ABSTRACT
Optical emissions and incoherent scatter radar data obtained during high-frequency electromagnetic pumping of the ionospheric plasma from the ground give data on electron energization in an energy range from 2 to 100 eV. Optical emissions at 4278 A from N2+ that require electrons with energies above the 18 eV ionization energy give the first images ever of pump-induced ionization of the thermosphere. The intensity at 4278 A is asymmetric around the ionospheric electron gyroharmonic, being stronger above the gyroresonance. This contrasts with emissions at 6300 A from O(1D) and of electron temperature enhancements, which have minima at the gyroharmonic but have no apparent asymmetry. This direct evidence of pump-induced ionization contradicts previous indirect evidence, which indicated that ionization is most efficiently produced when the pump frequency was below the gyroharmonic.
ABSTRACT
Samples collected from 791 wild animals (Canada geese, roe deer, hares, moose, wild boar and gulls) shot during hunting were examined for verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157, and thermophilic Campylobacter and Salmonella species. With the exception of one positive isolate from a wild boar, VTEC O157 was not isolated from any of the animals. Salmonella species were isolated only from the gulls, of which 4 per cent were estimated to be positive. Thermophilic Campylobacter species were commonly isolated from all the species except deer.
Subject(s)
Animals, Wild/microbiology , Campylobacter/isolation & purification , Escherichia coli O157/isolation & purification , Salmonella/isolation & purification , Animals , Birds/microbiology , Campylobacter/classification , Deer/microbiology , Geese/microbiology , Rabbits/microbiology , Salmonella/classification , Seasons , Sweden , Swine/microbiologySubject(s)
Cat Diseases/epidemiology , Cat Diseases/prevention & control , Cat-Scratch Disease/veterinary , Animals , Bartonella henselae/genetics , Bartonella henselae/isolation & purification , Cat Diseases/etiology , Cat-Scratch Disease/epidemiology , Cat-Scratch Disease/etiology , Cat-Scratch Disease/prevention & control , Cats , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , Female , Male , Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary , Prevalence , Sweden/epidemiologyABSTRACT
AIMS: To compare and evaluate a polymerase chain reaction/restriction enzyme analysis (PCR/REA) method with standard phenotypic tests for the identification and differentiation of the thermophilic campylobacters Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, C. lari and C. upsaliensis. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-two presumptive thermophilic campylobacters from 12 different animal species were tested by a recently published PCR/REA and standard phenotypic tests. By PCR/REA, 95% of the isolates were clearly identified as either one of the four thermophilic Campylobacter species or as not belonging to this group of organisms at all. By standard phenotyping, 174 of the 182 isolates were initially identified as either C. jejuni, C. coli, C. lari or C. upsaliensis. Additional genotypic tests and phenotyping showed that 52 of these identifications were either incorrect or unreliable. Of the C. jejuni isolates, 19% were identified as C. coli by initial phenotyping and 27 sheep isolates phenotyped as C. coli or C. lari were, in fact, arcobacters. CONCLUSIONS: The PCR/REA was more reliable than standard phenotyping for the identification of thermophilic campylobacters from different animals. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Routinely used phenotypic tests often resulted in unreliable identifications, requiring additional testing. The PCR/REA, however, gave unequivocal results and was considered useful for the routine identification of thermophilic campylobacters from different animals.
Subject(s)
Animals, Domestic/microbiology , Animals, Wild/microbiology , Campylobacter Infections/veterinary , Campylobacter/classification , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Restriction Mapping , Animals , Campylobacter/genetics , Campylobacter/growth & development , Campylobacter/isolation & purification , Campylobacter Infections/microbiology , Cats , Cattle , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , Dogs , Hot Temperature , PhenotypeABSTRACT
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), mainly isolated from bovine mastitis (n = 89, representing 11 different species), were used to evaluate two commercial identification systems: ID 32 Staph and Staph-Zym. The level of agreement between the ID 32 Staph and Staph-Zym systems and conventional methods was 77 and 94%, respectively. An alternative method, based on solid biochemical substrates, is also presented. This can be used for identifying novobiocin-sensitive CNS strains from bovine mastitis.
Subject(s)
Mass Screening/veterinary , Mastitis, Bovine/diagnosis , Staphylococcal Infections/veterinary , Staphylococcus/classification , Staphylococcus/isolation & purification , Animals , Cattle , Coagulase , Female , Mass Screening/standards , Mastitis, Bovine/microbiology , Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiologyABSTRACT
A total of 112 isolates of Actinobacillus equuli, including both clinical isolates and isolates from the oral cavity of healthy horses, were included in this study. All isolates were ribotyped and 92 of the isolates were also typed biochemically, with the commercially available Pheneplate (PhP) system, which includes 48 different substrates. As expected, ribotyping was more sensitive than biochemical fingerprinting in detecting differences between the isolates. The correlation between the two methods used was poor. It was not possible to distinguish clinical isolates from normal flora isolates by either of the two methods used.
