Application of ribotyping and IS200fingerprinting to distinguish the fiveSalmonellaserotype O6,7:c:1,5 groups: Choleraesuissensu stricto, Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf, Choleraesuis var. Decatur, Paratyphi C, and Typhisuis

Sixty-seven strains of the five described Salmonella serotypes having antigens 6,7:c: 1,5, that isS. entericaserotype Choleraesuissensu stricto, Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf, Choleraesuis var. Decatur, Paratyphi C, and Typhisuis, were examined for 16Srrnprofile ribotype, presence of IS200and phenotypic characters, including rate of change of flagellar-antigen phase and nutritional character. Choleraesuissensu strictoand its Kunzendorf variant had related but distinct ribotypes. Therefore, ribotyping appears to be a suitable method for differentiating Choleraesuis non-Kunzendorf from Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf. Some strains of Paratyphi C had 16S profiles that resembled that of Choleraesuis non-Kunzendorf, while others resembled that of Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf. The Typhisuis profiles were like those of Choleraesuis non-Kunzendorf, while the Choleraesuis var. Decatur profiles were unlike those of any of the other four groups. Furthermore, IS200fingerprinting discriminated between Choleraesuis var. Decatur and the other strains with antigenic formula O6,7:c: 1,5, and comparison of IS200patterns showed a high degree of genetic divergence within Choleraesuis var. Decatur. Our findings show that ribotyping and IS200fingerprinting, combined with classical microbiological methods, distinguish the groups Choleraesuis non-Kunzendorf, Choleraesuis var. Kunzendorf, Choleraesuis var. Decatur, Paratyphi C and Typhisuis.