Serological studies on the cholera group of vibrios.

Serological properties of 468 strains of the cholera group of vibrios, in which cholera and NAG vibrios are included, were studied. The results are summarized as follows: 1. By cross agglutination tests, 39 O groups of which O group 1 was assigned to cholera vibrio were established within the group. 2. It was demonstrated that H antigen of the cultures of all O groups was identical with that of cholera vibrio but was different from that of other species of the genus Vibrio. 3. The mucoid antigen which inhibits O agglutination was found in some strains. The results support the findings of Gardner and Venkatraman. In addition, it was emphasized that the O groups established in this study should be referred to as serotypes within Vibrio cholerae including NAG vibrios, since all the strains of this species possessed a common H antigen.