Internet use by patients--a shift in power?

Traditionally, the patient has relied on health care professionals for advice and knowledge. The unprecedented access to information offered by the Internet may challenge this relationship. To investigate this, a questionnaire was sent to 640 transplant patients. 24 responded positively and were interviewed to see if the information they found on the net had been useful, in negotiating a change in treatment or as support. Internet use was associated with younger males who had access to the net at work. 22 had found useful information although only 1 patient had negotiated a change in treatment as a result. As the Internet becomes universally available, patients will be empowered to have a larger role in maintaining their health, and support groups will be better able to help patients. To prepare to deal with this avalanche of information we need to develop a system of accreditation of Internet sites, to create our own sites and to collaborate with patient support groups.

Preliminary Observations on the Occurrence of Campylobacter jejuni at Four California Chicken Ranches.

During a 3-month period from April to July, 1983, three Campylobacter jejuni survey studies were done at four chicken ranches in Northern California. In Survey 1, 29 of 200 (14.5%) total cloacal swab and dropping samples collected from the 20 occupied houses on the four ranches were positive for C. jejuni . Positive samples were from two of the four ranches. On one of these ranches, both occupied houses were positive. However, on the other ranch, only one of six houses was positive. Follow- up feed, water, litter and dropping samples were collected from three houses on this latter ranch during Survey 2. Again, positive samples were from only one house with 26 of 30 (86.7%) droppings positive for C. jejuni and 3 of 20 (15%) water samples positive. No feed or litter samples were positive. During Survey 3, cloacal swabs or bird dropping samples were collected from two houses on each of three ranches at approximately weekly intervals from the time of arrival of new flocks of chickens. All six houses ultimately became positive. The first positive samples were collected from one house when chickens in that house were 12 d old. This house had contained C. jejuni -positive chickens during Survey 1, had old litter, and had not been very thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. First positive samples in each of the other five houses were collected when chickens were between 40 and 46 d old. Two of these houses had previously been positive for C. jejuni but had old litter replaced with new and had been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The three other houses had been negative for C. jejuni during Survey 1. Two of these houses had new litter and had been well cleaned. The other house contained old litter and had not been well cleaned. When each house became positive, virtually all samples from that house were positive within a week indicating that C. jejuni likely spreads rapidly among birds in the house.

Immune response of Tilapia aurea exposed to Salmonella typhimurium.

Tilapia aurea showed a specific immune response to Salmonella typhimurium. S. typhimurium was introduced into the gut of T. aurea by force-feeding. S. typhimurium was isolated from the fish viscera after 15 days, but at 30 days viable cells were not detected. T. aurea had an antibody titer to S. typhimurium after 30 days which was fivefold greater than the natural background antibody titer. An elevated antibody titer was not indicative of active bacterial infection.

Longevity of Salmonella typhimurium in Tilapia aurea and water from pools fertilized with swine waste.

Salmonella typhimurium declined rapidly when inoculated into Tilapia aurea culture pools fertilized with fresh swine waste. Within the water column, a 95% decline of viable cells occurred during the first 6 h. Isolation of viable salmonellae was possible at 16 days post-inoculation, but not at 32 days. Similarly, salmonellae could be detected in the viscera and epithelium of T. aurea at 16 days, although not at 32 days. Salmonellae were not isolated from the fish flesh, nor was there evidence of septicemic infection.

Crossbreeding channel catfish for improvement of body weight in earthen ponds.

Twelve experiments on intraspecific crossbreeding of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, for improvement of body weight are compared and reviewed. Crossbred fingerlings resulting from matings of unrelated F1 crossbred populations did not show heterotic growth. Crossbreds resulting from pure strain P1 showed an average increase of 10.3 percent in growth above the fastest growing parent strain. Marion female X Kansas male, a crossbred from two rapidly growing domestic strains, was the fastest growing to fingerling size. Average increase in body weight (fingerling to harvest size) by crossbreds was 1.5 percent greater than the fastest growing parent strain. Marion X Kansas, Auburn X Kansas, and Auburn X Uvalde were the fastest growing crossbreds to harvest size (8-13 percent increase in growth rate). Six of nine crossbreds made from Pi generations expressed heterosis above both parent strains for body weight. Eight of nine crossbreds grew better than at least one of their parents. Reciprocal crossbreds did not grow at the same rate. Males and females of a specific strain had different combining abilities with other strains. There was a maternal effect for combining ability. All crossbreds made with Auburn females exhibited heterosis.