[Isolation of bacteria of the Klebsiella genus in diarrhea in polar researchers].

Representatives of Klebsiellae tribe (K. pneumoniae, Ent. cloacae, Ent, aerogenes) were isolated in examination of pharyngeal discharge and feces of members of the polar expedition suffering from diarrhea and their contacts; the same microbes were revealed in the antarctic lake which served as the source of drinking water. The mentioned bacteria possessed typical cultural and morphological, as well as biochemical properties. K34 serovar was determined in serological identification of Kl. pneumonia. At the same time it was demonstrated that Klebsiella--representatives of Enterobacteriaceae could be facultative psychophils and persist in the external environment under low temperature conditions; entering human organism they could cause diarrhea, i.e. could act as pathogens.