ABSTRACTS
Salmonella
infections of the domestic animals. Their relationship to salmonellosis (Food
infection in man). FRANK W. SCHOFIELD (1945) Canadian J. Comp. Med. 9, 62
I N this article the increasing importance of the Salmonella group and of Salmonella infections in man and
animals is emphasized. The Salmonella group is already a large one comprising numerous species, and new one
are being added. Many of the members of the group cannot be distinguished from one another by the usual cultural
methods, but only by means of an analysis of the antigenic structure. At present over 60 different types of animal
origin have been isolated from human disease which indicates the great importance of an adequate knowledge of
animal Salmonella infections and their relationship to disease in man.
The important characteristics of Salmonella infection in animals are : (1) The great majority of Salmonella
infections are of the gastro-intestinal tract, (2) In most cases the young are attacked more frequently than mature
or old animals, e.g., white diarrhoea of chicks, paratyphoid in young pigs, etc., (3) Salmonella carriers are of common
occurrence, (4) Salmonella infections are much more common in swine and poultry than in other animal species,
(5) The Salmonella cause infections in a variety of animal species, and few of the many types isolated are limited
to a single host. The author refers to the work of Edward and Burnner who isolated from various sources 70 Sal-
monella types, of which 42 proved to be from fowls and 28 from swine. However, the author emphasizes that while
many Salmonella types have been reported, especially from poultry, not more than half-a-dozen types are serious
animal pathogens causing widespread disease and serious economic loss. These are: S. cholerae-suis, S. typhi-
murium, S. enteritidis, S. pullorum, S. anatis, S. abortivo-equina, S. schott-mülleri, S. enteritidis. var. dublin For the
diseases caused in animals by these organisms, the original should be consulted.
The Salmonella infections in man can be divided clinically into three types : Salmonella fever, Salmonella septi-
caemia, and Salmonella gastro-enteritis. The more important characteristics of these types are as follows :
Salmonella fever. This resembles the typhoid state but is of shorter duration lasting 1 to 3 weeks. Fever and
malaise are the dominant symptoms. Blood cultures are usually positive in the early stages of the disease.
Salmonella septicaemia. The clinical picture is that of blood infection. Localization of the infection may occur
in almost any part of the body. The meninges and endocardium seem to be tissues of predilection.
Salmonella gastro-enteritis. There is usually an interval of 8 to 24 hours between the consumption of the
contaminated food and the appearance of symptoms. This is longer than in staphylococcal food poisoning.
Vomiting is usually the first symptom to occur followed by diarrhoea. The fever subsides in 3 to 4 days and the
disease rarely lasts longer than one week. Live bacteria are present in the intestinal tract and are responsible for
the pathogenesis of the disease. There does not appear to be much support for the view originally put forward by
Savage that the symptoms can also result from the heat-stable toxins liberated by the bacteria during the process
of cooking.
The types of Salmonella found in different kinds of food are described . Among the methods that should be
adopted for the prevention of infection in man the author discusses meat inspection, both ante-mortem and post-
mortem, prevention of ' emergency slaughter', inspection of places where food is stored to prevent contamination
with the faeces of carriers, pasteurization and cooking, the examination of personnel engaged in the preparation and
cooking of food, refrigeration, etc. In a word, prevention hinges on adequate food hygiene. [L. S.]
The Treatment of caecal coccidiosis with sulfamethazine. PHILLIP A. HAWKINS AND E. E.
KLINE (1945). Poultry Science 24, 277-281
I N this article the authors have demonstrated that death losses due to caecal coccidiosis can be greatly diminished
by administering sulfamethazine in concentrations of 0.4 to 1.0 per cent in the feed for a period of three days after
the fourth day of infection. Treatment started five days after infection results in heavy mortality. To prevent
loss it is necessary that the blood levels of the drug should reach 5.0 to 6.0 mg. per cent by the fifth day. Saturated
solution of the drug in water served in galvanized iron containers is ineffective, while in paraffined vessels the results
are shown to be variable. It has, however, been pointed out that sulfamethazine interferes with the normal weight
gains of uninfected birds. The great value of this drug against caecal coccidiosis in well c trolled battery experi-
ments is recognized but some doubt is expressed on its utility under farm conditions where the diagnosis of the disease
at the required early stage is not possible. [H. N. R.]
Effect of feeding iodinated casein on production and health of milking cows. D. M. SEATH,
C. BRANTON and A. H. GROTH (1945). J. Dairy Sci. 28, 509
T HE experimental work consists in examining the effect of feeding milch cows with iodinated casein (Protamone,
manufactured by Ccrophyl Laboratories, Kanasas City). The influence of feeding on the fat percentage of
of milk, daily milk yield, body weight changes, pulse rate and body temperature was studied.
Two sets of experiment were carried out. The first, which consisted of short-term feeding tests, was based on
the reversal trial procedure. Six cows in all were used, three serving as control (Group II), the rest (Group I) received
iodinated casein for eight weeks. After the first test period, no protamine was given to any animal for throe weeks.
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