bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laboratory diagnosis ofMycoplasma pneumoniaeinfection: 1. Direct detection of antigen in respiratory exudates by enzyme immunoassay.
Authors: Kok T. W. , Varkanis G. , Marmion B. P. , Martin J. , Esterman A. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYDirect and indirect antigen capture enzyme immunoassays (Ag-EIA) have been developed for the detection ofMycoplasma pneumoniaein nasopharyngeal aspirates or sputum from respiratory infection. The sensitivity of the two Ag-EIA were similar, but the indirect method using polyclonal rabbit and guinea-pig antisera was more convenient. The Ag-EIA had a detection limit of 104–4·5colony-forming units/ml of sample. It was specific for M. pneumoniae and gave a low level response with M. genitalium. There were no cross-reactions with 10 other species of mycoplasmas. Tests with a wide range of bacteria and chlamydia group antigen, representing agents sometimes found in the respiratory tract, were also negative. At the current level of development, the Ag-EIA detected about 90% of specimens that were also positive for culture; 43% of specimens from culture-negative-seropositive patients gave a positive result. The overall pattern of results indicated that while antigen detection is a quick and effective substitute for the slow culture method, serological examination for specific IgM antibody is also necessary to give a complete diagnostic coverage.
Genetic relationships amongEscherichia coliisolates causing urinary tract infections in humans and animals
Authors: Whittam Thomas S. , Wolfe M. L. , Wilson R. A. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYGenetic variation in isolates ofEscherichia coliobtained mostly from urinary tract infections in humans and domesticated animals (dogs and cats) was assessed for 16 enzymes using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis to characterize chromosomal genotypes. A total of 148 isolates comprised 63 distinct electrophoretic types (ETs) and about half of the isolates belonged to one of 9 common ETs. A bootstrap analysis of genetic distance between ETs revealed three significant groups of strains. Variation in allele frequencies among groups accounted for 40% of the total genetic diversity. The majority of the common ETs fell into a major cluster of closely related strains. The recovery of multiple isolates of the same electrophoretic types and serotypes from unassociated hosts suggests that these bacteria represent uropathogenic clones that are widely disseminated in humans and animals
Serotyping studies of campylobacter from naturally colonized chickens
Authors: Sjören Eva , Kaijser Bertil 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYCampylobacter jejuni/colistrains from 164 chickens were serotyped by the methods previously described by Penneret al.and Lioret al.The chickens were sampled during breeding from hatching to the age of 42 weeks. The birds were housed, in two separate groups, under different environmental conditions, (for comparison of the effect of hygienic precautions on the transmission of the bacteria during breeding). In the group where the hygienic conditions could be controlled to a greater extent, the chickens became colonized later in the breeding chain and with only one single campylobacter strains.
Characterization of Palyam serogroup orbiviruses isolated in South Africa and serologic evidence for their widespread distribution in the country
Authors: Whistler T. , Swanepoel R. , Erasmus B. J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe finding that there had been multiple isolations of Palyam serogroup orbiviruses from aborted cattle fetuses in neighbouring Zimbabwe, suggested that there was a need to investigate the possible occurrence of the viruses in South Africa. Unidentified viruses isolated in South Africa, which had been in storage, were examined. Four viruses which had been isolated fromCulicoidesmidges collected at various sites in the years from 1969 to 1977, were identified as three strains of Gweru virus and one of the Nyabira virus (Palyam group serotypes originally described from Zimbabwe) A fifth virus, isolated in 1967 from the blood of a cow with mild fever, was found to be a distinct new member of the Vellore antigenic complex of the Palyam serogroup and was named Apies River virus. Sera from 476 cattle, 150 sheep, 24 goats and 78 humans from 10 farms were tested for neutralizing antibodies to the above three serotypes of virus plus Abadina and Marondera serotypes. Only 1 of 100 cattle sera from two farms in the southern coastal area had antibody, but elsewhere there was a high prevalence of antibody with 254 (53%) of all cattle exhibiting activity for one or more of the five serotypes of virus tested. Only 6 (4%) sheep, 3 (12–5%) goats and 11 (14%) humans had antibody.
HIV infection in England and Wales: a changing pattern
Authors: Taylor H. L. , Mortimer P. P. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYOf 32983 specimens from 307 sources in England and Wales tested in the Virus Reference Laboratory for anti-HIV between 1984 and 1987, 6491 (20%) were positive. Ninety-five per cent of the positive subjects were male and 44% of them were from three London genito-urinary medicine clinics. In 1987 the numbers of newly diagnosed HIV infections decreased in homosexual men and haemophiliacs and increased in injecting drug abusers; 148/119 (12%) of all the positive findings in 1987 were in females. Between 1984 and 1987 the proportion of anti-HIV positive individuals who were asymptomatic fell by nearly 10% and the proportion with AIDS/ARC rose by nearly 10%. Of the requests leading to positive results 1280 (20%) were recognized as duplicates of previous positive results, while for 34 % of the requests no clinical information was provided. These deficiencies in the data compromise HIV surveillance based on diagnostic testing, and supplementary bias-free data are needed.
Properties of Vero cytotoxin-producingEscherichia coliof human and animal origin belonging to serotypes other than O157: H7
Authors: Dorn C. R. , Scotland S. M. , Smith H. R. , Willshaw G. A. , Rowe B. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYEight non-O157: H7 Vero cytotoxin (VT)-produeingEscherichia coli(VTEC) strains isolated from ill persons and nine bovine and lamb strains of serogroups matching the human strains, were characterized for various properties known to be associated withE. colivirulence. Five different serogroups were represented: O5. O55, O103, O111 and O153. The bovine and lamb strains produced VT1, while 3 human strains produced VT1, 3 produced VT2 and 2 were positive for both VT1 and VT2. The strains were non-haemolytic on horse blood agar, did not produce either heat stable toxin A (STA) or heat labile toxin (LT), and were non-invasive. The CVD419 probe which has been proposed to identify enterohaemorrhagicE. coli(EHEC) hybridized with all of the 05 and 0103 strains, none of the 055 and 0153 strains, and 3 of the 4 0111 strains. The strains carried several different sized plasmids and hybridization of Southern blots with the CVD419 probe identified plasmids ranging in size from 42 × 10 to 90 × 10. The strains did not hybridize with the enteroadherence factor (EAF) probe derived from an enteropathogenic strain and associated with the ability to give localized adherence to HEp-2 cells. Nevertheless five of the strains adhered in a localized pattern to HEp-2 cells and Intestine 407 cells. Adhesion to either HEp-2 or Intestine 407 cells did not correlate with hybridization with the CVD419 probe or haemagglutinating properties.
Tuberculosis: the disease and its epidemiology in the badger, a review
Authors: Cheeseman C. L. , Wilesmith J. W. , Stuart F. A. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe data accumulated from 1972 to 1987 on the distribution and prevalence of tuberculosis in the badger population in Great Britain is reviewed. The current information on the influence of Mycobacterium bovis infection on badger population dynamics and its clinical effect on badgers is also summarized.
Occupational exposure toStreptococcus suistype 2
Authors: Robertson I.D. , Blackmore D.K. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYAntibody titres toStreptococcus suistype 2 were measured with an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in four occupational groups in New Zealand. No veterinary students, 9% of dairy farmers. 10% of meat inspectors and 21% of pig farmers were seropositive toS. suistype 2. The development of antibody toS. suistype 2 was associated with occupational contact with pigs or their meat products. Subclinical infection withS. suistype 2 appears to occur in humans and the antibody produced is of only short duration. The annual incidence of subclinical infection and seroconversion in pig farmers may approach 28%. ThusS. suistype 2 may be one of the most infectious potentially zoonotic agents present in New Zealand, although very rarely resulting in clinical disease.
High-level vancomycin-resistant enterococci causing hospital infections
Authors: Uttley A. H. C. , George R. C. , Naidoo J. , Woodford N. , Johnson A. P. , Collins C. H. , Morrison D. , Gilfillan A. J. , Fitch L. E. , Heptonstall J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYNosocomial infection or colonization due to enterococci with high-level resistance to vancomycin (minimal inhibitory concentrations [MICs] between 64 and > 2000 mg/L) has occurred in 41 patients with renal disease. These vancomycin-resistant enterococci were cultured from many sources including blood. All but one strain contained one or more plasmids ranging in molecular weight from 1·0 to 40 Megadaltons (MDa). Vancomycin resistance was transferable by conjugation to a susceptible recipient strain ofEnterococcus faecalisbut this was not always associated with plasmid DNA. The emergence of transferable high-level vancomycin resistance in enterococci causing significant clinical infections is of particular importance since vancomycin is widely regarded as a reserve drug for the management of infections with multi-resistant Gram-positive organisms.
Occurrence of drug-resistant bacteria in communal well water around Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Authors: Ibiebele D. D. , Sokari T. G. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYA total of 108 raw water samples was collected from 36 wells at nine shanty settlements around Port Harcourt, Nigeria, over a period of 7 months. Samples were analysed for their bacteriological quality. Selected bacterial strains isolated from the samples were tested for their susceptibility to ten commonly used antibiotics. The organisms isolated includePseudomonasspp.,Klebsieilaspp.,Staphylococcusspp.,Proteusspp.,Enterococcus faecalis,Aeromonasspp.,Escherichia coli,Chromobacteriumspp.,Flavobacteriumspp., andSerratiaspp.Out of 300 strains tested, 23 (6·9%) were susceptible to all the antibiotics, 277 (92·3%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic and 232 (77·3%) were resistant to two or more antibiotics. The epidemiological significance of these results is discussed.
Necrobacillosis and immunity in mice
Authors: Smith G. R. , Wallace L. M. , Till D. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe study arose from the recent finding that sub-lethal numbers of certain bacterial species greatly enhanced the infectivity of Fusobacterium necrophorum.A severe F. necrophorum infection in mice, cured with metronidazole, produced significant though slight resistance, which was demonstrable by challenge with a minute dose of F. necrophorum (< 20 organisms) suspended in a sub-lethal dose of Escherichia coli (300 × 10 organisms) to enhance fusobacterial infectivity. In an earlier comparable experiment, challenge with F. necrophorum alone, in necessarily large doses (≥3 × lO organisms), failed to demonstrate that a single cured fusobacterial infection gave rise to resistance; such an infection neither protected against the fatal necrobacillosis produced by challenge nor prolonged survival.A sub-lethal E. coli infection was also shown by challenge with a minute dose of F. necrophorum (< 10 organisms), suspended in a sub-lethal dose of E. coli (152 × 10 organisms), to produce significant though slight protection against necrobacillosis.The degrees of resistance demonstrated were too slight to give any encouragement to the prospect of an effective necrobacillosis vaccine.
Hepatitis B markers in West Yorkshire firemen
Authors: Crosse B. A. , Teale C. , Lees E. M. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYFiremen have been considered at occupational risk of hepatitis (HBV) infection, but proof is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of risk by determining the prevalence of serological markers of past infection with HBV in members of the West Yorkshire Fire Service. Sera from 173 firemen, 9·3% of the brigade, were tested for antibodies to HBV surface antigen and to core antigen. Those containing anti-HBs≥10 IU/L or anti-core antibody, were also tested for antibody to HBe antigen. The presence of more than one marker was used to define past infection. One sample satisfied this criterion, giving a prevalence rate of 0·6%. This compares with a rate of 1% in London blood donors. We conclude that the group shows no evidence of having been at increased risk of HBV infection. A comprehensive vaccination policy for firemen might be questionable
Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 from the contents of intact eggs: a study involving naturally infected hens
Authors: Humphrey T. J. , Baskerville A. , Mawer S. , Rowe B. , Hopper S. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYTwo small flocks of egg-laying hens, naturally infected with Salmonella enteritidis. were housed in individual cages so that their eggs could be identified. During a longitudinal study where the contents of 1119 eggs were examined, 11 were positive for S. enteritidis. One isolate was phage type (PT) 33 the others were PT4. The production of infected eggs was clustered though intermittent. The positive eggs. which were produced by 10 of the 35 hens, were all found to contain fewer than 10 salmonellas. Some birds were also apparently carrying S. hadar PT14 as this organism was isolated from the contents of six Cracked eggs.
The effect of pre-enrichment on recovery ofStreptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureusand mycoplasma from bovine milk
Authors: Thurmond M. C. , Tyler J. W. , Luiz D. M. , Holmberg C. A. , Picanso J. P. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe study was conducted to determine whether pre-enrichment would increase sensitivity of detectingStreptococcus (Str.) aqalactiae, Staphylococcus (S.) aureus, and mycoplasma in bovine milk. Two procedures were followed, one involving direct inoculation of milk on bovine blood agar, and the other involving preenrichment in broth followed by inoculation on agar. Logistic regression was used to predict the probability of isolation as a function of culture procedure and two additional covariates. the California Mastitis Test (CMT) score of the milk and the type of sample (indicating sample storage temperature and herd mastitis status). A total of 13778 milk samples was cultured for each of the three bacteria. By using results of both direct inoculation and pre-enrichment, the probability of isolation compared to use of direct inoculation only and adjusted for effects of other variables was increased 3·6-fold forStr. agalactiae, 1·6-fold forS. aureusand 1·7- fold for mycoplasma. The probability of isolation for all three bacteria increased as the CMT score increased. ForStr. agalactiae, there was a statistical interaction predicting that enrichment improved the odds of isolation more from milk with high CMT scores than from milk with low scores. Results indicate that preenrichment can substantially increase the sensitivity of bacteriological screening of dairy cows for mastitis caused byStr. agalactiae,S. aureus, and mycoplasma.
Laboratory diagnosis ofMycoplasma pneumoniaeinfection: 3. Detection of IgM antibodies toM. pneumoniaeby a modified indirect haemagglutination test
Authors: Kok T.-W. , Marmion B. P. , Varkanis G. , Worswick D. A. , Martin J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test was compared with the complement-fixation (CF) test for the measurement of antibodies toMycoplasma pneumoniae. A modification of the IHA was used to measureM. pneumoniaeIgM antibodies. Sera were obtained from various groups of patients who were either culture or antigen positive forM. pneumoniaein nasopharyngeal aspirates or who had fourfold or greater increase in CF antibody or a titre ≥ 320.
Drug-resistant coagulase-negative skin staphylococci: Evaluation of four marker systems and epidemiology in an orthopaedic ward
Authors: Thore M. , Kühn I. , Löfdahl S. , Burman L. G. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYDrug-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (DRCNS) in orthopaedic patients and ward staff were studied. A significant increase in the DRCNS carriage rate was observed among the 16 patients studied after 14 days of hospitalization with levels approaching that of the staff. Patients receiving dicloxacillin prophylaxis (n=9) were more likely to be colonized with methicillin-resistant CNS, while patients receiving no antibiotics (n= 7) became to a larger extent colonized with multiple DRCNS. The combined data from species determination, biochemical, plasmid, and antibiogram typing revealed a considerable diversity among DRCNS;64 types were distinguished among 112 DRCNS isolates selected for study after exclusion of apparently duplicate isolates. Plasmid plus antibiogram typing yielded almost as many types (61); whereas species determination plus antibiogram distinguished only 33 types. Although a novel computerized 96-reaction boityping method alone enabled differentiation of 17 biotypes, most DRCNS isolates belonged to one of three major biotypes limiting the usefulness of this method. Ten of the 64 (16%) DRCNS types identified comprised 50 of the 112 (45%) isolates. These were isolated from staff and from patients on day 14, suggesting a nosocomial origin.
Sex differentials in susceptibility to lymphatic filariasis and implications for maternal child immunity
Authors: Brabin L. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThis paper reviews epidemiological data to see if there are sex differentials in prevalence, density and clinical pathology due to lymphatic filariasis. Of 53 studies from Africa, South East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and The Americas, 43 showed a lower mean prevalence of infection in females than in males. Prevalence is consistently lower in women of reproductive age and this is statistically significant in 16 of 32 studies classified by age and sex. Density of infection is also lower in the reproductive age but may be higher in children and in older women. Clinical disease is also lower in women and pathology has a later age of onset and rise to peak prevalence than in males. The paper assesses the evidence that lower rates of infection and clinical pathology are due to less exposure of females to infective vectors. It seems unlikely that exposure alone could account for these differences which are observed for both bancroftian and brugian filariasis, irrespective of periodicity. Several investigators have suggested that females have increased resistance to infection and this is supported by serological studies showing high antibody positivity to adult worm antigens in females. The review concludes that the association with the reproductive years suggests a pregnancy-associated mechanism. This has important implications for maternal – fetal interactions and maternal filarial infection may influence the development of immunity in children.
Evaluation of numerical typing systems forEscherichia coliusing the API 50 CH and the PhP-EC systems as models
Authors: Kühn I. , Brauner A. , Möllby R. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYReproducible and discriminating typing methods are required for epidemio-logical investigations. Numerical typing systems analyse patterns obtained in various ways by calculating similarity coefficients between isolates. In the present study, various measures of the efficiency of a numerical typing system are quantified. These include reproducibility, accuracy, and discrimination power.Three different numerical typing methods forEscherichia coliwere compared using these measures: (a) Biotyping with API 50 CH system, (b) Biochemical fingerprinting with the API 50 CH system and (c) Biochemical fingerprinting with the PhP-EC system. Biotyping qualitatively measures the results of a set of biochemical reactions as + or −. Biochemical fingerprinting also uses biochemical reactions, but the tests are scored quantitatively by measuring the kinetics and intensity of each reaction.It was found that biotyping yielded poor reproducibility. When biochemical fingerprinting analysis was used with the API 50 CHE system the reproducibility and the discrimination was good. The PhP-EC system for biochemical fingerprinting showed equal reproducibility but was superior to the API 50 CH system with regard to discrimination power.
Serological typing of coagulase-negative staphylococci using monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Gabelish C. , Harbour C. , Beard-Pegler M. A. , Stubbs E. , Steffe R. , Large M. , Vickery A. , Benn R. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThis investigation was to determine whether monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) could be used to differentiate coagulase-negative staphylococci (C-NS) at species and strain level. Mabs were produced to fourStaphylococcus epidermidisstrains, twoS. haemolyticusstrains, oneS. saprophyticusstrain and oneS. warneristrain. A panel of nine antibodies was tested for species and strain specificity against five type strains and 65 clinical isolates of C-NS by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Species specificity was found with Mab D150 produced to oneS. haemolyticusstrain. Using Mab D150 and Mab D198 in conjunction, identification of 90% ofS. haemolyticusisolates to species level was achieved.S. saprophyticusMab K84 reacted with most other strains of C-NS tested but only threeS. haemolyticusstrains (16%). This finding provides further evidence thatS. haemolyticuspossesses different surface determinants to other C-NS which could form the basis of a typing scheme forS. haemolyticususing Mabs D150, D198 and K84.
Civil war and the spread of AIDS in Central Africa
Authors: Smallman-Raynor M. R. , Cliff A. D. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYUsing ordinary least squares regression techniques this paper demonstrates, for the first time, that the classic association of war and disease substantially accounts for the presently observed geographical distribution of reported clinical AIDS cases in Uganda. Both the spread of HIV 1 infection in the 1980s, and the subsequent development of AIDS to its 1990 spatial pattern, are shown to be significantly and positively correlated with ethnic patterns of recruitment into the Ugandan National Liberation Army (UNLA) after the overthrow of Idi Amin some 10 years earlier in 1979. This correlation reflects the estimated mean incubation period of 8–10 years for HIV 1 and underlines the need for cognizance of historical factors which may have influenced current patterns of AIDS seen in Central Africa. The findings may have important implications for AIDS forecasting and control in African countries which have recently experienced war. The results are compared with parallel analyses of other HIV hypotheses advanced to account for the reported geographical distribution of AIDS in Uganda.
A longitudinal study of natural infection of piglets with Streptococcus suis types 1 and 2
Authors: Robertson I. D. , Blackmore D. K. , Hampson D. J. , Fu Z. F. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYStreptococcus suis types 1 and 2 were detected in nasal swabs taken from five litters of piglets sampled twice weekly from birth. The two types had been detected in all pigs by the time they were 38 and 25 days old respectively with mean ages of first detectable infection being 13·5 and 8·5 days. The prevalence of infection was not affected by housing conditions or the population density of pigs. Piglets originating from a sow with vaginal swabs positive for S. suis type 2 were infected earlier than piglets from non-vaginal carriers. It is concluded that infection of piglets with S. suis type 2 may occur during the birth process.