[Microbial contamination of railroad trains]. / Studien über mikrobielle Kontamination durch Eisenbahnzüge.

The bacterial contamination of the air was studied in moving rail road trains. The air in front of the trains is poor in microorganisms. The contamination increases to the end of the train which is caused by the dust which is whirled up by the air stream from the rail substructure and the depletions from the toilets. The bacteria which had grown in a culture suspension, appeared in the air around the train when they have been poured to the toilets. The colony count decreases with the distance of the point of contamination. The prevention of contamination is mainly a economical problem but it can be solved in the future.

[The contamination of a hospital with Bacillus cereus without an indication of cases of infection]. / Kontamination eines Krankenhauses mit Bacillus cereus ohne Hinweis auf Infektionsfälle.

A hygienic investigation of a hospital revealed B. cereus in 60.5% (66 out of 109) of swab specimens taken from walls, apparatuses, airing devices and bedclothes. These findings were not associated with evidence of human infection caused by the organism within the hospital. In a similar investigation three weeks later, only 22.5% of the environmental specimens were positive for B. cereus. The hospital contamination with B. cereus has thus been virtually temporary and epidemiologically silent. Considering the potential pathogenicity of the organism however, its presence in the hospital environment cannot be approved of.

[Microflora in human milk samples]. / Mikroflora von Muttermilchproben.

According to international regulations human milk is not allowed to contain injurious microorganisms. In conformity with internal regulations the total number of germs must be below 10,000/ml. The present work informs on the test results of 5710 milk samples as to total number of germs and foreign infections. Coliforms were found 1139 times, Staphylococcus 1604 times, and Pseud. aeruginosa 364 times. Furthermore, relatively pathogenic microorganisms were indicated in 32 and aerobic spore-forming organisms in 66 samples. The number of cultivable microorganisms (number of units forming colonies) was with 84% of the samples below 10(4)/ml. The qualitative germ-determination was performed in 3512 cases. The flora consisted of milk Streptococci and Micrococci. Lactobacillus and Bifidus bacterium could not be indicated by means of the methods used. Micrococci which were found in 1258 samples were cultivable only in little amounts. The results underlined the importance to observe sanitary measures with obtaining and storing human milk; for collected milk a pasteurization is still indispensable.

[Effect of human excrement on the air flora in the vicinity of moving trains]. / Die Wirkung der Ausscheidung menschlicher Exkremente auf die Luftflora in Nähe fahrender Züge.

The use of train lavatories by the passengers during their journey was investigated. Selective samples in Petri dishes were exposed for 1 or 2 minutes at different times against the direction of train motion. The analysis showed that enterobacteria (E. coli, Klebsiella, coliform bacteria, Proteus) and chromogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) can be verified in addition to yeast fungi, mould, actinomyces and micrococci. The colony count obtained depends on the climatic conditions, the passenger frequency as well as the site and period of exposure. The "air tunnel" formed by the travelling trains must be looked upon as contaminated. I would be advisable for the trains to travel with the windows locked. The intestinal bacteria are little risk to the environment but definitely injurious to the passengers themselves.

[Further microbiological studies of the air in a newly built (under the pavement) section of the underground railway in Budapest]. / Weitere mikrobiologische Untersuchungen der Luft eines neugebauten (Unterpflasters-) Teils der U-Bahn in Budapest.

In three subway stations, which are "sub-pavement" stations (Budapest), microbiological air analyses were simultaneously carried out by means of sedimentation and by the use of Krotow's impactor. In the course of the examinations, which lasted eight months, the following max. values were obtained on the agar plates: 78 colonies/dm2/h and 239 colonies/m3; the rates of incidence for pathogenic and indicator bacteria were 2.7 and 1.7 per 10 plates. The strongest airflow was 0.7 m/sec. These values were obtained at the "Nagy-várad tér" station, which forms a transition to the subway stations. The "stopper effect" was found to exist here as well, although not to such an extent as in the deep subway stations, but still more pronounced than in the other two "subpavement" stations "Esceri ut" and "Határ ut". The microbiological values are at any rate more favourable than in the subway stations dealt with in an earlier paper.

[Relations between food poisoning and ascariasis]. / Zusammenhänge zwischen Lebensmittelvergiftung und Ascariase.

During the examination of faeces for the causative agents of food poisoning, the search was also extended to the occurrence of worm eggs. Ascaris lumbricoides eggs occurred six times more frequently in persons affected with food poisoning than in consumers who were not harmed by the intake of poisoned food. This relationship was observed in non-specific cases of food poisoning and in those of unknown aetiology, whereas it was less pronounced in cases of specific poisoning. This difference has not been confirmed for Trichuris trichiura. It is safe to say that Ascaris infection increases the disposition to manifestation of symptoms of intoxication and represents, among other things, a factor in the aetiology of food poisoning.

[Additional studies of the pathogenicity of aerobic spore-forming organisms (genus Bacillus) for mice]. / Weitere Studien über die Mäusepathogenität aerober Sporenbildner (Genus Bacillus).

An investigation of the parenteral pathogenic potential of aerobic spore-forming bacteria (genus Bacillus) in mice revealed that in the case of i.p. inoculation (0.5 ml suspension, 10(6)-10(7) viable cells per ml) only B. cereus was pathogenic, killing appr. one half of the inoculated animals (293 out of 577). Other bacilli (B. subtilis, B. megaterium, B. pumilus etc.) administered intraperitoneally did not produce any lethal effect. If inoculated intracerebrally, B. cereus killed appr. 90% of the mice (138 out of 155), while for other bacilli the rate was appr. 50% only (260 out of 529). It is suggested that most of the aerobic spore-forming organisms cultured from cases of hospital infections are B. cereus which, however, does not completely exclude the presence of other species.

[Hygienic-bacteriological examinations in station restaurants (author's transl)]. / Hygienisch-bakteriologische Untersuchungen in Bahnhofsrestaurants.

In four station restaurants (West station, East station, South station, Kelenföld station) microbiological examinations were carried out in conjunction with the inspection of the hygienic conditions. The microflora of the washed and dried drinking glasses and plates as well as the smocks of the kitchen staff were examined. Intestinal bacteria, chromogenic bacteria and pathogenic staphylococci were found in numerous crockery samples. Therefore, it is necessary either to improve the effectiveness of the cleaning process or to prolong the drying of the crockery by heat. Numerous species, such as intestinal bacteria, chromogenic bacteria liable to cause food-decomposition were found in the kitchen staff's smocks, sometimes even in great quantities. To reliably determine the microbiological limit values for smocks and other textiles, a great number of examinations are still necessary. The smocks of the staff handling pre-cooked meals, cold meals or pastries must also be microbiologically clean.--The medical activity in the areas mentioned proved also beneficial to the training in hygiene.

[Cases of severe enteric disease caused by spore-forming aerobic bacteria in Hungary (author's transl)]. / Durch aerobe Sporenbildner verursachte, schwer verlaufende Darmerkrankungen in Ungarn.

For a long time there has been doubt the facultative enteropathogenicity of saprophytic bacteria of the genus Bacillus; even today, it is not generally recognized. The simultaneous presence of numerous factors is known to be required for the genesis of enteric diseases (food poisoning). Among bacilli, B. cereus is the most pathogenic one, however, other species may also be involved. In Central Europe, food poisoning caused by bacteria become manifest after a latent period of 6-10 h. Gastric and intestinal convulsions which last for 8-12 h hand diarrhea with watery stools are observed. Nausea, vomiting, headache, and fever are rare symptoms. Cases of food poisoning observed in America and England were mainly characterized by nausea and vomiting lasting 4-6 h after a latent period of 1-2 h. both types have shown a mild course. In the present communication, 5 comparatively severe cases are described, of which 2 occurred in children. In 3 cases. foods of animal origin were incriminated as vehicles of infection, which had not been stated for earlier cases. The potential of spore-forming organisms, in particular of B. cereus, for causing severe disease should not be overlooked.

[The effect of the synthetic detergents on the formazan formation of various environmental bacteria (author's transl)]. / Die Wirkung der synthetischen Detergenzien auf die Formazanbildung verschiedener Umweltbakterien.

The authors studied the changes in activity of the dehydrogenase enzyme purifier of in the hygiene important bacteria, caused by different concentrations of various detergents with the aid of the triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride test (TTC) (Simmons-Williams test). The cation-active CTAB, in a contentration of only -0.008%, inhibited the enzymatic activity in all bacteria tested, whereas the non-ionic detergents (Praewozell and G 3707), even in high concentrations (5%) produced no inhibiting effect. The anion-active detergents (DBSNa-LSNa) differed in their action on the test bacteria, but Str. faecalis appears to be the most sensitive species, but Micrococcus was also sensitive. In the case of Str. faecalis a 0.03% DBSNa concentration and a 0.008% LSNa concentration was needed to produce the same effect in micrococci. E. coli pathogens proved relatively resistant to anionic detergents; a complete inhibition of the enzymatic activity was brought about by a 1% DBSNa and 0.63% LSNa concentrations. The results suggest that the TTC testing method is suitable for the evaluation of the action of ionic detergents in the organism.

[The importance of aerobic spore-forming Bacillaceae in routine demonstration of microorganisms (author's transl)]. / Die aeroben Sporenbildner im routinemässigen Nachweis von Mikroorganismen.

According to our studies the number of spore-forming bacilli at the average amounts to 2 to 15% within the air and food flora. Due to their presence in the air they can contaminate test samples. Likewise it is to be taken into consideration that they can cause pathological changes in susceptible organisms. In our laboratory we isolated aerobic bacilli from biological material in seven cases whereby pathogenicity was established in five cases thereof.