346
w. B. REDMOND et al.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Early investigations
Apparently there was little interest in mycobacterial phages before about
1950. The acceptance of the “atypical” mycobacteria into the realm of
human infection (tuberculosis) appears to have stimulated several investigators to seek means of identifying and of showing relationships among
the “organisms which will not be hustled’’ (Edson, 1951, p. 148). This timeconsuming factor may have discouraged many workers who might otherwise have turned some of their thoughts and activities to the phages. A
more likely discouraging factor was the consensus that the tubercle bacillus
was a closed entity having little relative importance to other acid-fast bacilli,
and for which sufficient methods of identification were available (Dubos,
1954).
The first isolations of bacteriophages showing activity on the mycobacteria were followed by attempts to identify various strains or species of
mycobacteria by phage typing. Only a few phages exhibited lytic activity on
strains other than the saprophytic bacteria which had been used in most
cases for the isolations (Hauduroy and Rosset, 1948; Hnatko, 1953;
Takeya and Yoshimura, 1957). Phages that were active on more than one
or two types appeared to have activity on saprophytic, “atypical” and
pathogenic bacteria rendering them of little value as typing phages.
Due to these facts, many workers concluded that there was little or no
possibility of utilising the phage typing technique for identifying the species
of the genus Mycobacterium. When it was later shown that phages specific
for pathogenic tubercle bacilli could be isolated, that these phages could
be used for identifying these important organisms, and that there was a
possibility that human and bovine types might be differentiated, interest
in mycobacterial phage typing increased considerably (Redmond, 1963 ;
Sula and Mohelska, 1965).
B. Stimulus by WHO
The Tuberculosis Division of the World Health Organisation and
particularly the WHO International Reference Centre for the Diagnosis of
Tuberculosis in Prague was instrumental in organising a group of laboratory workers interested in developing methods and techniques for phage
typing the mycobacteria. A small group of workers was assembled in
Prague at the International Reference Centre in 1965 in order to discuss
and outline the problems and possible methods for phage typing mycobacteria (Sula and Mohelska, 1965).
At this first meeting some preliminary results were presented and
w. B. REDMOND et al.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Early investigations
Apparently there was little interest in mycobacterial phages before about
1950. The acceptance of the “atypical” mycobacteria into the realm of
human infection (tuberculosis) appears to have stimulated several investigators to seek means of identifying and of showing relationships among
the “organisms which will not be hustled’’ (Edson, 1951, p. 148). This timeconsuming factor may have discouraged many workers who might otherwise have turned some of their thoughts and activities to the phages. A
more likely discouraging factor was the consensus that the tubercle bacillus
was a closed entity having little relative importance to other acid-fast bacilli,
and for which sufficient methods of identification were available (Dubos,
1954).
The first isolations of bacteriophages showing activity on the mycobacteria were followed by attempts to identify various strains or species of
mycobacteria by phage typing. Only a few phages exhibited lytic activity on
strains other than the saprophytic bacteria which had been used in most
cases for the isolations (Hauduroy and Rosset, 1948; Hnatko, 1953;
Takeya and Yoshimura, 1957). Phages that were active on more than one
or two types appeared to have activity on saprophytic, “atypical” and
pathogenic bacteria rendering them of little value as typing phages.
Due to these facts, many workers concluded that there was little or no
possibility of utilising the phage typing technique for identifying the species
of the genus Mycobacterium. When it was later shown that phages specific
for pathogenic tubercle bacilli could be isolated, that these phages could
be used for identifying these important organisms, and that there was a
possibility that human and bovine types might be differentiated, interest
in mycobacterial phage typing increased considerably (Redmond, 1963 ;
Sula and Mohelska, 1965).
B. Stimulus by WHO
The Tuberculosis Division of the World Health Organisation and
particularly the WHO International Reference Centre for the Diagnosis of
Tuberculosis in Prague was instrumental in organising a group of laboratory workers interested in developing methods and techniques for phage
typing the mycobacteria. A small group of workers was assembled in
Prague at the International Reference Centre in 1965 in order to discuss
and outline the problems and possible methods for phage typing mycobacteria (Sula and Mohelska, 1965).
At this first meeting some preliminary results were presented and