Pesticinogeny: a characteristic useful for presumptive identification and isolation of Pasteurella pestis

Abstract

Current methods of identifying Pasteurella pestis rely heavily on tests specific for detecting fraction I, the envelope antigen. Pesticin I, a bacteriocin inhibitory for P. pseudotuberculosis, has been demonstrated in nearly all tested strains isolated from human infections. The results of using this characteristic as an identifying trait for P. pestis were compared with results reported for detecting fraction I by fluorescent-antibody and antiserum-agar techniques. Data indicate that, although certain atypical strains of P. pestis fail to react in one system or the other, a combination of these tests provides positive identification in all cases. Detection of P. pestis in contaminated materials is greatly facilitated, and the simplicity of this test makes it a valuable tool in the study of plague infections and an important adjunct to methods currently in use. The use of the pesticin I assay is not intended to replace other accepted techniques, but rather to supplement them and increase the effectiveness of plague investigation.