bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficiency of cultures of rectal swabs and faecal specimens in detecting salmonella carriers: correlation with numbers of salmonellas excreted
Authors: McCall Charles E. , Martin William T. , Boring John R.
Published: May 2009

The comparative efficiency of cultures of rectal swabs and faecal specimens in detecting salmonellas in asymptomatic carriers was determined and then correlated with the number of salmonellas excreted per g. of faeces (wet weight). In six short-term salmonella carriers, 82% of rectal swab cultures taken daily for 11 consecutive days were positive for salmonellas, whereas 94% of faecal specimens cultured were positive. Similarily, in 8 long-term carriers, 58% of the rectal swab cultures were positive as compared with 91% of faecal specimens. The inferiority of the results of rectal swab cultures correlated with their inefficiency in detecting salmonellas when fewer than 1000 salmonellas per g. of faeces were present.

The patterns of salmonella excretion as depicted by estimated salmonella content of faecal specimens showed that all carriers had irregular day-to-day variations. The average number of salmonellas excreted per g. of faeces by short-term carriers was greater than that by long-term carriers, although both groups revealed the same wide variations in number of organisms excreted.

The effect of delayed processing and shipment of specimens upon recovery of salmonellas was also studied. No deleterious effects were noted when specimens were shipped and processing was delayed for up to 3 days.
Sensitivity of bluetongue virus to lipid solvents, trypsin and pH changes and its serological relationship to arboviruses
Authors: Svehag S.-E. , Leendertsen Louise , Gorham J. R.
Published: May 2009

Bluetongue virus was found to be resistant to ether, chloroform and sodium deoxycholate under a variety of conditions but sensitive to treatment with trypsin. The virus had a narrow zone of pH stability between pH 6 and 8 in Michaelis buffer. Below pH 6 bluetongue was irreversibly inactivated within 1 min. at 37° C. In many of its characteristics, bluetongue virus appears to be closely related to the reoviruses.
The immunity produced by a rough Salmonella dublin variant against Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella choleraesuis infection in guinea-pigs
Authors: Smith H. Williams , Halls Sheila
Published: May 2009

Vaccination with a rough variant of Salmonella dublin had no observable harmful effect on guinea-pigs. It conferred a good immunity against S. typhimurium and S. choleraesuis var kunzendorf infections.
Isolation of a variant strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus (type O) during passage in partly immunized cattle
Authors: Fagg R. H. , Hyslop N. ST G.
Published: May 2009

Foot-and-mouth disease virus of type O (strain Israel 1/63) was passaged serially fourteen times in cattle previously vaccinated with increasing doses of formol-treated vaccine of the homologous strain. Primary and secondary lesions developed in the majority of the animals. Virus from the 14th passage, which proved to be capable of reinfecting animals only 34 and 35 days after infection with the original strain, differed from the original strain in complement-fixing properties and in sensitivity to antiserum. These changes were of a degree indicative of subtype variation.

Virus titres in the saliva, in the tongue vesicles and in the foot vesicles of partly resistant cattle were very great and would have constituted a danger to other stock under field conditions.

The experimental data confirm previous observations on the infection of partly resistant cattle and on the isolation of variant strains during passage of FMD virus in tissue cultures containing specific antiserum.
Toxoplasmin sensitivity: subnormality and environment
Authors: Robertson J. S.
Published: May 2009

The incidence of positive toxoplasmin skin test among subnormals in hospital was compared with that in subnormals attending day training centres and among normal children taken into County Council children's homes. Twelve out of 120 subnormals below the age of 20 attending day training centres were positive to the test, and 23 were positive out of 233 subnormals of the same age tested in hospital.

There was only 1 positive out of 71 children under the age of 18 in the County Council children's homes, compared with 29 out of 296 subnormals of this age who were tested.

The incidence of positive skin test among 115 mongols under the age of 50 was about 11% in each age range, whereas that in 709 other subnormals rose from 5% in those below the age of 10 to 30% in those over the age of 30.

Although factors similar to those causing admission of normal children to County Council care often determine the admission of subnormals to hospital, the children in County Council homes did not share the high incidence of infection which was found in subnormals.

It is suggested that the majority of infections among subnormal children are postnatally acquired. Since the incidence was the same in subnormals living at home as among those in hospital it is suggested that some personal habit commoner among subnormal than among normal children exposes the subnormals to an increased risk of infection.
A quantitative and qualitative appraisal of microbial pollution of water by swimmers: a preliminary report
Authors: Robinton Elizabeth D. , Mood Eric W.
Published: May 2009

Five healthy young women swam in untreated water of known bacterial quality under a variety of hygienic conditions. Evidence based on bacteriological examination of water samples leads to the following conclusions:

1. There is a marked variation in the number and types of bacteria shed by a bather while swimming and the variations do not seem to be correlated to the differences in personal hygiene or the menstrual period.

2. Faecal organisms may be discharged in considerable numbers by a swimmer after a thorough and careful shower with soap and warm water and yet not be discharged in appreciable numbers by a bather who does not take a shower before swimming.

3. Faecal organisms constitute only a small minority of the total number of viable bacteria that are discharged in swimming pool water by a bather during the act of swimming and as such seem to have limited use as indicators oftotalbacterial pollution.

4. Members of the genusStaphylococcusare shed in large numbers under all conditions andStaph. aureusis consistently present. Therefore, this genus appears to be a good choice as an index for the determination of body contamination.

5. Further studies are indicated under more stringently controlled hygienic conditions to determine the value of hexachlorophene in reducing microbial flora that a given individual may shed during swimming.
The optimal mode of transport for swabs obtained from surfaces examined for organisms causing food-borne disease
Authors: Mossel D. A. A. , Kampelmacher E. H. , Jansen L. M. V. Noorle
Published: May 2009

An investigation was carried out on the influence of the mode of transport at ca. 21° C. on the fate ofS. typhimurium,E. coli, Ps. aeruginosa, Staph. aureus, Str. pyogenesand spores ofB. cereuscollected from surfaces by swabbing with cotton and alginate.

Transport at relative humidity 0·58–0·95 leads to losses in viable counts sometimes exceeding two log cycles. In Stuart's medium and Ringer-calgon particularly Enterobacteriaceae showed growth when transported at 21° C. Reduction of the pH value of Stuart's medium led to losses of far over one log cycle in some types of bacteria and could therefore not be recommended.

Slight chilling of the medium, e.g. to 12° C., and insulation during transport appeared to maintain counts of the organisms studied at their original level in both Stuart's medium and Ringer calgon for 10–12 hr.
The role of cutaneous diphtheria in the acquisition of immunity
Authors: Gunatillake P. D. P. , Taylor G.
Published: May 2009

A field survey conducted amongst children in a semi-rural area of Ceylon has revealed a high rate of Schick negative conversion early in life. A high carrier rate ofC. diphtheriaein cutaneous ulcers which probably accounts for this early Schick conversion has been detected. The role of cutaneous diphtheria and that of non-toxigenic organisms in the acquisition of natural immunity to the disease is discussed.
An Arizona serotype isolated from a case of gastro-enteritis in Britain
Authors: Plows C. D. , Fretwell G. , Parry Wilfrid H.
Published: May 2009

Two isolations of Arizona from humans were made in Sheffield in 1966. The first was from a 3-year-old girl with a history of gastro-enteritis; the second was from her 5-year-old brother who was a symptomless excretor. Infection was traced to pet terrapins recently purchased from a local pet shop. The relative epidemiological significance of Arizona infection and the potential hazard of pet terrapins has been reviewed.

We wish to thank Dr V. G. S. Damms for his help and co-operation and for allowing us to publish details of his patients, Dr J. G. Wallace for his work on the preliminary identification of the organism, and Dr Joan Taylor and Dr E. H. Gillespie for their helpful advice and criticism.
Food poisoning caused by heat-sensitiveClostridium welchii. A report of five recent outbreaks
Authors: Sutton R. G. A. , Hobbs Betty C.
Published: May 2009

Details of confirmed outbreaks of food poisoning due to heat-sensitive Cl. welckii are given. In 4/5 incidents heat-sensitive Cl.welckiiwere isolated in large numbers from the majority of the faeces. In the remaining outbreak the faecal samples were not collected until 7–9 days after the illness. The causative organism was isolated from the food in 3/5 instances.

In addition four outbreaks of food poisoning in which both heat-sensitive and heat-resistant Cl.welckiiwere isolated are described.

The role of heat-sensitive Cl.welckiiin food poisoning outbreaks is discussed and a suggested method of examining faeces for Cl.welchiiis given.

We are indeed grateful for the assistance given in collecting faecal specimens and obtaining detailed information on the food preparation, etc., by Drs G. C. Turner, J. Epsom, J. G. Wallace, P. J. Wormald, H. D. Holt, D. G. Fleck, J. M. Graham, E. Tanner and J. D. Abbott. We would also like to thank Mrs I. Batty of the Wellcome Research Laboratory for carrying out toxicological examinations for us.

One of us (R.G.A.S.) is attached to the Commonwealth Department of Health, Australia, and is at present the holder of a Public Service Board Postgraduate scholarship.
The effect of warfarin on plasma clotting time in wild house mice (Mus Musculus L.)
Authors: Rowe F. P. , Redfern R.
Published: May 2009

The coagulability of the plasma of blood taken from the retro-orbital sinus of untreated and warfarin-treated wild house mice (Mus musculus L.) was determined. Individual differences were observed in the resting clotting times of animals drawn from three different sources, so-called ‘normal’ (N) mice, home-bred warfarin resistant (HBR) mice and field-caught suspected warfarin resistant (FR) mice. Mice from the three sources also showed wide individual variation in response to injected doses of 1, 5 and 50 mg. of warfarin/kg, body weight. The overall response shown by HBR and FR mice, particularly females, was less than that shown by N animals. Some FR females failed to respond to a dose of 100 mg. of warfarin/kg, body weight.

Normal mice showed a similar response to two identical doses of warfarin (1, 5 or 50 mg./kg. body weight) given at an interval of 3 weeks. They developed a tolerance to repeated daily injected doses of 1 mg. of warfarin/kg, body weight but not to the higher doses (5 and 50 mg./kg.) to which some HBR animals became tolerant.

In comparative 21-day feeding tests with 0·025% warfarin in medium oatmeal, the mortality in N, HBR and FR mice was 100% (27), 64·5% (40/62) and 22·7% (10/44) respectively. Whereas the plasma of all N mice was rendered uncoagulable after 3 days and the animals died within 12 days, the clotting times of the surviving HBR and FR mice (24/59 males and 32/47 females) either were not at any stage appreciably increased or had declined to near normal values by the end of the test period.

In similar tests with 0·025% warfarin in oatmeal bait containing 5% mineral oil, it was found that the clotting ability of the plasma of N, HBR and FR mice was impaired earlier and that mortality in HBR and FR animals was significantly higher (62/67, 92·5% and 7/8, 87·5% respectively).

Three of seven HBR mice died after prolonged feeding on various warfarin baits but only after 186, 197 and 209 days respectively. The inclusion of mineral oil in bait containing 0-0·25% warfarin was more effective in decreasing the coagulability of the blood of these mice than either increasing the concentration of warfarin (to 0·1 and 0·2%) or including sulphaquinoxaline or corn oil.

Studies on mice given warfarin by injection and in feed indicated that in females the level of resistance to warfarin may be assessed on the basis of their response to a single injected dose of warfarin.
Antibody toMycoplasma pneumoniaein normal subjects and in patients with chronic bronchitis
Authors: Lambert H. P.
Published: May 2009

Mycoplasma pneumoniaeis a common respiratory pathogen in the south of England. Of 1150 sera from normal people, 19% had antibody against this organism. Antibody was found with significantly greater frequency in patients with chronic bronchitis.
A comparison of methods of measuring the persistence of neutralizing and haemagglutinin-inhibiting antibodies to louping ill virus in experimentally infected sheep
Authors: O'Reilly K. J. , Smith C. E. Gordon , McMahon D. A. , Bowen E. T. W. , White G.
Published: May 2009

Sheep, after infection with louping ill virus and after re-infection with the same strain of virus 19–21 months later, were bled at intervals and their sera examined for neutralizing and haemagglutinin-inhibiting antibodies. Each antibody type was measured by the constant serum/variable virus and constant virus/variable serum methods. The persistence of each type of antibody and its significance in epidemiological studies is discussed. The relationship of antibody levels in ewes and their lambs was also examined.
Thermal comfort during surgical operations
Authors: Wyon D. P. , Lidwell O. M. , Williams R. E. O.
Published: May 2009

Visits have been made to thirty operating suites in the British Isles. Each suite was visited three times at approximately 4-month intervals and observations made on an average of five half-day working sessions on each occasion. Measurements were made of air temperature, humidity, air movement and radiation temperature and many details of the suites and working conditions recorded. At suitable intervals the operating room staff were questioned as to their feelings of thermal comfort using Bedford's 7-point scale. Over 2500 sets of replies were obtained. Visible sweating was also noted.

The effect on comfort and the extent of visible sweating of the many items recorded was then explored by means of a sequential multiple regression analysis. Although air temperature was by far the most important factor affecting thermal comfort, all the variables named above exerted a significant effect. In addition, a number of other conditions including age, sex and race produced minor differences.

Surgeons and anaesthetists were found to differ from other staff in their thermal preferences, the surgeons liking a cooler and the anaesthetists a warmer environment. Although most surgeons were comfortable at temperatures around 66·5°F. (19°C.), at 50% relative humidity and 25 ft./min. air movement with the average amount of thermal radiation from the operating room lamp, it would be necessary to keep the temperature down to 64·5°F. (18°C.) if no more than one surgeon in twenty was to be uncomfortably hot. At this temperature nearly half the anaesthetists, who mostly preferred temperatures around 71°F. (21·5°C.), would feel too cold. Variation in the clothing worn by different staff members seems to be the only way of resolving this difficulty.

The average temperature in the operating rooms visited was over 72°F. (22°C.), and 75°F. (24°C.) was exceeded on about 25% of occasions.
Serological tests for the detection of antibodies to Mycoplasma gallisepticum in chickens and turkeys
Authors: Jordan F. T. W. , Kulasegaram P.
Published: May 2009

A comparison was undertaken of several serological tests in determining the response of chickens and turkeys experimentally infected with the A 514 strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum.

After a single intratracheal inoculation of chickens with a culture of the organism, the highest titres were obtained by the indirect complement fixation (ICF) test, followed by the tube agglutination (TA), haemagglutination inhibition (HI), slide agglutination (SA) and metabolic inhibition (MI) tests. By all these tests positive titres were observed within the first week and peak titres between the first and second weeks. At 5 months there was no positive reaction by the ICF test but most chickens gave positive readings by the TA, HI and SA tests for at least 14 months after infection, but turkey sera became negative by all tests after 3 months.

A disadvantage of the ICF test was that sera up to a dilution of 1/8 and 1/16 for chicken and turkey respectively were anticomplementary, and in turkeys this masked the ICF titre, which presumably was low following one intratracheal inoculation. Titres in turkeys with the TA, HI and SA tests followed the pattern seen with chickens and were generally lower than those found by other workers probably because of the avirulent nature of the inoculum used.

The WB test was the least sensitive of the agglutination tests but is useful as a flock test which can be undertaken on the farm.

The MI test gave the lowest titres of all and antibodies could be detected for only 4 months following one intratracheal inoculation. Even with serum prepared by multiple inoculations in chickens the titre was never higher than 1/32 compared with 1/1024 for serum similarly prepared in rabbits.

Precipitins were detected by the agar gel method in the sera of chickens and turkeys after two intratracheal inoculations but in only some of the chickens and none of the turkeys after one inoculation.

By all tests higher titres were observed with chicken than turkey sera and antibodies persisted for a longer time.

Re-infection of chickens when antibodies to the initial infection had become low, and of turkeys when antibodies were no longer detectable, gave rise to an anamnestic response with titres which were higher than before.

Antiserum to M. gallisepticum prepared in chickens is comparable with that prepared in rabbits except for low titres by the MI test.
Further studies on the development of a live oral cholera vaccine
Authors: Bhattacharya P. , Mukerjee S.
Published: May 2009

The possibility of developing a living oral cholera vaccine with naturally avirulent El Tor cultures isolated in a Middle East country or from water sources in Calcutta in the absence of cholera El Tor in these areas has been further studied.

In an extended series of experiments the markedly low pathogenicity of the proposed vaccine strains in laboratory animals has been confirmed. The vaccine strains have been shown to get established and multiply regularly in the ligated intestinal loops of adult rabbits and in the intestine of infant rabbits without producing pathogenic reactions.

The apathogenic character of the vaccine strains has been found to be stable. When propagated serially in these two laboratory models of experimental cholera the vaccine strains show no enhancement of pathogenicity.

Intra-intestinal administration of the live vaccine has been shown to protect adult rabbits fully in the intestinal loop test. Immunized animals were also protected against challenge with V. cholerae strains, though to a somewhat lesser extent. Protective immunity could not, however, be demonstrated in infant rabbits probably because of the immunity-forming mechanism being still rudimentary.

Immunization with live vaccine was found to inhibit the growth of homologous strains in the ligated intestinal loop of the adult rabbit. The growth rate of pathogenic V. eltor and V. cholerae strains was also seen to be markedly reduced throughout the 24 hr. period of observation, but more markedly during the first 4–8 hr. However, the total count of pathogenic V. eltor and V. cholerae strains at 24 hr. after inoculation in ligated ileal loops of immunized rabbits reached levels that invariably caused inflammation and accumulation of fluid in normal rabbits' loops. The absence of gut-inflammatory reaction in immunized rabbits under these conditions has been discussed in relation to the nature of the immunity produced by administration of live vaccine.
Growth of rubella virus in human embryonic organ cultures
Authors: Best Jennifer M. , Banatvala J. E. , Moore Barbara M.
Published: May 2009

Two strains of rubella virus multiplied in organ cultures of human embryonic trachea, nasal epithelium, pharynx, larynx, skin and brain derived from foetuses aged 15–28 weeks. Growth curve experiments conducted on cultures of nasal epithelium and trachea showed that virus appeared in the culture fluid 72 hr. after inoculation and thereafter rose to titres varying from 10 to 103·7TCD50/ml. These titres persisted for periods up to 34 days after inoculation. Intracelmlar and organ culture fluid virus titres were shown to be similar in specimens tested in both the early and late stages of the growth curve. No degenerative changes or loss of ciliary activity was observed in these cultures.

We are grateful to Dr H. E. M. Kay and his staff (Royal Marsden Hospital), for the supply of human embryos; Dr D. A. J. Tyrrell (M.R.C. Common Cold Research Unit, Salisbury) for his encouragement, and Miss G. E. Fairbairn (St Thomas’s Hospital) for the histological preparations.

This research was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council.
Selection ofStaphylococcus aureusin cultures from air samples
Authors: Harding Lynn , Williams R. E. O.
Published: May 2009

A tryptone-yeast extract medium enriched with glucose and serum incubated anaerobically at 41° C. was found to give a good yield ofStaphylococcus aureusfrom air samples while suppressing the growth of 70–80% of the other airborne bacteria.

Our thanks are due to Miss S. M. Taber and Miss Patricia Wall, the Sisters in the wards where the air samples were collected, for their help. The investigation was financed from the Ministry of Health grant to St Mary's Hospital for the support of clinical research.
Epidemiological studies on Salmonella senftenberg: I. Relations between animal foodstuff, animal and human isolations
Authors: Hobbs Betty C. , Jones-Hugh M. E.
Published: May 2009

It was possible to demonstrate from retrospective records that a link existed between contaminated animal feedstuffs, turkeys and an outbreak of Salmonella senftenberg infection at Ryhope Hospital. Possibly infected or contaminated turkeys were supplied to the hospital from two turkey farms in one of which the birds were fed on contaminated white fish meal and the other had had infected birds.

This work was carried out months after the events described and would not have been possible without the help and co-operation of the Public Health Laboratory Service, The Veterinary Field, Investigation and Research Services, Houghton Poultry Research Station, The Medical Officer of Health for Brighton, Dr Rosetta Parker, and the various feed companies involved, who very kindly made their records available to us.
The occurrence ofCoxiella burnetiiin North-Western England and North Wales
Authors:   Public Health Laboratory Service
Published: May 2009

A retrospective survey ofCoxiella burnetiiinfection in North-Western England and North Wales was made in five Public Health Laboratories for the years 1962–6 inclusive. Groups of the normal population and of persons occupationally exposed to infection were tested for the presence of antibody and the incidence of infected milk was investigated in seven counties.

Forty-one cases ofC. burnetiiinfection were diagnosed in 7046 patients investigated serologically for the presence of viral and rickettsial antibodies. In just over a quarter of the patients there was evidence of occupational hazard or a history of drinking raw milk. The remainder gave no relevant history.

We would like to express our thanks to Dr C. M. Patricia Bradstreet of the Standards Laboratory, Colindale, for the supply of antigen, and to the numerous clinicians who allowed us access to their case records.
An outbreak of ‘winter vomiting disease’ in a university hail of residence
Authors: Cumming John D. , McEvedy Colin P.
Published: May 2009

1. An outbreak of ‘Winter Vomiting Disease’ is described involving women at a University Hall of Residence. Of the 165 women exposed, 74 vomited in the first 24 hr., and 17 more over the next 4 days.

2. Public health investigations were negative.

3. On the hypothesis that the vomiting was at least partly hysterical it was predicted that the affected would have higher N scores than the unaffected on the Eysenck Personality Inventory; that they would have a higher frequency of past attendance at the University Health Centre; and that they would be non-randomly distributed through the Hall and its annexes. All these predictions proved to be incorrect.

4. There is some slight but consistent evidence to suggest that there is a neurotic component in the small group of 28 who felt nauseated but did not vomit.

5. The histogram of time of vomiting has two peaks. It is shown that 71 out of the first 74 cases can be accounted for on the hypothesis of contamination of the food at both lunch and dinner on the first day of the outbreak, with the mean response coming 7 hr. after eating.

6. It is suggested that these results make a food-borne agent a more likely explanation of ‘Winter Vomiting Disease’ than the currently favoured airborne virus acting via the central nervous system.

The costs involved in the psychiatric side of this investigation were defrayed by a grant from the Clinical Research Committee of the Middlesex Hospital. We would like to thank the Chairman and members of the Committee for making these funds available and for their interest and confidence. We would also like to thank Dr A. W. Beard, Consultant Physician at the Middlesex Hospital for his advice and support.
Haemolytic activity of the alpha and theta toxins ofClostridium welchii
Authors: Schulze Judith A. , Nakamura M.
Published: May 2009

The lecithinase and haemolytic activity of thirty strains ofCl. welchiiisolated from food, faeces, and soil, was studied. The strains from foods produced smaller amounts of lecithinase and were, in general, less haemolytic than the strains isolated from soil and faeces.

The haemolytic activity ofCl. welchiion erythrocytes from different animal species displayed considerable variation. Sheep erythrocytes were the most sensitive to the action of alpha toxin, whereas rabbit blood was most sensitive to haemolysis by theta toxin. The degree of haemolysis was also dependent upon the concentration of the enzyme, and temperature and length of incubation.

The haemolytic activity of commercial lecithinase was observed to be similar to the haemolytic activity of the alpha toxin ofCl. welchii. This finding provides further evidence that the haemolytic and lecithinase activities ofCl. welchiiare due to one substance, the alpha toxin. Exposure of commercial lecithinase to heat resulted in the destruction of its haemolytic properties.
Salmonellas, shigellas and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in uncooked food
Authors: Velaudapillai T. , Niles G. R. , Nagaratnam W.
Published: May 2009

Centrifuged deposits of washings of vegetables and fruits were plated on S.S. deoxycholate citrate and MacConkey agar for evidence of contamination.

Vegetables like beans, carrots, cabbage, celery, elabattu, leeks, kankum, pumpkin and spinach were found to be contaminated with Salmonella, Shigella and enteropathogenic E. coli. The extent of contamination of the vegetables which grew to a height of about 1 ft. above the ground was greater than that of the taller varieties. The rate of contamination among fruits was almost negligible.

The contamination might have originated from the water used for irrigation, from manure, or from the handlers of the vegetables.
Terminal bronchopneumonia. A bacteriological and histological study of 111 necropsies
Authors: Tanner Elizabeth I. , Gray J. D. , Rebello P. V. N. , Gamble D. R.
Published: May 2009

One hundred and eleven consecutive deaths in seven mental hospitals during the months of February to October 1967 were investigated histologically and bacteriologically.

Bacteria were present in the lung tissue significantly more frequently when inflammation was present than when it was absent and the differences were significant for both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; E. coli was isolated from 22(34%) of the 65 patients with inflamed lungs compared with two (4%) of 46 control patients and the corresponding figures for Staph. aureus were 20(31%) of 65 patients compared with seven (15%) of 46 control patients.

Some strains of E. coli were serotyped using antisera against 0 antigens 1, 4, 6, 18ab, 18ac, 25, 50, 65, 69 and 75 and the strains most commonly found in the inflamed lungs, spleens and other inflammatory lesions of 25 patients were 06, 018 and 075. These strains were isolated more frequently from these sites than from the faeces of a group of 19 patients with no such lesions.

In this series E. coli was the commonest organism to be associated with terminal bronchopneumonia and the possible reasons for this are discussed.
Antigenic analysis of vibrio culture filtrate and vaccine El Tor vibrio
Authors: Sanyal S. C. , Narayanaswami A. , Mukerjee S.
Published: May 2009

The antigens present in the preparation of cholera toxin consisting of the culture filtrate of 569 B strain ofV. choleraehave been analysed by gel-diffusion, intra-gel absorption, and immuno-electrophoresis. The antiserum raised against the toxin was tested using the following antigens: whole cell lysates ofV. cholerae569 B and an El Tor (water) strain W 6 (proposed as a vaccine strain), suspensions of the same strains of vibrios with and without heat-denaturation, suspension of an El Tor (case) strain (GS-9) and a preparation of vibrio polysaocharide. The antitoxic serum gave four precipitin bands against the toxin preparation and nine bands against the whole cell lysate ofV. cholerae. Two bands could be identified as being due to the heat-labile specific antigens present in the cholera toxin. These two bands were abolished on absorption of the antitoxic serum with a live suspension of W 6 but not on absorption with heat-denatured W 6. It has, therefore, been concluded that the proposed vaccine strain W 6 contains the specific antigens of cholera toxin. The significance of these results has been discussed in relation to the residual virulence of the proposed vaccine strain and antitoxic immunity produced in the intestinal tract of the adult rabbit following exposure to the vaccine strain.

We gratefully acknowledge the gift of purified vibrio polysaccharide from Dr C. V. N. Rao of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Calcutta-32. The technical assistance of Mr B. Sanyamat and Mr I. Guhathakurta is also thankfully acknowledged.
The preservation of bacteriophage H1 ofCorynebacterium ulceransU 103 by freeze-drying
Authors: Davies J. D. , Kelly M. J.
Published: May 2009

This paper describes an investigation into the successful preservation at room temperature of the bacteriophage H1 ofCorynebacterium ulceransU 103 which was extremely labile when in suspension at 4° C.

Cooling at a rate of 1° C./min. showed that the survival decreased logarithmically at temperatures between – 14 and – 45° C. Survival of broth suspensions of the corynebacteriophage were found to increase proportionally with an increase in the rate of cooling though there was a marked drop in survival at rates of approximately 900° C./min. The addition of peptone solutions was found to increase the survival over the range studied, whereas the addition of sucrose solutions had only a slight effect.

By avoiding freezing damage by cooling at rates of 450° C./min. in (a) 20% peptone solution, (b) 20% peptone and 10% sucrose, and (c) 20% peptone, 10% sucrose and 2% sodium glutamate, a study was made of the drying stage of the freeze-drying process. On drying at controlled temperatures it was found that there was no damage on rewarming to temperatures below – 21° C. after cooling to – 196° C., but that the survival immediately after drying in the absence of glutamate, showed a logarithmic relationship with the temperature of drying, lower temperatures giving better survival.

On storage for a period of 3 months at room temperaturein vacuoand darkness, there was no appreciable loss in survival in the mixtures though suspensions in peptone alone showed a slight decrease. At higher temperatures this decrease in survival could be differentiated into two types of damage, each of which could be influenced by the presence of sucrose or glutamate.

We are grateful to Professor H. R. Carne for providing the initial sample of bacteriophage H 1 ofCorynebacterium ulceransU 103, and to Professor R. I. N. Greaves for his interest and encouragement during the course of this investigation.
Antibody response in non-haemorrhagic smallpox patients
Authors: Downie A. W. , Vincent L. St , Goldstein L. , Rao A. R. , Kempe C. H.
Published: May 2009

Two hundred and sixteen sera from 151 patients suffering from smallpox (non-haemorrhagic) were examined for antibody by precipitation in agar gel, by haemagglutinin inhibition (HI), complement fixation (CF) and neutralization tests. Most of the patients were adults and the majority had been vaccinated earlier in life. HI and neutralizing antibodies showed rising titres from the 6th day of illness while the majority showed precipitins and CF antibodies from the 8th day. The results of the precipitation-in-agar-gel tests are in marked contrast to the findings in healthy vaccinated and revaccinated individuals, none of whose sera gave a positive result for antibody by this technique. In unvaccinated patients the antibody response was frequently delayed and the titres lower than those attained by the previously vaccinated patients. There was no exact correlation in antibody titres obtained by the four methods of measurement, HI antibody, in particular, reaching in some cases relatively high titres when other tests showed low titres. It is suggested that with the methods and materials used, a positive precipitation test in agar gel, a CF titre of 1/20 or more and an HI titre of 1/80 or higher in a single specimen of serum would be suggestive of recent smallpox infections. Such a result might be of special value in the retrospective diagnosis of missed cases and in the detection of minimal or subclinical infections.

This investigation was supported in part by Public Health Service Grant AI–1632–16 VR from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, by the World Health Organization and by the Marcus T. Reynolds III Fund.
Variability in the characteristics of pocks produced on the chick chorioallantois by white pock mutants of cowpox and other poxviruses
Authors: Baxby Derrick
Published: May 2009

White pock mutants of cowpox virus produce pocks in the CAM which ‘mimic’ those produced by the parent virus, in macroscopic and microscopic appearance, and in the amount of virus they contain. The proportion of such ‘atypical’ pocks was influenced by the age and source of embryo, incubation temperature and position of the CAM during incubation. Similar results were obtained with white pock mutants isolated from strains of vaccinia, rabbitpox and monkeypox. The appearance of pocks produced by variola, alastrim, ectromelia and vaccinia (Lister) was unaffected by changes in environmental conditions.

I would like to thank Professor K. McCarthy, Professor K. R. Dumbell, Dr C. H. Taylor-Robison and Dr C. R. Madeley for their interest and for kindly providing virus strains, and Miss M. Seyfang for technical assistance.

I would like to thank the Committee on Research, Liverpool University, for a grant towards the cost of the colour plate.
Recoveries of bacteria after drying and heating in glutamate foams
Authors: Annear D. I.
Published: May 2009

A method of drying bacteria is described, in which the bacterial suspension was made in 40% sodium glutamate, and 0·1 ml. volumes of this in 8 ml. ampoules were dried in vacua while being held in a water bath at 25°C. After 1 hr. with the pump still running, the ampoules were immersed in water at 100° C. The partly dried suspension expanded rapidly into a homogeneous white foam. After 30 min. the ampoules were taken off the manifold; small tubes containing dry P2O5 were inserted in the ampoules which were then sealed in air. Preliminary results with three organisms, Salmonella ndolo, Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens showed high survivals immediately after the ‘foaming’ period, and good stability after 1 or 2 days at 100°C.
Changes in the antibody status of a population following epidemic infection by influenza virus A2/Hong Kong/1/68
Authors: Machin S. J. , Potter C. W. , Oxford J. S.
Published: May 2009

The haemagglutinin of influenza virus A 2/Hong Kong/1/68 was shown to be markedly different from that of previously isolated A 2 virus strains. No haemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibody to A 2/Hong Kong/1/68 virus was detected in serum specimens collected in 1966 from persons aged 60 years or less. In contrast, HI antibody tests with 270 sera collected in 1968 indicated that 9·6% had demonstrable HI antibody at low titres, and 35·2% of 454 postepidemic (1969) sera had demonstrable HI antibody at relatively high titres. Most sera from persons aged 80 years and more collected in 1968 and 1969 had demonstrable HI anti-body to influenza virus A 2/Hong Kong/1/68. No HI antibody to the Hong Kong virus was detected in pre-epidemic sera from children aged 6 months to 3 years, whereas 32 % of postepidemic sera had HI antibody. The acquisition of HI antibody to A 2/Hong Kong/1/68 was not accompanied by an increase hi the incidence or titres of HI antibody to heterotypic A 2 influenza viruses. For sera from children aged 4–11 years, an increase of HI titre to heterotypic A 2 influenza was found.
Determination of an optimal dilution of virulent feline infectious enteritis (panleucopaenia) virus for challenge purposes
Authors: O'Reilly K. J.
Published: May 2009

When ten cats were infected orally with undiluted or a 10−1 dilution of virulent feline infectious enteritis (panleucopaenia) virus, all developed severe leucopaenia followed by the development of demonstrable antibody, but none died. Eighteen of 29 cats given a 10−2 dilution of virus died of the disease. Three of the survivors had white blood cell counts of less than 4000 and three had counts between 4000 and 6000 cells. Although the remaining five animals never had individual counts of less than 6000 cells, the geometric means of these counts showed that a marked depression in the leucocyte counts had occurred. All surviving cats developed antibody.

Among the ten cats dosed with either 10−3 or 10−4 dilution of virus, four died of feline infectious enteritis and three developed antibody after falls in the leucocyte counts. It is suspected that low dilutions of feline infectious enteritis virulent virus in cats produce a phenomenon similar to that reported by von Magnus (1954) with influenza virus in eggs.

Leucopaenia is commonly defined as less than 4000 white blood cells/mm.3 of blood. Counts lower than this are usual in cats which either die of the disease or have received large doses of virus; they are less common in cats surviving after administration of diluted virus. Challenge of cats with pre-existing antibody did not provoke a depression in the leucocyte counts.
Respiratory syncytial virus neutralizing activity in nasopharyngeal secretions
Authors: Scott R. , Gardner P. S.
Published: May 2009

Nasopharyngeal secretions were taken during the acute phase of illness from 30 children admitted to hospital with lower respiratory tract infections. The presence of neutralizing activity in secretions taken at the onset of illness was demonstrated in 11 out of 15 patients (73%) with bronchiolitis caused by R.S. virus, as compared with 4 out of 9 patients (44%) with R.S. virus infections other than bronchiolitis, and 1 out of 6 without R.S. virus infection. Second secretions were taken 7 days later from 10 of the children with R.S. virus infection. Eight of these paired secretions showed an increase of neutralizing activity against R.S. virus. It is suggested that the neutralizing activity, found in secretions taken at the onset of illness, may be a result of previous infection with R.S. virus.
Tuberculous morbidity in Swiss albino mice immunized with BCG
Authors: Costello Richard , Slats Sara C.
Published: May 2009

Study was made of the effect of BCG vaccination on the establishment of experimental tuberculous infection in mice. To this end, mice were infected with small quantities of virulent human bacilli administered by the respiratory route. The quantity of bacilli present for inhalation was so controlled as to permit only a finite percentage of unvaccinated animals to become infected. The relative proportion of mice infected by inhaling these small numbers of virulent bacilli was not found to be lowered by prior BCG vaccination. Thus, pulmonary tissue of immunized mice was not able to prevent the initial lodgement of virulent tubercle bacilli. The growth of virulent organisms in infected lungs, however, was significantly retarded by prior vaccination.
The effect of a changed environment on bacterial colonization rates in an established burns centre
Authors: Wormald P. J.
Published: May 2009

In an established burns centre which moved from an old building to new purpose-designed premises, colonization rates of patients' burns with Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram-negative bacilli were not reduced. Colonization rates with Streptococcus pyogenes increased but the increase was mainly due to multiple importations in the new premises of a strain of higher communicability than any seen in the old.

In the first 32 months in the new environment 10 patients were found colonized with pseudomonas on admission and 20 became colonized in the unit. A much higher proportion of patients with burns of more than 30% body surface became colonized than of patients with less. About one-third of the above 20 patients became colonized with strains already isolated from another patient; all but one of them had small area burns. Cross-infection was not observed from numerous heavily colonized patients with high percentage burns. This paradox is discussed in detail. Basin outflows in the new premises became colonized with P. aeruginosa of two serotypes not found on patients in this unit.
Viruses associated with acute respiratory infections in Royal Air Force personnel
Authors: Higgins P. G. , Ellis Eileen M. , Woolley D. A. , Cassidy P. F.
Published: May 2009

All respiratory illnesses which were reported to the medical officers between September 1966 and December 1967 on a Royal Air Force station of 350 men were studied virologically.

Three periods of increased respiratory infections were observed: two occurred in the autumn, one in each year, and the third in the winter during January and February. The autumnal outbreaks were associated mainly with rhinovirus infections, and high isolation rates (82·1, 65·9%) were achieved at these times. Few of the illnesses during the winter outbreak could be diagnosed in the laboratory, and no evidence was found of infection with ‘coronaviruses’.

Despite the entrance of 30 fresh recruits direct from civilian life every 5 weeks, the respiratory infections encountered on the station were very similar to those in the local population and were not predominantly infections with adenoviruses, Coevirus, andMycoplasma pneumoniae, as previously reported from larger military recruit centres.
Characterization of the antibodies detected by the microscopic agglutination test for bovine leptospirosis
Authors: Morris J. A. , Hussaini S. N.
Published: May 2009

The nature of the antibodies detectable by the microscopic agglutination test for bovine leptospirosis was examined. Density gradient ultracentrifugation, gel filtration and disulphide-bond-reduction experiments indicated that antileptospiral agglutinating activity was present in both IgM and IgG immunoglobulin fractions. This was confirmed by selective precipitation of specific antibody classes and ion-exchange chromatography.
Guinea-pigs as Chronic Carriers of an Organism Belonging to the Food-poisoning Group
Authors: O'Brien R. A.
Published: May 2009

A stock of 500 guinea-pigs at the Lister Institute was attacked by an epizootic and only 21 survived. These survivors showed definite immunity to a bacillus of the food-poisoning group (indistinguishable from B. aertryck and the B. suipestifer) recovered frequently from animals dying during the epizootic. Five of them have been proved to be carriers excreting the bacillus intermittently five month's later and the serum of all of them agglutinates the bacillus. Spread of infection apparently did not occur amongst contacts placed with these carriers in the few experiments carried out.
XXXVIII. First Report on Investigations into Plague Vaccines
Authors: Rowland Sydney
Published: May 2009

The primary source from which all vaccines are derived is a culture of the organism against infection by which it is desired to protect the animal. The culture may be used as a vaccine either alive or dead.- We are concerned here only with the latter. Such a killed culture comprises the organism itself and the products of its metabolism, together with part or the whole of the culture medium in which it has grown. This mixture may be called a whole vaccine. By appropriate treatment a “whole vaccine,” may be deprived of some or all of such constituents as are not concerned in bringing about, when inoculated into animals, those changes which constitute protection. Such a vaccine may be called a derived vaccine in the case when all the immaterial constituents are not removed, the term antigen being reserved to designate that substance which alone is concerned in conferring protection. The main object of this investigation is the preparation of a derived vaccine with the hope that the antigen may ultimately be isolated.
The Action of Rubber on Mercurial Antiseptic Solutions
Authors: Glenny A. T. , Walpole G. S.
Published: May 2009

Unexpected contamination of several jars of a culture-medium was traced to some red rubber stoppers which had been washed and boiled and then kept for some days in 1:1000 potassium mercuric iodide solution, which was exposed to aerial contamination. An examination of this solution showed that it had very greatly diminished antiseptic properties. Not only did a mixture of equal volumes of the solution and broth support the growth of Staphylococcus but living organisms were actually present in it. These observations were repeated with a second solution of pure mercuric iodide and potassium iodide and other samples of red rubber, and their confirmation led to the investigation of the action of several kinds of rubber upon potassium mercuric iodide solutions.
Plague among Ground Squirrels in America
Authors: McCoy George W.
Published: May 2009

The United States has been fortunate in never having had any extensive epidemics of plague. With the exception of a few cases, not over a dozen, that are directly chargeable to the infection of the indigenous rodents (ground squirrels), the disease has been confined to the two largest and most important cities on the Pacific Coast, San Francisco and Seattle. In each city the disease has yielded promptly to vigorous sanitary measures carried out by the public health arm of the Federal Government. Under the political organization of the Government, direct control of measures for the suppression of a disease is taken by the central sanitary authority only when a request is made by the local authorities, but it has been the experience that local authorities are prompt to make requests for assistance whenever any serious epidemic appears.