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. 1995 Aug;33(8):2199–2201. doi: 10.1128/jcm.33.8.2199-2201.1995

Sorbitol-negative phenotype among enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli strains of different serotypes and from different sources.

A Ojeda 1, V Prado 1, J Martinez 1, C Arellano 1, A Borczyk 1, W Johnson 1, H Lior 1, M M Levine 1
PMCID: PMC228366  PMID: 7559979

Abstract

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains detected with DNA probes (for virulence plasmid and Shiga-like toxins) from subjects with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (n = 19) or diarrhea (n = 41) or asymptomatic carriers (n = 29) were examined for sorbitol fermentability, as were enterotoxigenic (n = 40), enteropathogenic (n = 40), and enteroinvasive (n = 40) E. coli and urinary tract infection (n = 40) strains and normal flora E. coli strains (n = 40). Sorbitol negativity was common only in EHEC, particularly among strains from severe clinical infections. All 19 EHEC strains from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome, irrespective of O:H serotype or Shiga-like toxin genotype, were sorbitol negative.

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Selected References

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