Type classification by Lancefield's precipitin method of human and bovine group‐B streptococci isolated in Britain

Abstract

DURING the course of immunological studies on bovine streptococcal mastitis at the Compton Field Station it became essential to type group-B streptococci. At present, two systems of classification are in use : (1) that of Lancefield (1934Lancefield ( , 1938, based on precipitin and mouse-protection tests, by which four types called Ia, Ib, 1 1 and I11 are identified, and (2) that of Stableforth (1932Stableforth ( , 1937Stableforth ( , 1946, based on precipitin, agglutination and agglutinin-absorption tests, by which 16 types are recognised. Laicefield's types were included in this classification as follows :-I& = 4a, I b = ah, I1 = lc and 111 = 3d.The only extensive type examination of British strains of group-B streptococci is that of Stableforth (1937Stableforth ( , 1938. This examination was limited to strains of bovine origin. Stableforth claasified all ths strains he examined into types la, lb, 2a, 3a and 3b, and he pointed out that Lancefield's type strains for I1 and I11 corresponded with British main types 1 and 3 but were not identical with any British sub-t,ype. He showed, further, that Lancefield's type strains for Ia and I b were different from all British types. The inference from this work is that strains of group-B streptococci identical with Lancefield's types do not occur in Britain.Lancefield (1934) suggested that the agglutination test was reliable only for the type classification of certain strains of group-B streptococci. Some preliminary work in our laboratory confirmed this finding and indicated that the Lancefield system of claasification, using the precipitin test, would be more suitable for our purpose. I n this paper we give the results of the type classification by the Lancefield precipitin method of 236 human and bovine strains of group-B streptococci isolated in Britain. MATERIALS AND METHODS Straina of g m p -B streptomu%.We are indebted to Dr &beCCa C. Lancefield for strains ISRS21, M216, 090 and H36B, reprasentetive of types 11, 111, Ia and I b resptively in her sptem and corresponding to types Ic, 3d, 4a and 4b respectively in Stableforth's system of classification ; to Dr A. W. Stableforth

Neonatal streptococcal infections

“…Pattison, Matthews and Maxted (1955) showed that there are considerable differences in the frequency of individual type antigens in human and bovine strains, and Butter and de Moor (1967), by a combination of serotyping, biochemical tests, and bacitracin-sensitivity tests, showed that the human and bovine populations exhibit almost no overlapping of characters.…”

The Development of a Phage-Typing System for Group-B Streptococci

“…2~. hydro-chloric acid for 2 h at 50°C for serological typing (Pattison, Matthews and Maxted, 1955). The medium used for the detection and propagation of bacteriophages was composed ofTodd-Hewitt Broth Base (Oxoid) 30 g, Yeast Extract (Oxoid) 2 g, calcium chloride (dried) (BDH Chemicals) 0.012 g and L-tryptophan (BDH Chemicals) 0.01 g added to 1 litre of distilled water.ThepH was adjusted to 7.6 and the medium was autoclaved at 115°C for 10 min.…”

“…It has become of less interest to veterinarians since the availability of penicillin for the treatment of bovine mastitis. The possibility of transmission of group-B streptococci from animal to man cannot be excluded, although serological evidence suggests that the two populations of streptococci are distinguishable (Pattison, Matthews and Maxted, 1955).…”

Typing ofStreptococcus agalactiae (Lancefield group B)

“…This method, based on the detection of 16 protein antigens, has fallen into disuse. It seems that when applied to strains from cow's milk, type antigens were "gained" or "lost" in an unpredictable manner (19). In practice the availability of typing sera for the c, R and X antigens provides a useful addition to antisera to the four carbohydrate types.…”