An Outbreak of Acute Enteritis Caused by Escherichia Coli 0-28a, 28c: B18 (Katwijk Serotype)

Abstract

A mass incidence of acute enteritis broke out in September, 1957 in a kindergarten of Nagano prefecture, affecting an adult and 12 infants (including 2 asymptomatic cart iers)
The signs and symptoms common to all the patients were frequent severe diarrhea with abdominal pain and fever (38.5°-40.3°). Vomiting and convulsion were also seen in some infants. Sulfonamides however, were effective for a majority of patients, so that no mortal case was recorded.
The stools obtained from the patients in the acute stage were cultivated in S.S and E.M.B mediums, and a type no shigella, Salmonella, Arizona or other types of E. coli for routine examinations (0-25, -26, -44, -55, -75, -86, -111, -112, -119, -124-128) were recovered. This type of E. coli isolated commonly from the patients was examined biochemically and serologically in detail. As a result, this strain was identified as non-motile E. coli with an antigenic structure 0-28a, 28c: B18, a strain known under the name of Katwijk type of seeliger (See Tab. 2), by which no epidemic had been yet caused in Japan.
From the bacteriological and epidemiological studies, this type of E. coli 0-28a, 28c: B18 was decided as a pathogenic agent for this epidemic.