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Plasmid composition of Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei strains isolated from diarrhoeic and asymptomatic children in northeastern Brazil

NC. Leal; L.C.S. Ferreira

Laboratório de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Cidade Universitária, 50739 Recife, PE, Brasil. Present address: Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, 21910 Rio de Janeiro, RJ. I rasil. Send correspondence to L.C.S.F.

ABSTRACT

Nine Shigella flexneri and six S. sonnei strains were isolated from asymptomatic (3 S. flexneri and 2 S. sonnei) and diarrhoeic children in Recife. All strains were compared in respect to invasiveness (Sereny test), colicin production, binding of Congo Red and resistance to antibiotics. The isolates harbored two to seven different plasmids and most had molecular weights smaller than 6 MDaI. The S. sonnei samples isolated from asymptomatic carriers contained considerably less plasmids than the strains recovered from diarrohoeic patients. The possible association between plasmids and resistance to antibiotics, colicin El production and invasiveness is discussed.

Keywords: Plasmid; Shigella flexneri; Shigella sonnei; Brazil.

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