On the Detection of Dysentery Bacilli in Feces by the Fluorescent Antibody Technique.

Abstract

By means of fluorescent antibody technique, the examination of dysentery bacilli in feces was carried out, resultng in the following findings.
1) The commercial Shigella typing serum, rabbit euglobulin used in clinical laboratories was found to be usable for the detection of dysentery bacilli by the fluorescent antibody technique.
2) The rate of dysentery bacilli detection in feces from patietns did not notably vary according to the method used, the roultine culture method or the present technique.
3) In the fluorescent antibody technique a cross reaction was occasionally observed between dysentery antiserum and a few cultured strains of enterobacteriae, especially E. coli. Several cases of patients infected with E. coli which positively reacted with the present dysentery antibody were noted.
4) Inspite of the above cross reaction, the present technique is believed to have several advantages as follows. In the majority of the cases of dysentery, the technique is able to quickly identify the group specificity of dysentery bacilli directly in feces. Furthermore,
the possible presence of Shigella in feces boydii which is difficult to identify by the ordinary culture method owing to its K-antigen and of some other strains of dysentery bacilli similar to E. coli in biological characteristics can be rather easily recognized by the present technique.