AimThis study investigates the colonization rate of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gastrointestinal tracts of people living in southern China and applies a modified method for the isolation and subtyping of A.muciniphila strains from faecal samples. Methods and ResultsFresh faecal samples were collected and bacterial DNA was extracted from these samples for real-time PCR analysis. Strains were separated using a culture-dependent sPCR-directed method and classified using an enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR) DNA fingerprinting method. The colonization rate for the sample population from southern China was 5174%. We isolated 22 strains from human faeces. The results revealed that all strains were identifiable as A.muciniphila with 99-100% identity to the type-strain ATCC BAA-835. ERIC-PCR resulted in grouping of the DNA fingerprints showed that 12 distinct clusters were distinguished with a delineation level of 100%. ConclusionsSouthern China has a high rate of A.muciniphila colonization and over 12 different subtype strains reside in faecal samples. Significance and Impact of the StudyAkkermansia muciniphila has a beneficial role in human gastrointestinal tract. These studies provide a better understanding of A.muciniphila and details of its colonization in the human gastrointestinal tract.