Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene. Erste Abteilung Originale. Reihe A: Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Parasitologie最新文献

The aim of this study was to evaluate the methods of biological characterization of Escherichia coli strains, in order to use them as screening tests in clinical microbiological laboratories. In two thirds of the 45 E. coli, isolated from acute intestinal infection of infants, different factors of virulence were found. The strains showed prevalently an enterotoxigenic character (66,6%), which was in correlation with the increased permeability (62,2%). Adhesive properties were present in 20% of E. coli independent of their enterotoxigenicity; only 11,1% of the strains had penetrating abilities. The rabbit skin model seems to be accurate and quick for ETEC screening purposes, as is the guinea-pig eye for the EIEC. The mouse intestinal loop has been found sensitive but time-consuming. The infant mouse model is simple and quick, but in this study it has not given optimal results. The Vero cell culture system is simple and easy to perform, but at least for some strains the preparations should be concentrated. The investigation of adhesiveness by haemagglutination is possible to conduct in every small clinical laboratory. Our opinion is, however, that after the isolation of E. coli from different pathological materials, the determination of the antigenic structure of the strains is necessary and later on the additional biological characterization should be performed.

During the first three months of 1976 and 1978 the sensitivity patterns of bacteria and the antibiotic usage at the National Hospital of Norway was recorded. The computerized results showed that bacteria isolated at the department of pediatrics was more resistant to penicillins. Isolates from two other departments did not differ very much in their sensitivity patterns. Comparing the sensitivity patterns, a tendency of increased sensitivity to antibiotics from 1976 to 1978 was seen. Exception was the increasing resistance to gentamicin. Furthermore, tobramycin was found less effective than gentamicin on our isolates. The antibiotics most widely used at the hospital are the penicillins which account for more than 50 per cent of the usage. From 1976 to 1978 the usage of antibiotics increased about 30 per cent. A more extensive use of penicillin V and G, and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim was responsible for most of the increase. No clear cut relationship between the antibiotic usage and the changes in sensitivity patterns of the bacteria from 1976 to 1978 was seen. Our work confirms, the usefulness of using "daily defined doses", as recommended by WHO, for estimating the antibiotic usage in a hospital.

Altogether 268 strains of Klebsiella were investigated with respect to their ability to ferment dulcitol and to produce indole, gelatinase, and brown pigment on a medium containing gluconate and ferric citrate. In addition the capacity of the strains to use m-hydroxybenzoic acid as sole source of carbon and energy was tested. Of the 83 indole-positive Klebsiella strains 72 (87%) were able to grow on the m-hydroxybenzoic acid medium, whereas only 2 (1%) of the indole-negative strains did so. Late liquefaction of gelatin occurred in 66 (80%) of the indole-positive strains. The ability of the indole-positive Klebsiella strains to use m-hydroxybenzoic acid as sole carbon source supports the view that these strains should be grouped in a separate taxon, which may be named Klebsiella oxytoca; it also provides a simple additional test for the identification of these strains.

The effectiveness of paramunization as a antigen nonspecific method to activate mechanisms against wound-infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied using a model of direct infection of mice with a "mice-pathogenic" Ps. aeruginosa strain on artificially set wounds. Active paramunization by means of a biological inducer "PIND-AVI" (M-HP 438) significantly reduced the mortality rate between treated and placebo animals. The best results were obtained by parenteral prophylactic application. A four times repeated injection of PIND-AVI before the wound-infection reduced the mortality rate from 80% (placebo animals) to 26.6%. Almost equally good results were obtained by clinically useful therapeutic application of the preparation. A four times repeated treatment of the mice after wound infection lead to a decrease of mortality rates from 86.6% to 36.6%. The paramunization inducer PIND-AVI caused no side effect in any of the experiments. The mode of inducer action in Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infections appears to be complex. Increased phagocytosis by nonspecific opsonisation, increased macrophage activity and concurrent stimulation of the lymphopoetic system could possible occur. On the other hand the nonspecific action of mediators could also play a role due to the inducer stimulated T-cells and cellular antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However both mechanisms in cooperation with specific and nonspecific humoral factors are probably interacting together. To what extent a simultaneous synthesis resp. release of endogeneous interferon plays a role is not known.

Decreasing the oxygen in the respiration-air of animals to 11-12%, it was possible to increase the oncolysis-effect of the Clostridial-Strain M55 significant (macroscopical complete oncolysis in comparison with the usual application: Ehrlich-Solid-Tumour +62%, Harding-Passey-Melanom +64%). In nearly 30%, Tumours cured completely.

The in vitro activity of doxycycline against 147 strains of gram-positive and gram-negative anaerobes was determined by broth dilution, agar dilution and agar diffusion tests. The strains were isolated from clinical specimens in 1977. Saccharolytic Bacteroides strains (39 B. fragilis, 6 B. thetaiotaomicron, 4 B. vulgatus) showed broth dilution MICs of less than or equal to 0.0625-4.0 microgram/ml after 5 h incubation and MICs of less than or equal to 16 microgram/ml after 15 h incubation at 37 degrees C. With strains of B. oralis, B. melaninogenicus ss. intermedius, B. corrodens, Veillonella sp. and Megasphaera elsdenii the broth dilution MICs were less than or equal to 0.0625-32 microgram/ml after 15 h incubation. Peptostreptococcus spp., Propionibacterium acnes, Eubacterium sp., Bifidobacterium sp. and Clostridium sp. had broth dilution MICs of less than or equal to 2 microgram/ml, whereas Peptococcus spp. were inhibited by less than or equal to 0.0625 to greater than 32 microgram/ml. With the great majority of strains tested, MICs were 2 to 256 times higher in agar than in broth dilution tests. Clinical and experimental studies seem to be needed to determine which of the in vitro data are correlated to the outcome of doxycycline therapy. Several groups and species were separately considered for statistical analysis of the relationship between zone size and MIC. With gram-positive anaerobes, correlation was poor between broth dilution MIC and zone size (correlation coefficients r = - 0.168 for Peptococcaceae, and r = - 0.108 for P. acnes). When calculating the regression lines for agar dilution MICs and zone diameters, a higher correlation was found (r = - 0.9 for Peptococcaceae; r = - 0.397 for P. acnes). With B. fragilis and other Bacteroides species correlation coefficients were r = - 0.807 to r = - 0.891 for broth and agar dilution MICs and zone size but stochastic linearity was lacking.

a) 1069 human blood samples were tested for the presence of C. F. antibodies to leptospirae. 98 of these sera were from patients suffering from Weil's syndrome. 13 out of 98 patients were found to be suffering from leptospirosis; one of these died. 460 sera were from patients with febrile (acute) illness of unknown origin and 511 sera from patients with respiratory disease (especially "influenza like disease"). None of these patients was found to be suffering from leptospirosis. b) 191 human sera from healthy people at risk to leptospiral infection were examined by microscopic agglutination test (MAT). A high percentage (14.1%) was found to have antibodies against one or two leptospiral serogroups. The results obtained suggest that the incidence of leptospiral infections in humans in Northern Greece is higher than previously reported and the predominant serogroups were found to be Icterohaemorrhagiae followed by Autumnalis and Canicola.

The authors analysed the dynamics of the immunozytoadherence test in experimental trichinellosis. The evaluation was carried out by mixing the lymphocytes of the infected rabbits with sheep erythrocytes encoated with antigen Trichinella spiralis. In three groups of infected rabbits (group I - 15 000 larves per rabbit, group II - 20 000 larves per rabbit, group III - 30 000 larves per rabbit) the examinations were performed 3, 6, 10, 20, 47, 82, 110, 140, 170 and 230 days after infection. It was observed that the maximum percentage of rosette occurred 10 days after infection. In the course of the observation the percentage demonstrated a tendency to decrease. The observed dynamics of the immunozytoadherence test indicates its value in diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of trichinellosis.

At the Central Laboratory for Streptococci Research at the Institute for Hygiene of the Federal Dairy Research Centre in Kiel a data bank has been established which comprises as well bibliographical data (until now more than 8000 titles out of the international literature concerning streptococci) as laboratory data of all strains which have been identified since 1965. For this present publication as a survey the total material covering 34,935 strains was analyzed and interpreted. Besides a short introduction describing the general examination procedure for streptococci and the encoding of results for the data bank the material is condensed in different tables considering the incidence of pathogenic species occuring mainly in man and animals. In addition findings of enterococci and lactic streptococci are presented. 41.8% of the strains examined were isolated from human specimens, 46.7% from cattle and the remaining ones from pigs, horses, dogs, laboratory animals and others. Only 2.0% of all cultures could not be identified as one of the known species. Remarkable observations are - the high incidence of group B-Streptococci in man - the unexpected frequency of typical "human" streptococci as those of group F and G and also Sc. milleri and Sc. MG in different animals - the possible interrelation of group L- and P-streptococci in pigs and cattle - the overlap of Sc. faecalis and Sc. faecium in man and animals showing no typical distribution as it is postulated in the literature - the high percentage of unidentifiable streptococci from pigs and laboratory animals as an eventual indication for some new species. In consecuting papers some problems emerging from the presented material and own experiments will be discussed as - interrelation of group B-Streptococci in man and cattle - incidence and importance of enterococci in humans, animals and foodstuffs and - classification of species not to identify by serological grouping.