USE OF NONRADIOACTIVE DNA PROBES TO IDENTIFY A CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI STRAIN CAUSING ABORTION

A case of human abortion due to a Campylobacter infection is reported. Cultures revealed two morphologically different isolates with large a nd small colonies respectively. Using conventional methods of identifi cation, the large colonies were identified as Campylobacter jejuni and the small colonies as Campylobacter coli. Dot blot hybridization and determination of rDNA restriction fragment patterns revealed that both colony types were the same strain of Campylobacter jejuni. This obser vation illustrates the need to use methods other than phenotypic metho ds when identifying strains of Campylobacter.