microbiology; Plasmids; Population genetics; Population structure; Antarctica (British Territories); Antarctica; Antarctic Regions; Characterization; Human; Plasmid; Geographical isolation; Allotype; Enzyme; Escherichia coli; Transmission; Bacteria; Population; Enterobacteriaceae; Strain
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268800049232

The population structure and transmission of Escherichia coli in a small group of individuals isolated for 26 weeks on an Antarctic base were studied by multilocus electrophoresis of eight enzymes and plasmid analysis. Two hundred and sixty-nine strains were isolated. They were grouped into 60 allozyme types (ETs). Half of these ETs were only isolated once; others were repeatedly isolated from single subjects. Eleven were found in more than one subject and the pattern of the occurrence of some of them was considered to provide evidence of their spread from subject to subject.