ABSTRACT
A case of infection with Corynebacterium ulcerans (C. ulcerans), resulted in the sudden death of a previously healthy 73-year-old woman. Death from Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae) infection is well-documented. Fatalities following infection with C. ulcerans are unreported; this would appear to be the first documented death due to such infection.
Subject(s)
Corynebacterium Infections/mortality , Aged , Corynebacterium Infections/pathology , Female , HumansABSTRACT
An outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium DT9 food poisoning due to contaminated chicken pieces affected at least 196 delegates at a medical conference. Twelve per cent of the cases reported suffering parasthaesiae. Nine reported serious complications of infection which included rectal prolapse and perianal abscess. Antibiotic therapy did not measurably reduce the duration or severity of diarrhoea. Over 1,600 doctor-days were lost to the NHS. Most doctors sought expert infection control advice before returning to work but the advice given differed between hospitals.
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks/statistics & numerical data , Salmonella Food Poisoning/epidemiology , Adult , Age Factors , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Congresses as Topic , Humans , Middle Aged , Salmonella Food Poisoning/drug therapy , Wales/epidemiologySubject(s)
Legionnaires' Disease/epidemiology , Temperature , Water Supply , Adult , Aged , Equipment and Supplies, Hospital , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , WalesABSTRACT
Corynebacterium ulcerans strain 378 produces a bacteriocin (ulceracin 378) and a toxin when grown on semi-solid medium. Ulceracin 378 was purified 360-fold by dialysis and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-200. On the basis of Ultrogel AcA22 gel filtration its molecular weight was about 900 000. It could be dissociated by 2-mercaptoethanol and sodium dodecyl sulphate into smaller subunits of 25 000. The bactericidal activity was associated with this subunit which contained no carbohydrate or lipid. Ulceracin 378 was thermostable and stable over a wide pH range. Purified ulceracin 378 did not have a toxic effect (lethal) on guinea-pigs and rabbits and was immunologically distinct from the toxin.
Subject(s)
Bacteriocins/isolation & purification , Corynebacterium/analysis , Bacteriocins/immunology , Chromatography, Gel , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Immunodiffusion , Immunoelectrophoresis , Microscopy, Electron , Molecular WeightABSTRACT
The production of the bacteriocin ulceracin 378 by Corynebacterium ulcerans 378 was demonstrated during the growth of the organism on solid medium. Ulceracin 378 was not found in broth cultures and could not be extracted from the organisms by various solvents and salt solutions. Ulceracin 378 was not inducible by UV irradiation or mitomycin C treatments. Ulceracin 378 was active against all of the C. ulcerans strains tested and some related species, but it was not autoinhibitory. The active material was not phage related and was extracted from cultures grown on semisolid media composed of proteose peptone, Tween 80, Casamino Acids, glycerol, and sodium chloride. The yield was significantly reduced by either increasing the agar concentration or omitting Tween 80. Ulceracin 378 was resistant to DNase, RNase, phospholipases C and D, and alkaline phosphatase but was susceptible to proteolytic enzymes. This suggests that the active principle of ulceracin is protein in nature. Ulceracin 378 was partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, dialysis, and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose.
Subject(s)
Bacteriocins/biosynthesis , Corynebacterium/metabolism , Bacteriocins/isolation & purification , Bacteriophages , Corynebacterium/growth & development , PlasmidsABSTRACT
Twelve adults and children with cystic fibrosis received a total of 17 courses of ceftazidime for the treatment of an acute exacerbation of respiratory tract infection. In 6 cases ceftazidime was given as the sole antibiotic. All patients who were clinically assessable were considered to be cured of the acute infection, or improved. Bacteriologically all initial sputum specimens contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In 13 instances the organism disappeared during treatment, while in the other 4 the organism remained although the patients improved clinically. Additional organisms, usually Staphylococcus aureus or Haemophilus influenzae, were present in 7 instances. One patient suffered from nausea, palpitations and local skin inflammation on injection whilst being treated with ceftazidime, but the relationship between these adverse effects and ceftazidime was uncertain. The patient tolerated these effects without discontinuation of the drug.
Subject(s)
Cephalosporins/therapeutic use , Cystic Fibrosis/complications , Pseudomonas Infections/drug therapy , Respiratory Tract Infections/drug therapy , Adolescent , Ceftazidime , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Pseudomonas Infections/complications , Respiratory Tract Infections/complicationsABSTRACT
Tween 80 stimulated growth of Corynebacterium ulcerans but suppressed toxin production. It had no direct effect on preformed toxin. Toxin production was not inhibited by oleic, linoleic, palmitic or stearic acids.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Toxins/biosynthesis , Corynebacterium/metabolism , Polysorbates/pharmacology , Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis , Corynebacterium/drug effects , Corynebacterium/growth & development , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/pharmacology , Fatty Acids, Volatile/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Toxin from Corynebacterium ulcerans strain 378 was purified 66-fold by ammonium sulphate fractionation, dialysis, gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA22, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on AcA54. On polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis the purified material was homogeneous, staining for protein but not carbohydrate or lipid. The molecular weight of C. ulcerans toxin was 13000 as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and 15000 by gel filtration on AcA54.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Toxins/isolation & purification , Corynebacterium , Bacterial Proteins/analysis , Bacterial Proteins/isolation & purification , Bacterial Toxins/analysis , Molecular WeightABSTRACT
A study of diphtheria in Iran was undertaken during the summer of 1969. Diphtheria was found to be more common among the younger people and to reach its peak 3 months after the start of the school term, during the coldest period of the year. Owing to the liberal use of antibiotics a number of modified clinical cases were observed. Of the strains isolated, 89.7% were gravis, 1.3% intermedius and 9% mitis. Phage typing of these strains showed that the mitis and intermedius strains could only be typed by adapted phages and the majority of gravis strains were phage type XIV, which is the epidemic type seen in other countries.As the mass immunization campaign reduces the incidence of diphtheria in Iran, the epidemiological pattern of the disease will change as seen in the U.K. and U.S.A. It is, therefore, suggested that in the future further studies of diphtheria in Iran be undertaken in order to provide us with information about the changing epidemiological pattern of the disease.
Subject(s)
Diphtheria/epidemiology , Age Factors , Bacteriophage Typing , Carrier State , Child , Child, Preschool , Corynebacterium diphtheriae/classification , Diphtheria/prevention & control , Humans , Immunization , Iran , SeasonsABSTRACT
Antibiotics are of equal importance to antitoxin in the treatment of diphtheria, as an effective antibiotic rapidly halts the production of toxin. There appear to have been only two reports of the sensitivity of diphtheria bacilli to various antibiotics and these are based on the examination of less than 60 strains. In this paper the sensitivity of 192 strains to eight representative antibiotics is reported.
