The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 13, Issue 1 79-87, Copyright © 1980 by Society for General Microbiology
The isolation and identification of Bacteroides ssp. from the normal human vaginal flora
B. I. Duerden
The occurrence of gram-negative anaerobic bacilli in the normal vaginal
flora was studied in 20 normal healthy women attending a family-planning
clinic. A swab was taken from the cervix and posterior fornix and
Bacteroides spp. were isolated on a selective medium from 13 (65%)
subjects. A heavy growth of Bacteroides was obtained from 11 specimens but
only a few colonies were isolated from two specimens. Where possible, 10
representative colonies from each subject were studied and 113 isolates
were identified by conventional bacteriological tests. Most isolates (78%)
belonged to the B. melaninogenicus/oralis group. The commonest species
identified in this group were the B. bivius/disiens complex (42%), B.
melaninogenicus ss. intermedius (22%) and ss. melaninogenicus (16%).
Asaccharolytic strains were isolated in smaller numbers from 54% of
subjects, but only five strains of the B. fragilis group were isolated from
two subjects; fusobacteria were not detected.
