BACTERIOCIN TYPING OF KLEBSIELLA SPP ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

To evaluate whether clinical Klebsiella isolates differ from nonclinic al strains with respect to bacteriocin susceptibility patterns, a tota l of 452 Klebsiella pneumoniae and K. oxytoca strains isolated from di fferent sources were examined. Bacteriocin typing was done by a modifi cation of the scrape-and-point method, using a set of eight producer s trains. 96% of the strains were typable. Forty-one different bacterioc in susceptibility patterns were observed. While two thirds of the K. o xytoca isolates belonged to only three different bacteriocin types, th e K. pneumoniae strains showed a more heterogenous distribution of pat terns. No differences in pattern distribution were observed between is olates from clinical, fecal, or environmental sources. Certain bacteri ocins showed a very broad spectrum of activity; e.g. 93% of all isolat es were susceptible to bacteriocin type 3. The results suggest that no nclinical Klebsiella strains do not show other bacteriocin susceptibil ity types than clinical isolates do.