Pilus colonization factors of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from infantile diarrheal patients in Papua New Guinea.

We examined the possibility of pilus colonization factor (or adhesin) production by 9 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from infantile diarrheal patients in Papua New Guinea. By hydrophobicity, hemagglutination and bacterial agglutination with antisera against various known adhesins, none of the 9 strains produced known pilus adhesins. Three strains which produce heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxins may produce a new type of pili which is not hydrophobic and differs from common (type 1) pili.