Isolation, serotypes, and virulence-associated properties of Yersinia enterocolitica from the tonsils of slaughter hogs.

The objectives of this study were to determine the carriage rate of Yersinia enterocolitica in the tonsils of slaughter hogs, and to characterize them with regard to phenotypic and virulence-associated properties. Of 202 pigs examined from an abattoir in Prince Edward Island, 85 were culture positive for Y. enterocolitica. Sixty-seven percent of isolates belonged to serotype O:3, and 20% were serotype O:5. All isolates produced urease and 95% of O:3 isolates showed virulence-associated characters of autoagglutination at 37 degrees C and lack of fermentation of esculin and salicin. All isolates were tested for crystal violet binding, calcium dependency, and virulence plasmids. Eight isolates (5 belonging to serotype O:3, 2 belonging to O:5,27, and 1 belonging to O:7,8) were tested in addition for the production of heat-stable enterotoxin (ST), and iron-chelating siderophores. Of the 57 O:3 isolates, 93% were positive for crystal violet binding and calcium dependency and 98% possessed a 40-45 MDa plasmid. Four of the 5 O:3 isolates tested for ST related to Escherichia coli STa in a commercial enzyme immunoassay were positive. Six of the 8 isolates belonging to 3 different serotypes produced large orange halos around the colonies on a chrome-azurol-s agar assay medium, for siderophores. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests of all 85 isolates against 16 drugs showed 100% susceptibility against 12 drugs, including trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline.

The plasmid profiles of fish pathogenic isolates of Aeromonas salmonicida, Vibrio anguillarum, and Vibrio ordalii from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada.

The plasmid profiles of oxytetracycline- and streptomycin-resistant isolates of Aeromonas salmonicida, Vibrio anguillarum, and Vibrio ordalii were examined by agarose gel electrophoresis. Bacterial isolates were from disease outbreaks in fish on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Resistant isolates were examined when grown in the presence and absence of antibiotic. Alkaline lysis methods were used for plasmid isolation. Vibrio spp. were predominantly plasmidless, except for a 47-kilobase (kb) plasmid. Atlantic coast isolates of A. salmonicida possessed four or six plasmids, with four smaller plasmids ranging in size from 4.3 to 8.1 kb being consistently observed. The plasmid profiles of antibiotic-sensitive ATCC strains were identical. The plasmid profiles of the Pacific coast isolates of A. salmonicida varied slightly from those of the Atlantic coast isolates with six plasmids observed, ranging in size from 4.2 to 8.9 kb. Resistance to the antibiotics was not altered following plasmid curing experiments and resistance was not transferable to Escherichia coli. Thus, resistance to oxytetracycline and streptomycin did not appear to be plasmid mediated.

A microbiological assay for determining sarafloxacin and oxolinic acid concentrations in Atlantic salmon plasma.

A microbiological assay was developed to quantify the concentrations of the quinolone antibiotics sarafloxacin and oxolinic acid in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) plasma. The assay was a modification of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method for antibiotic concentrations in feeds using disk diffusion and a lawn of Vibrio anguillarum ATCC 19264 as the test organism. With these modifications, sensitivities of 0.04 microgram/mL for sarafloxacin and 0.125 micrograms/mL for oxolinic acid were obtained.

Traumatic hemipelvectomy associated with contralateral hip dislocation: case report.

A case of a 28-year-old man surviving traumatic hemipelvectomy is presented. This patient is the first reported survivor in Australia of traumatic hemipelvectomy and one of few survivors reported in the world literature. Accurate and rapid early management including good resuscitation, rapid transport to the operating room and an aggressive team surgical approach all contributed to survival. Acute complications can be kept to a minimum by adhering to the approach of rapid resuscitation and early intervention by a team of surgeons. Associated dislocation of the contralateral hip with sciatic nerve damage and subsequent heterotopic calcification has not been previously reported and presents a significant obstacle to rehabilitation. Early attention to the psychological status of the patient and early involvement of rehabilitation specialists is advocated.