Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie. 1. Abt. Originale. A: Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Infektionskrankheiten und Parasitologie最新文献

After having altered the name of International Committee for Bacteriological Nomenclature in International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology in 1970, the latter will also have to reflect upon the objects of taxonomy. An approach thereto is recognizable in the revision of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria in 1975. Considerations are being made whether a classification of bacteria does justice to the laws of homogenicity, specification and continuity as laid down by Kant in his transcendental dialectic. Most important of all are definition and determination of the taxon species. As far as contents go the latter is not possible from the biological point of view but applicable to its range in application of the regulations of the code. Within the priorities of taxa the species adopts a preferential position because conceptions of applied bacteriology are contained therein. The variety of infra-subspecific subdivisions is taken into consideration; as far as the formae speciales are concerned considerations as made with regard to species apply.

The number (A) and quality (K) of rubella virus antibody molecules has been determined for human sera obtained at graded time intervals after rubella infection or vaccination. Tests were carried out by use of a previously described technique (9) and the results were compared with the rubella HI titers found. Sera obtained within 59 days after onset of rash or vaccination of previously seronegative persons were found to contain antibody molecules of lower quality than did sera obtained at later time intervals. Sera obtained after vaccination of seronegative humans contained much smaller numbers of antibody molecules than did sera obtained after rubella infection. With the exception of sera obtained within 59 days after onset of rash, no significant differences in the number of antibody molecules per HI unit were found. The HI titers depended with this exception primarily on the number and not on the quality of antibody.

Random-Bred-Swiss Mice were inoculated intracerebrally with 0.02 ml of a 10(-1) diluted suspension of yellow fever virus 17 D. The animals were sacrificed at selected times ranging from 1 day up to 168 days after inoculation. Brain sections were stained and then histologically investigated. Nerve cell necrosis in the cornu ammonis could be seen already 24 h after inoculation, again 24 h later inflammatory signs were found. There was no spatial correlation between nerve cell necrosis and inflammation.--Although the animals did not show clinical signs of infection for more than 2 weeks, nerve cell necrosis was still progressive, even in mice sacrificed 168 days after inoculation of the virus.--The implications of those findings are discussed and the definition of encephalitis established by Spatz is challenged.--The above described approach may also serve as a model for explaining etiological findings with regard to the pathogenesis of degenerative diseases of the central nerve system.

One hundred Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates recovered from intensive care areas of a university hospital and other clinical sites were characterized on the basis of their susceptibility to a set of twenty one phages. These strains were previously mitomycin C induced for their pyocin production and their serovars were also determined. All isolates identified on the basis of belonging to the same O-serovars and pyocin patterns, belonged to oe phagovar group. Strains which were non-identifiable with commercial antisera, had to be typed by both phagovar assay and mitomycin C induced pyocin production. Neither phagovar assay nor pyocin production alone gave enough individual characteristics of any one isolate, as to allow proper identification. Patterns with the same configurations in both phagovar and pyocin groups were detected among strains within entirely different O-serovar groups.

The usefulness of the polyvalent Salmonella phage O-1 as a first step diagnostic tool is again emphasized. 96.1% of all Salmonella strains are lysed. Its disadvantage of not lysing some 10-30% of strains belonging to the O groups E1-E4 has been eliminated by creating a mixture of the phage O-1 with a phage G47, (obtained from Gershman) which is highly active on OE strains. Thus the mixture exhibits a high OE-specificity without impairment of the O-1 polyvalency.

The in vitro antibacterial activity of metronidazole was tested against 70 strains of aerobic vibrios (V. cholerae biotype cholerae, V. cholerae biotype eltor, NAG-vibrios, V. parahaemolyticus, v. alginolyticus) and 30 strains of microaerophilic Campylobacter (C. fetus subsp. fetus, C. fetus subsp. intestinalis and C. fetus subsp. jejuni). All strains of aerobic vibrios proved to be resistant (MIC 100 micrograms/ml) in contrast to campylobacter strains which were sensitive (MIC 1-4 micrograms/ml) to the drug. The findings confirm that metronidazole can be considered to be a selective inhibitor of anaerobic microorganisms, but its action is not restricted to obligate anaerobes.

Out of 2,105 patients with atypical pneumonia and febrile infections 15 cases of legionellosis were diagnosed by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFA) in Austria from the middle of 1977 to the end of 1979. Among the patients with the diagnosis of atypical pneumonia Legionnaires' disease was found in 0.65%. Among those patients whose sera were examined because of suspected legionella infection the frequency was 1.96% (p less than 0.1). Therefore it may assumed that some symptoms of legionella infections may lead to the clinical diagnosis of the disease. Neither the geographical distribution of the cases nor environmental examinations nor the prevalence of antibodies gave any indication of an epidemic or hyperendemic occurrence of Legionnaires' disease in Austria. Low antibody titres to serogroup 1 of Legionella pneumophila (1:32-1:64) were found in 6.4%, higher titres (greater than or equal to 1:128) in 1.2% of all patients examined. Crossreactions of sera mainly occurred between antigens of serogroup 1 and serogroup 2. Antibodies to serogroups 3 and 4 were found seldom. According to our results crossreactivity between L. pneumophila on the one side and Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Chlamydia psittaci on the other side is of no importance and does not interfere with serological diagnosis. In serological routine examinations frequency of recent infections with L. pneumophila in patients with pneumonia was about as high as with Chlamydia psittaci or Picornavirus. To our opinion the expenditure for serological diagnosis is justified in all patients with severe pneumonia of unclear etiology as there exists the possibility of a purposive chemotherapy in legionellosis as it does in mycoplasma pneumonia or ornithosis. Moreover for quick diagnosis it should always be attempted to demonstrate the causative agent by direct immunofluorescence or by isolation.

The Salmonella example demonstrates a principle for the isolation of high-immunogenic, stable Salmonella-mutants with two independently of each other attenuating mutations as potential vaccines from bacteria capable of multiplication. The isolation of such double-marker vaccination-strains is verified by the treatment of a single-marker strain (for instance an attenuated high-immunogenic auxotrophic pheno-type) with mutagen and the following selection of clones with the marker purin-auxotrophy as a second attenuating mutation. The demonstrated double-marker strains S. typhimurium his-155 pur-4 and S. dublin met-91 pur-23 are designated by the following parameters: Stability under the conditions of the practical vaccine application; immunogenicity for mice by one immunization only, and separability from homologous wild strains with simple laboratory methods.

One thousand and four strains of gram positive and gram negative bacteria were tested for the production of beta lactamase by Beta Lactam reagent disks and the results were compared with acidometric microtiter, disk diffusion and antibiotic dilution procedures. Three hundred and sixty-three clinical isolates had a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of greater than or equal to 2.0 micrograms/ml for penicillins. All the resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae and Haemophilus tested gave positive beta lactamase reactions with both methods within 30 min. Four hundred and thirty-seven members of these two genera and all other bacteria with MIC values of less than or equal to 2.0 micrograms/ml remained negative for the beta lactamase test by both procedures in 4 h. The Beta Lactam reagent disk as well as the micro-method are simple, rapid and reliable. Cost analysis of the two procedures demonstrated the micro-method to be more economical.