PLASMID PROFILES OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI, SALMONELLA AND SHIGELLA ORGANISMS ISOLATED IN KENYA

A number of serotypable E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella strains isola ted from three districts in Kenya were investigated for carriage of pl asmids. This was done through extraction of plasmids and separating th em by electrophoresis on agarose. Most of the strains investigated sho wed presence of plasmids. The E. coli isolates had plasmids ranging in number from 1 to 5, the most common number was 2. The plasmid sizes r anged from 80 to 30 megadalton, the commonest of the heavy plasmids we re 70 megadalton. The Shigella isolates had plasmids ranging in number from 1 to 3, the most common number was 1. The plasmid sizes ranged f rom 80 to 3.5 megadalton, the commonest of the heavy plasmids were 70 megadalton. Various plasmid - sizes have been published as being respo nsible for pathogenicity.