THE RECOGNITION OF THE CHOLERA VIBRIO

Cholera-like non-agglutinating vibrios are invariably found in the intestinal contents of healthy persons, and frequently in the water of wells and rivers, during epidemics of cholera. Although many of these saprophytic vibrios are indistinguishable in morphology and cultural properties from the cholera vibrio, the negative reaction with an anticholera serum has readily differentiated them from the Asiatic vibrio. The biological polymorphism of the cholera vibrio has been suggested by the development of agglutination, by special methods of culture, in cholera-like vibrios. Confirmatory Pfeiffer reactions have not been obtained, as a rule, in these instances, probably because of the low virulence of the vibrio culture, although positive bacteriolysis in vitro (Bordet's test) was observed in some, and in others positive complement fixation and cross agglutination indicated the cholera nature of the vibrios in question. Although it cannot as yet be definitely proven, we are justified in suspecting that cholera-like vibrios which eventually develop agglutination properties are of a true cholera nature. It is probable that the production of agglutination antibodies in the serum brings about the development by the bacterial cell of defensive anti-agglutinins, resulting in the disappearance of agglutinating power. In the case of the water vibrios, changed physical conditions could bring about a similar alteration in biological properties. It may be said that the absence of agglutination in a vibrio isolated from a suspected source does not define conclusively its noncholera nature. In all probability among a number of cholera-like vibrios isolated from suspected sources a certain percentage will eventually be found to develop agglutination either during laboratory cultivation or by means of animal passage, and until subjected to a procedure that will induce the return of agglutination no vibrio can be regarded with assurance as of a truly saprophytic variety.