A clinical, genetic, and neuropathologic study in a family with 16q-linked ADCA type III.

Presented is the new kindred with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia linked to chromosome 16q22.1 (16q-ADCA type III) associated with progressive hearing loss. By haplotype analysis, the critical interval was slightly narrowed to three megabase regions between GATA01 and D16S3095. Neuropathologic study of 16q-ADCA type III demonstrated characteristic shrinkage of Purkinje cell bodies surrounded by synaptophysin-immunoreactive amorphous material containing calbindin- and ubiquitin-positive granules.

Yersinia enterocolitica O9 as a possible barrier against Y. pestis in natural plague foci in Ningxia, China.

A survey of Yersinia spp, as related to plague control, was made in Haiyuan of Ganning loess plateau plague focus, Yanchi of Inner Mongolia plateau plague focus, and Yinchuan city, as a control area, in Ningxia, China. In Haiyuan, where the main plague reservoir was Mongolian ground squirrel (Citellus alaschanicus) living in the prairie, Y. enterocolitica O9 was frequently isolated from pigs, dogs, rodents living in and around houses, but only rarely from hare and Mongolian ground squirrel. In Yanchi, where the main plague reservoir was Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) living in the prairie and Y. pestis, which was isolated from rodents up to 1991, Y. enterocolitica O9 was sometimes isolated from pigs and rodents. In all areas, some strains of Y. enterocolitica O3 and Y. pseudotuberculosis serotypes 3 and 4b were also isolated from pigs, dogs, and from rodents. We propose that an epidemiological link exists between the prevalence of Y. pestis and Y. enterocolitica O9 in domestic and rodents living in these areas in China. The residential area in Haiyuan may be protected against Y. pestis by the domestic animals and rodents which acquired cross-protection against Y. pestis by infection with Y. enterocolitica O9, but this is not the case in the Yanchi district.

Selective isolation of eae-positive strains of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

Culture on cefixime, tellurite, and sorbitol-MacConkey agar after HCl treatment facilitated the growth of 410 (94%) of 436 eae-positive Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains and 17 (16%) of 107 eae-negative STEC strains. This selectivity was closely related to acid resistance in E. coli and tellurite resistance in eae-positive STEC strains.

An effective, rapid and simple method for isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26, O111 and O157 from faeces and food samples.

An effective, rapid and simple method was developed for isolating Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26:H11, O111:H- and O157:H7 from faeces and food in less than 24 h. The procedure involves enrichment of these samples in Trypticase soy broth (TSB) at 42 degrees C for 6 h. The enrichment culture is exposed to 1/8N HCl +0.5% NaCl solution (1 + 1) for 30 sec, then plated onto MacConkey agar containing sorbitol, tellurite and cefixime (CT-SMAC) following culture at 37 degrees C for 18 h. The findings were compared with conventional enrichment methods for efficiency in recovering STEC from bovine faeces. The new method increased the sensitivity for isolation of < 10(2) STEC O26:H11, O111:HUT and O157:H7 CFU/g of bovine faeces and decreased the growth of other gram-negative microorganisms. This procedure is readily implemented for use in laboratories doing routine microbiological testing.

Long-term survival of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26, O111, and O157 in bovine feces.

Cattle are an important reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26, O111, and O157. The fate of these pathogens in bovine feces at 5, 15, and 25 degrees C was examined. The feces of a cow naturally infected with STEC O26:H11 and two STEC-free cows were studied. STEC O26, O111, and O157 were inoculated into bovine feces at 10(1), 10(3), and 10(5) CFU/g. All three pathogens survived at 5 and 25 degrees C for 1 to 4 weeks and at 15 degrees C for 1 to 8 weeks when inoculated at the low concentration. On samples inoculated with the middle and high concentrations, O26, O111, and O157 survived at 25 degrees C for 3 to 12 weeks, at 15 degrees C for 1 to 18 weeks, and at 5 degrees C for 2 to 14 weeks, respectively. Therefore, these pathogens can survive in feces for a long time, especially at 15 degrees C. The surprising long-term survival of STEC O26, O111, and O157 in bovine feces shows that such feces are a potential vehicle for transmitting not only O157 but also O26 and O111 to cattle, food, and the environment. Appropriate handling of bovine feces is emphasized.

Hydrochloric acid treatment for rapid recovery of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26, O111 and O157 from faeces, food and environmental samples.

We developed a hydrochloric acid treatment for the isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26:H11, O111:H- and O157:H7 strains from a variety of samples. After exposure to an equal volume of 1/8N HCl solution for 30 sec, the fecal suspensions and enrichment cultures were spread onto cefixime-tellurite-sorbitol-MacConkey (CT-SMAC) agar. This HCl treatment increased the sensitivity for detection of STEC O26:H11, O111:H- and O157:H7 strains and decreased the growth of other microorganisms, from faecal samples and enrichment cultures of a variety of samples. This approach is an important economical and time-saving method to simplify and speed up isolation of STEC O26:H11, O111:H- and O157:H7 from a variety of samples.

Genetic variation of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 strains detected in samples from western and eastern countries.

We made use of H-serotyping, ribotyping and restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmid DNA (REAP) to differentiate Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 strains. A close correlation between ribotypes/REAP patterns and the geographical and chronological distribution of serotype O:9 strains was apparent. In European countries, variant clones of serotype O:9 have rapidly increased among humans and swine since the late 1980s.

Putative origin of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in western and eastern countries. A comparison of restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmids.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis isolates from Russia east of Moscow, Korea and mainland China were used for restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmid (REAP) and findings were compared with REAP of isolates from Japan and Western countries. An identical REAP pattern of each serogroup 1a, 1b, 3, 4a and 4b strain was observed among isolates from Russia, Korea, mainland China, and Japan but such was absent in West European strains. Therefore, the possibility that the origin of Y. pseudotuberculosis between West Europe and eastern Eurasia east of Moscow may be from a different clone should be considered.

Introduction into Japan of pathogenic Yersinia through imported pork, beef and fowl.

Yersinia was isolated from imported raw meat and fowl products by HeLa cell treatment and conventional KOH-treatment, to obtain information on the origin of pathogenic Yersinia in Japan. Forty-one strains of Yersinia enterocolitica and one strain of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, serotype 4b were isolated from 38 (3.0%) of 1278 samples of pork, two (0.3%) of 612 samples of beef and two (0.3%) of 615 samples of chicken. Y. enterocolitica isolates belonged to B:4/O:3 (biotype/serotype, 15 strains), B:3/O:3 (two strains) and B:3 variant/O:3 (17 strains) and B:3/O:5.27 (seven strains). The B:4/O:3 which is globally prevalent among humans and animals was isolated from pork samples from Denmark and the US and from beef samples from Australia, the B:3/O:3 from pork samples from Canada, the B:3 variant/O:3 from pork samples from Taiwan and from chicken samples from Thailand, the B:3/O:5.27 from pork samples from the US and Taiwan and Y. pseudotuberculosis, serotype 4b from pork samples from Canada. These findings suggest that pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains can be introduced into Japan by the import of pork from pig producing countries. The HeLa cell treatment was found to be superior to the conventional method.

Restriction endonuclease analysis of plasmid DNA of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections in Shimane Prefecture, Japan.

The epidemiology of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections in a limited area of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, was examined by serotyping and restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmid DNA of Y. pseudotuberculosis strains isolated from humans, wildlife animals and river water. Almost all isolates from three sources belonged to serotype 1b REAP pattern D and serotype 4b REAP patterns B, G and L. The identity of the distribution of serotype and REAP patterns among isolates from humans, wildlife animals and river water shows that Y. pseudotuberculosis is transmitted to humans through environmental substances contaminated by wildlife animals infected with this species.

[Serosurvey for spotted fever group rickettsial infection in vertebrates in Shimane Prefecture].

We carried out a survey for the prevalence of antibodies to the spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsia in vertebrates such as dogs, cattle, deer, and mice in Shimane Prefecture. Rickettsia japonica was employed as antigen in indirect immunofluorescence (IF) tests. The experiment for natural infections using decoy animals was performed in the field of the endemic area. 1. Among 115 street dogs, 18.3% possessed the antibodies against SFG rickettsia, while all of the 8 hunting dogs had the antibodies. 2. Among 234 cattle tested, 17.9% possessed the antibodies. IF titers were 1:40 to 1:160 (mean 1:68). 3. Among 69 wild deer, 92.7% possessed the antibodies ranging between 1:40 and 1:640, which showed the highest IF titers (mean 1:89) among those of the examined vertebrates. 4. The incidence of the antibodies in Apodemus speciosus, Apodemus argenteus and Eothenomys smithi smithi mice were 16.5, 4.3 and 0%, respectively. The incidence of the antibodies against SFG rickettsia in mice captured in the endemic area was significantly higher (22.8%) than that in non-endemicarea (10.4%). Difference in the incidence of antibody-positive mice was also observed within the endemic area. Therefore, we concluded that the infection of mice was restricted to a limited area. 5. No significant rise in IF titers was observed in decoy animals that had been infested with ticks in the endemic area.

Isolation of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis from river waters in Japan and Germany using direct KOH and HeLa cell treatments.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was recovered from precipitates directly treated with KOH and/or HeLa cell in 25.7% of 680 river water samples collected in Japan. Recovery was nil in similar samples from Germany. Treatment of precipitates by KOH and infection of HeLa cells, respectively, is an expedient and selective means for isolation of Y. pseudotuberculosis from such samples.

Restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmids for molecular epidemiology of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections.

Restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmid DNA was used to study the epidemiology of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections. The origin of Y. pseudotuberculosis could be divided into two focus areas: Eastern Asia and Europe. Wild animals were an important reservoir for the Y. pseudotuberculosis seen in infections in humans.

Selective isolation from HeLa cell lines of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, pathogenic Y. enterocolitica and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli.

Using HeLa cell lines, we obtained an optimal and selective isolation of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, pathogenic Y. enterocolitica and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli from samples such as pork, feces and river water heavily contaminated with other bacteria.

Differentiation of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:5,27 strains by phenotypic and molecular techniques.

Restriction endonuclease analyses of virulence plasmid DNA (REAP) and chromosomal DNA and other phenotypic characteristics were used to study the differentiation of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:5,27 strains. There was a close correlation between REAP patterns and the geographical distribution of serotype O:5,27. Human isolates produced only one REAP pattern, which was also found with isolates from pigs and dogs.

Intestinal carriage of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis by wild birds and mammals in Japan.

Fecal specimens were obtained from wild birds and mammals in the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, an area where serotype 1b, 2b, 3, and 4b strains of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis were found to be prevalent in humans. Each of 869 animals, including 259 wild birds and 610 wild mammals, was screened for yersiniae. A total of 37 strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis were isolated from 34 (5.6%) mammals, including 23 raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), eight deer (Cervus nippon), two hares (Lepus brachyurus), and one marten (Martes melampus), and from two (0.8%) birds, including one eastern spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) and one wigeon (Anas penelope). The Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates collected belonged to virulence plasmid-positive (serotypes 1b, 2b, 3, 4b, and 6) and virulence plasmid-negative (serotype 5a) strains, the most predominant serotype being 4b. The close relationship between the regional distributions of Y. pseudotuberculosis in wild animals and humans suggests that wild animals are an important source of infection.