The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 21, Issue 3 219-224, Copyright © 1986 by Society for General Microbiology
Characterisation of Haemophilus spp. isolated from infant conjunctivitis
M. C. Roberts, T. A. Bell, K. I. Sandstrom, A. L. Smith and K. K. Holmes
Haemophilus strains isolated from children under the age of 11 months with
conjunctivitis were characterised by biotype, sugar fermentation, plasmid
pattern and outer-membrane-protein profiles. H. influenzae was the most
common species identified and was separated into 14 groups based on sugar
fermentation and biotype patterns and into more than 20 groups when plasmid
and outer-membrane-protein profiles were included. Small (mol. wt less than
10 X 10(6)) plasmids were identified in 11 of 34 (32%) H. influenzae
isolates, 1 of 2 H. haemolyticus and 4 of 6 (67%) H. parainfluenzae
isolates. Examination of sugar-fermentation and plasmid patterns increased
the ability to distinguish between strains isolated at different times from
recurrent disease and may have general applications in the study of
Haemophilus strains isolated from a single anatomical site.
