COMPARISON OF THE LYTIC ACTIVITY OF POULTRY, HUMAN, AND BOVINE PHAGES WITH STAPHYLOCOCCI OF DIFFERENT ORIGIN

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 242  (4) , 446-455
Abstract
Staphylococcal strains (625) of different origin were typed with 22 Shimizu''s poultry phages, the 24 phages of the international basic set for typing human staphylococci and the 12 phages for typing bovine staphylococci. Of the 325 Staphylococcus aureus strains, 50 from humans belonged to A biotype, 100 from chickens to B biotype and 175 from animal strains (swine, rabbit, bovine, sheep and hare) to B, C and D biotypes. Lytic activity of the poultry phages used at routine test dilution [RTD] showed marked specificity related to the biotype and origin of the tested strains. Using the poultry phages at RTD, 94.0% of the chicken strains were lysed. They were predominantly susceptible to phages CH4, CH14, CH15, CHA1, CHA2, CHA3 and CHA4. Most of the strains belonged to phage group I (74.0%), the others to phage groups II and III (18.0% and 2.0%). The examined strains of the other origins were typable only sporadically (human in 4.0%, rabbit and bovine in 6.7%) or completely resistant. When the poultry phages were used at 100 .times. RTD the number of typable strains increased more significantly only in swine, rabbit and bovine strains (23.3%, 60.0% and 56.6%). Human and bovine phages lysed chicken strains in 14.0% and 1.0% at RTD and in 20.0% and 3.0% at 100 .times. RTD, respectively. All 200 S. intermedius and 100 S. hyicus strains were resistant to the 58 phages used at RTD. When examined at 100 .times. RTD 3 S. hyicus strains were typable with the group IV phage CH11 from the poultry set only.