Sensitivity to colicin Js, one of important characteristics of Escherichia coli strains belonging to enteroinvasive serovars

Of the 96 E. coli strains belonging to 9 enteroinvasive serovars 79 (82.3%) turned out to be sensitive to colicin J_s but none of the 115 strains of E. coli isolates from the feces of healthy persons without diarrhoea exhibited this type of sensitivity reaction. Of the colicin J_s-sensitive strains, 89.9% (71 out of 79) gave also positive reactions in the Serény test for enteroinvasiveness. The remaining strains belonging to enterointervasive E. coli serovars but showing no sensitivity to colicin J_s were as a rule negative in the Serény test.