Survey of campylobacter, salmonella and mycoplasmas in house crows (Corvus splendens) in Malaysia.

House crows (Corvus splendens) in Selangor, Malaysia were examined for the presence of Campylobacter species, Salmonella species, Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae by serology, culture and pcr. For the detection of Campylobacter and Salmonella species swabs were taken either from the intestine or cloaca. For the detection of mycoplasmas, swabs were taken either from the choanal cleft or trachea for culture and pcr and serum samples were tested by the rapid serum agglutination (rsa) and monoclonal antibody-blocking elisa (mbelisa) for antibodies to M gallisepticum and M synoviae. For campylobacter, 25.3 per cent of the crows were positive by culture, and the species identified were Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. No Salmonella species were isolated. Four of 24 swabs were positive for M gallisepticum dna but none gave positive results for M synoviae dna. No M gallisepticum or M synoviae antibodies were detected by rsa but 60 per cent of the sera gave positive reactions for M gallisepticum and 13 per cent gave positive reactions for M synoviae by mbelisa.

Detection of Mycoplasma synoviae in clinically normal pheasants.

Mycoplasma synoviae was isolated from the tracheas of seven clinically normal pheasants found in the vicinity of a chicken farm infected with M synoviae, but not from 120 pheasants and partridges with respiratory disease. When specimens were examined by the polymerase chain reaction only two additional pheasants infected with M synoviae were identified, one healthy and one diseased.

Mycoplasmas and respiratory disease in pheasants and partridges.

Pheasants and partridges with signs of upper respiratory disease were cultured for mycoplasmas and were also examined for Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae using commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kits. Sixty-two incidents of disease were investigated in pheasants and 12 in partridges. M. gallisepticum was detected by culture in only four and three incidents in pheasants and partridges, respectively, but with PCR a further 15 M. gallisepticum-positive incidents were detected in pheasants and another five in partridges. Several fast-growing Mycoplasma species, in particular Mycoplasma glycophilum, Mycoplasma gallinaceum and Mycoplasma pullorum, were isolated frequently and were thought to be impeding the isolation of M. gallisepticum by outgrowing it. Samples yielding M. gallisepticum isolates contained significantly fewer "contaminating" species and were exclusively from specimens submitted as whole heads rather than as swabs or as cultures from other laboratories. M. synoviae was not isolated and was detected in only one specimen by PCR.

Important problems identified by patients with chronic arthritis.

To assess the impact of their illness on their whole life experience 345 patients with chronic arthritis were interviewed and completed a questionnaire. Four major sub-groups were identified--rheumatoid arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis and osteo-arthritis. Taking into account definite inter-group differences, the commonest problems were pain (65%), stiffness (61%), inability to do everyday tasks (43%) and sexual difficulties (31%). The implications these problems raise in clinical practice are discussed and some suggestions for a rehabilitation programme made.