Urinary tract infectivity or R strains of Escherichia coli carrying various virulence factors.

The virulence factors of Escherichia coli supposed to act in urinary tract infections were studied on R strains in a suckling mouse model. The production of alpha-(diffusible-) haemolysin or the possession of antigen K1 enhanced the virulence significantly, while the type 1 (common) fimbriae failed to do so. An isogenic motile and non-motile pair of E. coli did not show any difference in infectivity in the model. The adhesins, the diffusible haemolysin, and the acidic polysaccharide K antigens (K1) are definitely additive virulence factors in the model. This is in good agreement with the experience of clinical bacteriology.