RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 MASKELL, J. P.YR 1981 T1 The pathogenicity of Bacteroides fragilis and related species estimated by intracutaneous infection in the guinea-pig JF Journal of Medical Microbiology, VO 14 IS 1 SP 131 OP 140 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/00222615-14-1-131 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1473-5644, AB SUMMARY. The pathogenicity of 42 strains of Bacteroides of human origin was estimated by intracutaneous injection of bacterial suspensions into guinea-pig skin. Comparisons of living and heat-killed suspensions revealed that B. fragilis strains maintained themselves and possibly multiplied in the skin, whereas the lesions induced by non-fra-gilis strains appeared to be due mainly to toxicity. Measurement of skin pathogenicity in terms of the number of viable organisms in the inoculum that produced a lesion 10 mm in diameter showed that B. fragilis was, on average, 17 times as pathogenic as non-fragilis strains. Skin tests of pathogens may be of value in the analysis of virulence factors of Bacteroides and possibly of other anaerobic organisms., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/00222615-14-1-131