Relationships Among Catalase-Positive Campylobacters Determined by Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Deoxyribonucleic Acid Hybridization

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Abstract
DNA-DNA hybridization among 66 strains of catalase-positive Campylobacter and Campylobacter-like organisms delineated 7 genetically dinstinct groups. The results support the species designations of C. coli, C. jejuni and C. fetus, although the data contraindicate the division of the latter species into C. fetus ssp. fetus and C. fetus ssp. venerealis. The DNA relatedness values also suggest that the C. fecalis, nalidixic acid-rsistant thermophilic Campylobacter strains and Campylobacter-like organisms isolated from mice, may deserve species status. Campylobacter-like isolates from bovine and ovine abortions possess morphological and metabolic characteristics that are incompatible with the genus description; these isolates need further study to clarify their taxonomic status.