bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The laboratory surveillance of influenza epidemics in the United Kingdom 1968–1976
Authors: Pereira Marguerite S. , Chakraverty Pratima 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe extensive laboratory investigations of respiratory disease in the U.K. over many years have demonstrated the frequency with which influenza viruses, both A and B, are found each winter. Only rarely are none isolated.These findings correlate well with other indicators of influenza such as increases in sickness benefit claims and in deaths attributed to influenza and pneumonia.However, outside these demonstrable peaks of incidence influenza viruses have been found to circulate over considerably longer periods often first appearing as early as November and continuing through to April or even May. But there has been no regular or predictablepattern determined.The period of 1968–76 has seen a series of differently developing influenza winter epidemics caused by a series of the H3N2 virus. The contributions of virus isolation and serology to influenza surveillance is discussed.
Failure of hand disinfection with frequent hand washing: a need for prolonged field studies
Authors: Ojajärvi Juhani , Mäkelä Paavo , Rantasalo Ilari 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYIn a prolonged field trial a 4% chlorhexidine digluconate detergent scrub (HibiscrubR), that had earlier proved to be an effective hand disinfectant, was studied in hospital wards. Finger tips were found to harbour more bacteria than the hand dorsum and the samples collected from them yielded more information on the bacteriological and dermatological effects of hand disinfectants in practice.In wards with a relatively low hand-washing frequency (less than 20 times in 8 hours) the bacteriological results resembled those obtained by in-use tests with volunteers. In the neonatal unit where the hand washing frequency was remarkably high, even occasionally over 100 times/8 h shift, an increase in the bacterial colony counts of the majority of the staff was recorded both before and after hand washing already after using the preparation for 1 week. Age, occupation and hand-washing frequency all correlated with the bacteriological results. Twenty-seven out of 37 persons complained of side effects such as wounds of finger tips and redness or heavy drying of the skin. Wounds, particularly on finger tips, resulted in the failure of disinfection. An increase in bacterial counts was sometimes noted without any dermatological or subjective changes. Drying of the skin was complained of less often when no increase in skin bacteria occurred.After the changeover of washing practice to a detergent followed by a rinse with spirit solution containing chlorhexidine and glycerol a decrease was recorded in the bacterial counts. It is concluded that more attention should be paid to long-term testing of hand washing and disinfection methods to ensure optimum final results in practice. It is obvious that the knowledge obtained from short time in-use testing cannot be applied to all conditions of use.
Air exchange through doorways. The effect of temperature difference, turbulence and ventilation flow
Authors: Lidwell O. M. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYAnalytical expressions have been derived for the exchange of air across doorways or similar apertures, in terms of the temperature difference between the spaces on both sides of the opening and the net volume of air flowing through this as a result of unbalanced air supply or extract. A simple allowance for turbulence which gives reasonable correspondence with observation is included. The formulae, which assume complete air mixing on both sides of the doorway up to the plane of the aperture, predict outflows from the warmer side, when there is an excess air supply to this side, which are progressively smaller than those observed as the temperature difference rises above 2–3 °C and the volume of excess air supply increases to produce an averaged outflow velocity greater than 0·1–0·15m/s. This seems to be due to lack of mixing of the warm outflowing air with the cooler air mass. A correction factor for this can be deduced as a function of the pressure difference due to the excess air supply. The limiting magnitude and general form of this function are compatible with a simple theoretical model of the air flow patterns involved.
Myxomatosis on the Western Plains of Victoria
Authors: Tighe F. G. , Edmonds J. W. , Nolan I. F. , Shepherd Rosamond C. H. , Gocs A. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYMyxomatosis on the Western Plains is an enzootic disease in contrast with the epizootic pattern which is general in eastern Australia. The most unusual aspects are the presence of significant numbers of diseased rabbits throughout the winter and the continuously low percentage of rabbits with antibodies to myxoma virus.Climatic and topographic conditions are unsuited to the production of the high densities of mosquitoes necessary for widespread epizootics. Under these conditions the effects of less efficient methods of myxomatosis transmission are apparent. The unusual epidemiology of myxomatosis has resulted in selection for virulence of the virus similar to that which has occurred under summer epizootic conditions. All field strains are now in the mid range of virulence.
Serological studies ofBacteroides fragilis
Authors: Elhag K. M. , Bettelheim K. A. , Tabaqchali Soad 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYUsing direct agglutination methods, a simple serological scheme for the classification ofBacteroides fragilisis described. Twenty strains ofB. fragiliswere selected by a process of successive screening from 151 strains obtained from various sources. O-antigens were prepared from the 20 strains, and used to raise antisera in rabbits.Each of the 20 antisera reacted with its homologous antigen and eight antisera cross-reacted with other subspecies. These cross-reactions were successfully removed after absorption of the antisera with the cross-reacting antigens, resulting in 19 type-specific antisera, titres ranging from 40 to 320, and 19 distinct serotypes ofB. fragilis. There was no correlation between the antigenic and the biochemical characteristics of these strains and no cross-reactions occurred with other gram-negative anaerobes,B. melaninogenicus, Sphaerophorus necrophorusandFuso-bacterium necrogenes.
Corynebacterium haemolyticum infections in Cambridgeshire
Authors: Fell H. W. K. , Nagington J. , Naylor G. R. E. , Olds R. J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYIn the Cambridge area, 143 patients infected with Corynebacterium haemolyticum were found during the period May 1967 to December 1974. The pharynx was the commonest site of infection and 100 of the 137 pharyngeal infections were in patients aged between 15 and 25 years. Such patients usually had a sore throat; about half of them also had a maculopapular rash. The organism and the clinical features which we have come to regard as typical of this infection are briefly described.
The in vitro drug resistance of Salmonella dublin isolated from cattle
Authors: Hinton M. , Williams B. M. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe resistance of Salmonella dublin to eight antibacterial drugs was assessed wider diagnostic laboratory conditions. Two techniques were used consecutively and the differences in the results are described. Strains of S. dublin isolated from either calves, adult cattle or abortion material showed no differences in resistance for either of the techniques, though differences between the two techniques were found.
Microbiological evaluation of South Australian rock lobster meat
Authors: Yap A. S. J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYSamples of frozen precooked rock lobster meat from five South Australian fish-processing plants situated in the West Coast and south-east regions were tested over a period of six months during the 1974/5 lobster fishing season. The most probable number (MPN) ofE. coliand coliforms,Staphylococcus aureusandSalmonella, as well as total plate count (TPC) were determined in 480 samples. Monthly geometric mean TPC ranged from 1600/g to 25,000/g. The highest geometric mean of the MPN of coliforms andE. coliwere 4·9/g and 1·8/g respectively. The highest geometric mean number of staphylococci was 18·6/g.Salmonellawas not detected in the 480 units tested. Only 0·4% of the samples had TPC exceeding 100,000/g. Coliforms andE. coliwere not present in 76·1% and 92·7% respectively of the samples tested.Staphylococcus aureuswas not detected in 67·7% of the samples. The numbers of organisms in 82% of the samples fall within the microbiological standards proposed by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia for frozen precooked foods. The results of this study demonstrate the microbial quality of precooked lobster meat attainable when good manufacturing practices are used.
The potential for contamination of intravenous infusions by airborne skin scales
Authors: Holmes C. J. , Allwood M. C. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYSkin scales may be attracted onto the surface of administration set connector needles before insertion into infusion containers. Viable microorganisms associated with skin scales may therefore gain access to the infusion by this route. A technique is described for creating an environment of airborne skin scales. This environment is used to examine the attraction of skin scales onto the surface of administration set connector needles and three other materials. After exposure, skin scales are found adhering to the surface of each material examined. The attraction of skin scales onto administration set connector needles is dependent on the time of exposure to the environment. Results suggest that intravenous infusions can be contaminated by this route when the infusion and administration set is assembled.
Dose-response relationships in a microneutralization test for foot-and-mouth disease viruses
Authors: Booth J. C. , Rweyemamu M. M. , Pay T. W. F. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYTwo-dimensional quantal microneutralization tests on foot-and-mouth disease viruses, in which neutralizing antibody activity was titrated against a serial range of virus doses, demonstrated a variety of dose-response curves some of which were rectilinear, others clearly curvilinear. Moreover, in the case of the non-linear responses obtained with some antisera, the shape of the curve was such that antibody titres recorded with doses of virus ranging from 103–105TCD 50 were closely similar. Studies were carried out on the effect of varying the conditions of the test on the shape of the dose-response curve: significant differences were obtained after treatment of the antiserum–virus mixtures with anti-species globulin, and when the test was assayed in cells of differing susceptibility to infection.
Bacterial contamination in a modern operating suite, 2. Effect of a zoning system on contamination of floors and other surfaces
Authors: Hambraeus A. , Bengtsson S. , Laurell G. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYIn this investigation the bacterial contamination of surfaces such as walls and floors in a modern operating suite, together with surfaces of lamps in the operating theatres, and the clogs worn by staff, was studied. Counts of colony-forming units were made on impression plates containing blood-agar with Tween 80 for total bacterial counts, Baird Parker medium with egg yolk and tellurite for Staphylococcus aureus and trypticase peptone agar with neomycin and polymyxin for Clostridium spp.The areas examined were divided into the patients' route to the operating theatre, the staff's route, and the central area containing the operating rooms, anaesthetic rooms, and exit and scrub-up areas. In the patients' route counts of total organisms ranged from about 10 000 to 30 000/m2 for Staph. aureus the range was from 70 to 540/m2. In the staff's route the highest count was about 70000/m2 in the dressing area, and the numbers of Staph. aureus were about the same as along the patients' route. In the inner zone the counts were somewhat lower for both total organisms and Staph. aureus. Total counts on the floor from all areas of the inner zone were significantly higher just before the second operation than before the first operation on the same day. The total and Staph. aureus counts on walls, floors and lamps were the same after clean operations as after operations classified as ‘contaminated’ or ‘dirty’.
Genetics of warfarin-resistance in house mice of three separate localities
Authors: MacSwiney Felicity J. , Wallace Margaret E. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYMice from Loughborough and Nottingham were obtained in order to compare the inheritance of warfarin resistance in these populations with that established for a Cambridge population (Wallace & MacSwiney, 1976). Using the same breeding programme and warfarin testing technique, it is established that resistance in the new areas is, as in the Cambridge area, controlled by the major resistance gene, War, in chromosome 7, with penetrance affected by sex and modifiers. In addition, survival differences in males of different ages strongly suggests that War + has less penetrance with age. Penetrance differences between the experiments establishes that wild populations differ in their modifier complex and that more than one modifier, probably several, exist. Questions are posed as to the adaptive significance of the phenomena, and the way in which they work, in the patchwork of warfarin baited and unbaited areas in this country.
Observations of the effects of formaldehyde on cockroaches and their flora: III. The effect of formaldehyde in eliminating the normal gut flora
Authors: Bartzokas C. A. , McCarthy K. , Baker B. F. , Graham R. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe normal flora of cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) was determined over a period of 24 days prior to substituting water with 1% Formalin for drinking water. During the first 4 days of treatment the normal flora was significantly reduced and by the fifth day, when the cockroaches became diarrhoeic, no bacteria, fungi, or viruses could be detected by the methods used.
Poliomyelitis surveillance in England and Wales, 1969–1975
Authors: Smith J. W. G. , Wherry P. J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYPoliomyelitis continued to be a rare disease in England and Wales in the period 1969–75. Only 31 paralytic and 44 cases of possible non-paralytic poliomyelitis were recorded during the 7 years.Of the 31 paralytic cases approximately one third were vaccine-associated; 3 were patients who had recently received oral poliovaccine and 7 had been in contact with a vaccinated person. Five of these 7 patients were parents of recently vaccinated children. The rate of vaccine-associated poliomyelitis was estimated in recipients to be 0·2 and in contacts 0·4 per million doses of vaccine given.Marker test results were reported on 555 strains of poliomyelitis virus isolated during 1969–75, using the reproductive capacity temperature test. Forty-eight (8·6%) resembled wild virus in this property, 15 strains being type 1, 8 type 2 and 25 type 3. Most of these isolations of apparently wild virus were from excreters with no symptoms of poliomyelitis, although 3 of the 15 type 1 strains were from patients with paralytic poliomyelitis and 3 from possible cases of non-paralytic poliomyelitis. None of the 8 apparently wild type 2 viruses was from a case of paralytic illness and only 1 of the 39 type 3 strains.Eleven of the 31 paralytic cases were in patients in whom the infection was likely to have been acquired abroad.
Genetic factors in leprosy: a study of children in Uganda
Authors: White Susan J. , Stone M. Mary , Howland C. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYA group of 20 990 children in Uganda was examined for leprosy over a period of 8 years. There was no evidence that the incidence of leprosy varied according to a child's genetic relationship to a leprosy patient, once allowance had been made for the grade of physical contact.
The effect of antimicrobial feed additives on the colonization of the alimentary tract of chickens by Salmonella typhimurium
Authors: Smith H. Williams , Tucker J. F. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYGroups of 33 chickens were fed continuously on diets containing feed additives that are employed commercially for a variety of purposes, and were infected orally when 4 days old with a nalidixic acid-resistant mutant of Salmonella typhimurium. The amount of S. typhimurium organisms excreted in their faeces was estimated by culturing them at intervals and in a standard manner on brilliant green agar containing sodium nalidixate; when the chickens were killed their caecal contents were examined by the same technique.Avoparcin and lincomycin, like nitrovin and tylosin (Smith & Tucker, 1975b), favoured colonization of the alimentary tract by the S. typhimurium organisms as shown by the fact that the chickens to which they were fed excreted these organisms in their faeces in higher concentration and for longer periods of time than did chickens fed on non-medicated diets. Amprolium, monensin, dimetridazole, arsenilic acid and nitro-hydroxyphenylarsonate had no obvious effect on the salmonella excretion pattern.When only five chickens in each group were experimentally infected so that the effect of the feed additives on infections acquired by contact could be monitored, avoparcin, lincomycin, nitrovin and tylosin again favoured colonization of the alimentary tract with the S. typhimurium organisms and so did dimetridazole. Arsenilic acid, in contrast, hindered the development of infection. Amprolium, monensin and nitro-hydroxyphenylarsonate were without obvious effect.Many of the chickens that were fed on diets that favoured S. typhimurium colonization, but not those fed on non-medicated diets, were still excreting S. typhimurium organisms in their faeces when they were killed at 56 days of age, the age at which broiler chickens kept under commercial conditions are usually slaughtered.
Prevalence ofBacillus cereusin the faeces of healthy adults
Authors: Grosh A. C. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYIn a survey designed to determine the prevalence ofBacillus cereusin the faeces of healthy persons, the organism was found in low numbers in 100 (14%) of single faecal specimens from 711 adults in the general population. In addition, in an attempt at assessing the changes in theB. cereusdistribution within the faecal flora of the individual, weekly faecal specimens were submitted over a seven-week period by 18 members of staff of two laboratories. The total isolation rate was again 14%, with 15 serotypes represented. In four individualsB. cereuswas isolated in two consecutive weeks and in all cases the isolates were of different serotypes. Excretion was never recorded for more than two consecutive weeks. These findings probably reflect the intake ofB. cereusin the individual's diet.
Isolation and cultivation of bovine ephemeral fever virus in chickens and chicken embryos
Authors: Elamin M. A. Gaffar , Spradbrow P. B. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYUnadapted bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) virus was isolated from cattle blood after intravenous inoculation into chicken embryos. Infected embryos died or hatched as abnormal chickens. The chick embryo was slightly less sensitive to unadapted BEF virus than were Vero cell cultures, but the use of embryos avoids the several blind passages that are required to isolate BEF virus in unweaned mice. Chick embryos were considerably less efficient than Vero cell culture or unweaned mice in detecting Vero cell-adapted and mouse-adapted BEF virus respectively.Viraemia was demonstrated in chicken embryos at 1–4 days and in one-day-old chickens at 1–3 days after intravenous inoculation of BEF virus. BEF virus was demonstrated by isolation and by immunofluoresence in heart, brain, lung and liver of chicken embryos at 1–5 days and in lung and liver of one-day-old chickens at 1–2 days, after intravenous inoculation. The isolated viruses were confirmed as BEF virus by neutralization with immune mouse ascitic fluid. BEF neutralizing antibodies were produced in 4-week-old and adult chickens after intravenous inoculation with BEF virus.
The serology of experimental Salmonella dublin infections of cattle
Authors: Hall G. A. , Jones P. W. , Aitken Maureen M. , Parsons K. R. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYAgglutinating antibodies to somatic ‘O’ and flagellar ‘H’ antigens of S. dublin were measured in the serum of 43 pregnant heifers before intravenous or oral infection with S. dublin and in the serum of 21 uninfected control animals. The data from these animals were analysed statistically and a titre of 1/80, to both antigens, has been interpreted as of doubtful significance and a titre of 1/160 to both antigens, has been interpreted as significantly raised. Animals in which fetal infection occurred after challenge by either the intravenous or oral route developed significant increases in ‘H‘O’ titres indicating the value of measuring ‘H’ titres in the diagnosis of S. dublin abortion. In animals which were infected orally and in which infection appeared to be confined to the alimentary tract the ‘H’ titre did not become significantly raised. Lack of correlation between antibody titres and faecal excretion of S. dublin and persistence of infection in carcasses confirms that the serum agglutination test is of no value in detecting latent carriers.
Shedding of bacteria and skin squames after handwashing
Authors: Meers P. B. , Yeo Gillian A. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYParticles released into the air by wringing the hands together were collected in a slit sampler before and after washing with bar soap, with three surgical scrubs, and after rubbing them with a spirit-based lotion. The particles were identified, their number estimated, those that bore bacteria counted, and the bacteria themselves classified. It was found that there was a significant increase, averaging 17-fold, in the number of particles carrying viable bacteria released after washing with soap. The increase in bacterial dissemination was suppressed if a surgical scrub was used in place of soap, or when the lotion was used without washing. The number of skin squames released increased by 18-fold or more after washing with soap or a surgical scrub, but not after using the lotion. This suggests that a surgical scrub should be used more widely in clinical practice, and that a spirit-based hand lotion might with advantage become a partial substitute for handwashing, particularly in areas where handwashing is frequent and iatrogenic coagulasenegative staphylococcal infection common.
Antibiotic resistant staphylococci acquired during the first year of life
Authors: Burr M. L. , Howells C. H. L. , Rees P. W. J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYNasal swabs were taken from 492 babies born consecutively to residents of two South Wales towns soon after their discharge from maternity hospitals. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 352 babies (72%) and in 79 (22%) of these it was resistant to at least one antibiotic. By the time these babies were a year old the prevalence of both sensitive and resistant strains had fallen, so that only 12% still carried nasal staphylococci, but 64% of these organisms were then resistant to penicillin. Administration of penicillin to the baby seemed to be a more important factor in selecting resistant organisms than other antibiotics given to the baby, any antibiotic treatment to other members of the household, or discharge from hospital.