Evaluation of iron dextran and mucin for enhancement of the virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3 in mice.

The pathogenic role of Yersinia enterocolitica serotypes O:3, O:8, and O:9 in human infections is well documented. Whereas the virulence of the O:8 strains can be readily demonstrated in mice by 50% lethal dose determinations, the O:3 and O:9 strains have no lethal effect on mice by any route of inoculation. A mouse virulence test for the O:3 and O:9 strains is described. Y. enterocolitica strains were first tested for the presence of virulence-associated plasmid characteristics by auto-agglutination and gel electrophoresis procedures before mouse virulence determinations. The 50% lethal dose of the O:3 strains injected intraperitoneally with 2.5% mucin was about 10(7) colony-forming units. However, histological examinations showed that mucin allowed the growth of Y enterocolitica on the surface of the livers and spleens of the mice without internal lesions. The 50% lethal dose of the same O:3 strains injected intraperitoneally with 1 ml of 10% iron dextran in saline was about 10(5) to 10(6) colony-forming units, and the nonlethal infective dose with typical lesion development was 20 to 200 colony-forming units. The infected mice developed symptoms and extensive liver and spleen lesions which differed from those in mice infected intraperitoneally with the virulent O:8 strains. These results showed that the virulence of the O:3 Y. enterocolitica strains can be measured by intraperitoneal injection with iron dextran. This procedure was used to test the virulence of food isolates, plasmidless strains, and the effect of growth temperatures.

Bacteria associated with false-positive most-probable-number coliform test results for shellfish and estuaries.

Aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria isolated from false-positive, presumptive, total coliform, most-probable-number tests of Chesapeake Bay oyster, water, and sediment samples were characterized and then classified by numerical taxonomy. A total of 538 bacterial strains clustered into 17 phena, the predominant groups of which were Enterobacteriaceae (including Escherichia coli), Aeromonas spp., and Bacillus spp. Bacillus spp. were recovered most frequently from sediment samples. Gas-producing strains which were not members of the Enterobacteriaceae were not isolated during this study. However, disproportionately large numbers of atypical and anaerogenic lactose-fermenting strains were encountered. We concluded that no single, specific bacterial group can be identified as being responsible for the false-positive reaction in the presumptive coliform test. Instead, the false-positive reaction is a result of complex interactions among various genera, representing predominantly bacteria other than coliforms.

Aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria associated with the gut of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and whistling swans (Cygnus columbianus columbianus).

Aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria from the intestinal tracts of swans and geese were isolated and characterized as part of a larger study of the microbiological effects of migratory waterfowl on water quality. A total of 356 isolates were identified by using rapid identification methods and classified by using numerical taxonomy. A diverse population of bacteria was recovered from the waterfowl, and representative strains could be classified into 21 phena. The majority of the aerobic, heterotrophic bacteria found in the gut of the waterfowl were species of Enterobacteriaceae. Streptococcus. Lactobacillus, and Bacillus. Unfortunately, the birds that were examined did not harbor significant numbers of any waterfowl-specific bacterial species. Thus, it may not be possible to assess microbiological impact of migratory waterfowl by using and "indicator" species since avian fecal pollution could not be distinguished from animal and human fecal pollution.

Microbial impact of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) and whistling swans (Cygnus columbianus columbianus) on aquatic ecosystems.

Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the intestinal bacterial flora of Canada geese and whistling swans were carried out with the finding that wild birds harbor significantly more fecal coliforms than fecal streptococci. The reverse was typical of captive and fasting birds. Neither Salmonella spp. nor Shigella spp. were isolated from 44 migratory waterfowl that were wintering in the Chesapeake Bay region. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli were detected in seven birds. Geese eliminated 10(7) and swans 10(9) fecal coliforms per day. Results of in situ studies showed that large flocks of waterfowl can cause elevated fecal coliform densities in the water column. From the data obtained in this study, it is possible to predict the microbial impact of migratory waterfowl upon aquatic roosting sites.