Serovar

Serovar

A serovar or serotype is a distinct variation within a species of bacteria or virus or among immune cells of different individuals. These microorganisms, viruses, or cells are classified together based on their cell surface antigens, allowing the epidemiologic classification of organisms to the subspecies level. A group of serovars with common antigens is called a serogroup or sometimes serocomplex.

Classification

Serovars are usually distinguished by a number and a letter, such as O157:H7. The "O" in this name refers to the cell wall antigen type and the "H" to the flagellar antigen. The numbers 157 and 7 are the specific identifiers of the antigens that determine this particular serovar.

Importance in Disease

Serovars can be important in diagnosing and treating disease. For example, the bacterium Salmonella enterica has over 2,500 serovars, some of which cause different types of illnesses. Serovar Typhi causes typhoid fever, while serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium cause food poisoning.

See also

• Antigen
• Bacteria
• Virus
• Immune system
• Salmonella enterica
• Typhoid fever
• Food poisoning

References

Serovar Resources
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