bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serological characterization of group-A streptococci associated with skin sepsis in meat handlers
Authors: Fraser Cherry A. M. , Ball Lyn C. , Morris C. A. , Noah N. D. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYA series of outbreaks of skin sepsis among meat handlers in England during 1974 and 1975 afforded an opportunity to study the group-A streptococci commonly isolated from the lesions. Few of these streptococci could be M typed with existing antisera. Intensive study of strains from two outbreaks of sepsis in one abattoir in Shropshire led to the recognition of three new provisional M types. The streptococci were first sorted according to T-typing pattern and ability to produce opacity factor. Opacity-factor producing strains with the same T pattern were then screened for inhibition of opacity production by the sera of convalescents from the same outbreak. Finally, M antisera were made in rabbits against representative cultures.Sera against the three new provisional types were used to re-examine streptococci from 20 other outbreaks or incidents of sporadic infection among meat handlers. This increased the proportion of typable strains from 3% to 55%. Two of the new provisional types (nos. 2015 and 1658; both T25/Imp 19, opacity-factor positive) were confined to the Shropshire outbreak, but the third (no. 2681; T14, opacity-factor negative) was found among strains from meat workers in eight other geographically distinct areas. In all, 31% of 131 distinct strains from meat workers, but less than 1% of 2816 strains from other British sources, belonged to provisional type 2681. Thus, in Britain, one M-type of group-A streptococcus appears at present to be almost exclusively associated with sepsis in meat workers.
Bacteriophage-typing designations of Salmonella typhimurium
Authors: Anderson E. S. , Ward Linda R. , de Saxe Maureen J. , de Sa J. D. H. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYThe phage-typing scheme of Callow (1959) has been extended. The original number of types was 34; this has now risen to 207. Tables are presented which show the provisional type designations and the definitive designations now being introduced.
Tuberculin testing in hospital personnel
Authors: Holley Marguerite P. , Bartzokas C. A. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYTuberculin testing of 176 personnel in a Liverpool hospital showed a total incidence of 68 % negative reactors. This remarkably high percentage was similar for each of the various groups of workers tested. We did not find the Tine test to be a satisfactory method of screening for tuberculin sensitivity because 30% were doubtful reactors. In these, further tuberculin testing by the Mantoux reagent was always positive.
Acute otitis externa in divers working in the North Sea: a microbiological survey of seven saturation dives
Authors: Alcock S. R. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYSaturation diving is an important and widely used technique in the Offshore Oil Industry. During 1974–5 two saturation dives in the North Sea were terminated because of outbreaks of incapacitating otitis externa, and others were disrupted.Pseudomonas aeruginosawas consistently isolated from the ears of affected divers. Because complex work schedules were threatened seven subsequent dives were subjected to microbiological monitoring and control. Colonization of the ear canal withP. aeruginosaor with other gram-negative bacilli occurred in 39 (67%) of the 58 divers studied, usually within 7 days of starting the dive. Data obtained by serotyping the isolations ofP. aeruginosasuggested that a single infected diver may be the source of organisms which rapidly spread to his colleagues and throughout the living chambers, that the living chambers may constitute a reservoir of infection during and between dives, and that certain serotypes ofP. aeruginosaare more likely than others to colonize the ear canal in the conditions of a saturation dive. The control measures used during the dives were only partially effective, but none of the divers suffered severe pain and all the dives were an operational success.
Rubella in Orkney: seroepidemiology and vaccination
Authors: Moffat Margaret A. J. , Heywood S. N. , Laughton Eileen , Gould Janine J. , Freestone D. S. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYRubella haemagglutination inhibiting (HAI) antibody titres were determined in 54 seronegative women and 31 naturally immune women after vaccination and revaccination with Wistar RA27/3 strain rubella vaccine administered by the intranasal or subcutaneous routes or revaccination with the Cendehill strain administered subcutaneously. In addition, HAI antibody titres were determined in 46 seronegative schoolgirls after vaccination with the Cendehill strain and revaccination with the RA27/3 strain.All seronegative women vaccinated with the RA27/3 strain developed antibody, peak titres being reached 6 weeks after vaccination. Six months after vaccination with the Cendehill strain, 45 (98%) of the 46 seronegative girls had developed antibody, but 11 (24%) had not reached their peak titre by 6 weeks, suggesting a slower response than that elicited by the RA27/3 strain. Revaccination did not induce significant antibody responses in the seronegative women vaccinated 6 months previously with RA27/3 but 4 naturally immune women developed an eightfold increase in antibody. In 10 (22%) of 46 schoolgirls previously vaccinated with the Cendehill strain a significant rise in antibody followed revaccination with RA27/3. These results provide further evidence of the more rapid antibody responses elicited by the RA27/3 vaccine in comparison with the Cendehill vaccine.An outbreak of natural rubella occurred in 1972 and 97 cases were confirmed serologically. The clinical disease was more common in older school-children and in adults. More males than females were affected in the 11–15 age group, the sex ratio being 18:12; this may be explained by the routine vaccination of girls of this age group as part of the national programme which began in 1970. The significance of the persistence of high HAI antibody titres after natural infection and the effect of the epidemic on the serological status of the population are discussed.
Neutralization kinetics studies with type SAT 2 foot-and-mouth disease virus strains:II. Antigenic differentiation of vaccine strains
Authors: Rweyemamu M. M. , Booth J. C. , Parry N. , Pay T. W. F. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYA comparison of homologous and heterologous rates of neutralization demonstrated that antigenic relationships of foot-and-mouth disease virus strains could be differentiated quantitatively by the kinetics of neutralization method described previously (Rweyemamu, Booth & Pay, 1977). Conventional formulae forr, RandDvalues could be applied to results obtained by this method. It was demonstrated that results analysed this way gaveRvalues which were similar to those obtained with other neutralization test methods but which were generally smaller than those obtained with complement fixation test results. It was demonstrated that there were wide differences between the vaccine strains tested as demonstrated byRvalue relationships. An examination ofrvalues, however, demonstrated that antisera to the Moz 1/70 strain were highly reactive with most of the virus strains from Central and Southern Africa. The selection of FMD virus strains with a wide serological range for vaccine production is discussed.
Orientation and external morphology of burrows of the mangrove crabUcides cordatus(Crustacea: Brachyura: Ucididae)
Authors: dos Santos Camila M.H. , Pinheiro Marcelo A.A. , Hattori Gustavo Y. 
Published: May 2009

The aim of the present study was to characterize the external morphology and the orientation of burrows constructed by the mangrove crabUcides cordatus. Data were obtained from two mangrove forests of similar vegetation dominance (Laguncularia racemosa) but differing in flooding heights. These mangroves were located near Barra de Icapara, Iguape City (SP), Brazil, (24°50′36″S–47°59′53′W). A total of 221 burrows were examined (120 on the high mangrove and 101 on the low mangrove). External morphology of the burrows was recorded by photographs for categorization and description. The directions of the burrow openings were recorded using a geological compass and the declivities of the ducts were measured with a clinometer. Females constructed 70.8% at Site A and 69.4% at Site B of the occupied burrows with the opening facing the margin of the river (P < 0.001), whilst males showed no significant difference in the burrow orientation (P > 0.05) at either site. In females, the tendency for burrow orientation possibly has a reproductive connotation as larval dispersal may be favoured and enhanced by the tides. Four groups of distinct tracks related to the morphotypes and developmental stages ofU. cordatuswere observed. No sediment constructions associated with the burrows were recorded for this species. Declivity of the burrows from juveniles was lower than from adults (P < 0.05), probably caused by the differential growth of the chelipeds in this species.
Distribution, gene sequence and expressionin vivoof the plasmid encoded fimbrial antigen ofSalmonellaserotype Enteritidis
Authors: Woodward M. J. , Allen-Vercoe E. , Redstone J. S. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryThepefA gene which encoded the serotype associated plasmid (SAP) mediated fimbrial major subunit antigen ofSalmonella entericaserotype Typhimurium shared genetic identity with 128 of 706 salmonella isolates as demonstrated by dot (colony) hybridization. Seventy-seven of 113 isolates of Typhimurium and individual isolates of serotypes Bovis-morbificans, Cholerae-suis and Enteritidis phage type 9b hybridizedpefA strongly, whereas 48 isolates of Enteritidis hybridizedpefA weakly and one Enteritidis isolate of phage type 14b failed to hybridize. Individual isolates of 294 serotypes and 247 individual isolates of serotype Dublin did not hybridizepefA. Southern hybridization of plasmids extracted from Enteritidis demonstrated that thepefA gene probe hybridized strongly an atypical SAP of 80 kb in size harboured by one Enteritidis isolate of phage-type 9b, whereas the typical SAP of 58 kb in size harboured by 48 Enteritidis isolates hybridized weakly. One Enteritidis isolate of phage type 14b which failed to hybridizepefA in dot (colony) hybridization experiments was demonstrated to be plasmid free. A cosmid library of Enteritidis phage type 4 expressed inEscherichia coliK12 was screened by hybridization for the presence ofpefsequences. Recombinant clones which were deduced to harbour the entirepefoperon elaborated a PEF-like fimbrial structure at the cell surface. The PEF-like fimbrial antigen was purified from one cosmid clone and used in western blot experiments with sera from chickens infected with Enteritidis phage-type 4. Seroconversion to the fimbrial antigen was observed which indicated that the Enteritidis PEF-like fimbrial structure was expressed at some stage during infection. Nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrated that thepefA alleles of Typhimurium and Enteritidis phage-type 4 shared 76% DNA nucleotide and 82% deduced amino acid sequence identity.
Salmonella virchowPT 26 infection in England and Wales: a case control study investigating an increase in cases during 1994
Authors: Willocks L. J. , Morgan D. , Sufi F. , Ward L. R. , Patrick H. E. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryAn increase in the number of human isolates ofSalmonella virchowphage type (PT) 26 in England and Wales during 1994 was investigated. A national case control study was conducted which included 88 cases and 182 controls. The cases were mostly young adults (median age 26) and 13 (15%) were admitted to hospital. Acquisition ofS. virchowPT 26 was associated with the consumption of any chicken (OR 2·5, CI 1·1–5·8), of chicken curry from restaurants and take aways (OR 2·9, CI 1·4–6·1), and of some other diverse types of pre-prepared chicken (OR 3·8, CI 1·9–7·6). Halal chicken was associated (P= 0·006) with illness in a subset. There were negative associations with contact with animals (OR 0·47, CI 0·23–0·95) and with the consumption of chicken cooked whole (OR 0·37, CI 0·21–0·66). The increase inS. virchowPT 26 may be due to changing epizoology and may be an indicator of what will become the dominant salmonella strain in poultry in future years. The increasing incidence ofS. virchowPT 26 is of particular concern because of its association with more invasive disease in humans.
Occurrence ofListeriaspecies in prepacked retail sandwiches
Authors: Wilson I. G. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryA survey of 725 prepacked sandwiches was conducted examining for the presence on enrichment, and by plate count, ofListeriaspecies. Sandwiches were found to containListeriasp. more frequently than their component foods. Chicken, beef and bacon fillings were associated with more frequent isolation. Salad also was associated with more frequent isolation, but the increase was not significant. On enrichment, over 15% of sandwiches containedListeriaspecies.L. innocuaandL. monocytogeneswere the only species isolated by plate count at numbers ≤ 100 cfu/g (1·5% of total samples). Potentially hazardous levels ofL. monocytogenes(defined as ≤ 103cfu/g) were found in two sandwiches examined (0·3%), indicating that although Total Viable Counts (TVCs) may often be high, the risk of listeriosis to vulnerable individuals from sandwiches is relatively low. It is importent to distinguish the risk of consuming potentially hazardous levels of a pathogen in food from the risk of contracting illiness as a result of such an event.
Seroprevalence of brucella antibodies among persons in high-risk occupation in Lebanon
Authors: Araj G. F. , Azzam R. A. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryPrevalence of brucella-specific antibodies was measured in 597 persons in high-risk occupations living in 10 regions of Lebanon using the standard agglutination test (SAT), anti-human globulin (Coombs') test (AHGT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM and IgA. The study population consisted of butchers (54%) farmers (35%), laboratory technicians (8%), abbatoir workers (2%) and veterinarians (1%), with 82% males and 18% females. The overall seroprevalence based on SAT and AHGT titres of ≥ 80 was 1·7% and 15%, respectively, but seroprevalence varied by region from 0–5% in SAT and from 3·4–34% for AHGT. The overall seroprevalence based on ELISA IgG (OD≥0·6), IgM (OD≥0·6) and IgA (OD≥0·3) was 57, 61 and 26%, respectively. The highest seroprevalence was noted in Biqaa (34%), Kisrwan (24%), Shouf (21%), Sidon (16%) and Aley (12) regions. Nineteen percent of those surveyed reported symptoms that could be associated with brucellosis. We conclude that exposure to brucellosis is high among persons in high-risk occupations from all surveyed regions in Lebanon. Such findings should be used to design control measures especially now that the 17 years of civil strife is over.
The occurrence of hepatitis B and C viruses in Pakistani patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellula carcinoma
Authors: Tong C. Y. W. , Khan R. , Beeching N. J. , Tariq W. U. Z. , Hart C. A. , Ahmad N. , Malik I. A. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryTo study the occurrence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Pakistan, blood samples from 105 sequential patients with biopsy-proven CLD (n= 82) and HCC (n= 23) were tested for HBV and HCV markers. Of the 105, 87 (83%) had evidence of hepatitis B exposure, 58 (55%) were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), 23 (22%) had hepatitis C antibodies and 25 (24%) had detectable HCV RNA. Significantly more patients with HCC had evidence of HBV exposure in the absence of HCV markers (49/82vs.20/23, odds ratio 4·49,95 % CI 1·17–25·16). The proportion of patients positive for HBsAg with no HCV markers was also significantly higher in the HCC group (34/82vs.18/23, odds ratio 5·08, 95% CI 1·59—18·96). There were more patients with only HCV markers in the CLD group than the HCC group but the difference was not statistically significant (19/82vs.1/23, odds ratio 6·63, 95% CI 0·93—288·01). A modified non-isotopic restriction fragment length polymorphism study on PCR products was used to investigate the epidemiology of HCV genotypes in Pakistan. Due to depletion of the initial samples, a second series of specimens collected one year afterwards was used. Fifteen out of 40 samples had amplifiable product and all were identified as type 3. A commercial serological typing method on the same samples also confirmed that type 3 was the predominant HCV genotype in Pakistan.
An outbreak of hepatitis A associated with a bakery, New York, 1994: The 1968 ‘West Branch, Michigan’ outbreak repeated
Authors: Weltman A. C. , Bennett N. M. , Ackman D. A. , Misage J. H. , Campana J. J. , Fine L. S. , Doniger A. S. , Balzano G. J. , Birkhead G. S. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryIn a community hepatitis A outbreak in the Rochester, New York area, 64 of 79 (81 %) people with anti-hepatitis A 1gM-antibodies and onset of symptoms from 9 April–31 May 1994, recalled eating food obtained from a retail buyer's club. Eleven (65%) of 17 households with cases contained club members compared with 7 (21%) of 34 neighbourhood-matched control-households (matched odds ratio 8·5; 95% CI 1·7–41·6). Club employees who ate sugar-glazed baked goods were at fourfold increased risk for hepatitis. The source of infection was an 1gM- positive baker who contaminated baked goods while applying sugar glaze. Computer-generated purchase lists implicated 11–12 March and 21–24 March as the most likely dates when contamination occurred. This investigation demonstrates the importance of food workers adhering to established hygiene practices. Computer-generated commercial datasets can be useful in epidemiologic investigations.
Evidence of hantavirus in wild rodents in Northern Ireland
Authors: McCaughey C. , Montgomery W. I. , Twomey N. , Addley M. , O'Neill H. J. , Coyle P. V. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryA survey of evidence of rodent hantavirus infection in County Down, Northern Ireland was carried out by using immunofluorescence to detect virus antigen and antibody. Antibodies to hantavirus (R22 strain of Seoul virus and Hantaan 76–118) were found in 11/51 (21·6%) brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), 1/31 (3·2%) field mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) and 17/59 (28·8%) house mice (Mus domesticus). Seven rodents had evidence of hantavirus antigen in lung tissues. Antibody positive animals were significantly more likely to be adults than juveniles (P= 0·04) but and there was no sex difference between antibody positive and negative animals. House mice were more likely to be antibody positive if captured inside farm outbuildings (P= 0·08). Attempts to culture virus from the rodent material were unsuccessful. This work demonstrates a substantial rodent reservoir for hantavirus in Northern Ireland.
Carriage ofNeisseria meningitidis: investigations in a military establishment
Authors: Pether J. V. S. , Lightfoot N. F. , Scott R. J. D. , Morgan J. , Steele-Perkins A. P. , Sheard S. C. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYA prevalence study of personnel on a Royal Naval Air Station revealed that 23·0% of 2479 personnel were carrying a meningococcus. Selected groups of personnel were subsequently swabbed monthly for a year. We have shown that it is only by repeated swabbing and the use of optimal methods including enrichment media that one can have a hope of identifying the ‘true’ carriage rate. A presumed virulent strain ofNeisseria meningitidisB 15 P1·16 was repeatedly isolated from three personnel who remained well, as did their colleagues both at their work place and socially. The study served to emphasize our lack of knowledge of the virulence factors associated withN. meningitidis.
A milk-borne outbreak of serious infection due toStreptococcus zooepidemicus(Lancefield Group C)
Authors: Edwards A. T. , Roulson M. , Ironside M. J. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYAn outbreak of infection due toStreptococcus zooepidemicus(Lancefield Group C) is described. At least 11 patients were affected and the infection was responsible for, or contributed to, the deaths of seven of these. Clinical features included septicaemia, meningitis and endocarditis. The source of infection was unpasteurized milk from a dairy herd with mild intermittent mastitis.
Identification of encapsulated and non-encapsulatedYersinia pestisby immunofluorescence tests using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Phillips A. P. , Morris B. C. , Hall D. , Glenister M. , Williams J. E. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYRabbit polyclonal hyperimmune antibodies toYersinia pestis, and a mouse monoclonal antibody against the capsular antigen fraction 1 (F1) were compared in immunofluorescence (IF) tests. Fluorescent antibody conjugates were prepared from polyclonal antisera to four F1 positiveY. pestisstrains; the conjugated antibody to strain A1122 gave the strongest IF staining of F1 positive and F1 negativeY. pestisstrains. Indirect assays were rejected in favour of direct assays utilizing polyclonal and monoclonal reagents because the increased background staining reduced the effective contrast of bacterial visualisation. Polyclonal conjugates gave fairly homogeneous staining ofY. pestisbacterial populations, but in monoclonal assays a skew distribution of fluorescence intensity was observed, the majority of bacteria being poorly stained. The proportion of cells stained well by the monoclonal sufficed for easy identification ofY. pestisof the F1 positive phenotype however, and staining was not affected by washing the bacteria or treating them with formaldehyde.Y. pestisstrains of the F1 positive genotype reacted with the monoclonal if bacteria were grown at 37 °C but not if the growth temperature was reduced to 25°C thus preventing capsule production. The polyclonal conjugate reacted with bacteria of these strains that had been grown at either temperature. Strains of F1 negative genotype grown at either temperature. Strains of F1 negative genotype grown at either temperature reacted with the polyclonal conjugate but not with the monoclonal. Cross reactions between the polyclonal reagents andY. enterocoliticabiovar 2, serovar O 8 could not be removed by selective absorption; however, the monoclonal antibody gave no cross reaction.The F1 phenotypic status of bacterial preparations was verified by ELISA measurement of the fraction 1 antigen concentration. Antigen levels for F1 positive and F1 negative phenotypes differed by about three logs for suspensions ofY. pestisharvested from solid media.The polyclonal and monoclonal direct IF tests applied to spleen and blood smears of laboratory mice infected withY. pestiswere able to differentiate between lethal infection with an F1 positive strain carrying all four classical virulence determinants, an F1 positive vaccine strain, and an F1 negative strain.
Antigenic analysis ofHaemophilus ducreyiby Western blotting
Authors: Abeck D. , Johnson A. P. , Taylor-Robinson D. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYTwenty-one strains ofHaemophilus ducreyiwere analysed by Western blotting using two antisera produced in mice. Common antigens of molecular weights 58, 46, 41, 28, 22 and 16 kDa were detected in all the strains. The antigens were protein in nature, since they could not be detected in whole-cell lysates which had been treated with proteinase K. TheH. ducreyistrains showed antigenic cross-reactivity with strains ofH. influenzaeandH. parainfluenzae, but showed minimal or no cross-reactivity with seven other species of bacteria.
Impact of climate on western equine encephalitis in Manitoba, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1980–1983
Authors: Sellers R. F. , Maarouf A. R. 
Published: May 2009

SUMMARYInformation was collected on confirmed outbreaks of western equine encephalitis (WEE) in North America east of the Rockies for 1981 and 1983 (epidemic years) and 1980 and 1982 (non-epidemic years). The initial pattern of outbreaks in Manitoba, Minnesota and North Dakota was determined for each year. Backward (and in some instances forward) wind trajectories were computed for each day 4–15 days (incubation period) before the initial outbreaks of WEE in a given area of province or state.