Isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis from urethral scrapings of men.

Two strains of Chlamydia were isolated in McCoy cell cultures and hens' yolk sacs from urethral scrapings of men suffering from "nonspecific" urethritis. Their identification as Chlamydia trachomatis was based on cytoplasmic inclusions staining with iodine and on indirect immunofluorescence with anti-LGV serum. Both tests were performed in McCoy cells.

Infection of cattle and livestock handlers with Coxiella burnetti and Chlamydiae in the farm of Bernolákovo (West Slovakia).

Antibodies to phase II C. burnetti and to chlamydial antigen were found in sera of dairy cows and livestock handlers collected in the farm of Bernolákovo [West Slovakia]. The levels of C. burnetti antibodies detectable by the microagglutination reaction exceeded those detected by the complement-fixation reaction in 90% of cow sera. In the group of 51 dairy cows having C. burnetii antibodies, 58.8% of animals reacted positively with chlamydial antigen in titres from 8 to 256. In 3 of the 8 dairy cows selected from the group of animals which and both C. burnetii and chlamydial antibodies and were in the stage of lactation, the presence of C. burnetii in milk was demonstrated by bioassay in golden hamsters, whereas parallel attempts to demonstrate Chlamydiae were negative. However, on chlamydial strain from the placenta of a serologically positive dairy cow was isolated in chick embryo yolk sac. Simultaneous occurrence of C. burnetii and chlamydial antibodies in the sera of livestock handlers indicates the possibility of occupational hazard of agricultural worker's infection with only C. burnetii but also with Chlamydiae. Investigation of the causative connection of such a finding will be the subject of further studies.

[Cattle vaccination against Q fever in the rural district of Bratislava]. / Vakcinácia hovädzieho dobytka proti Q horúcke v okrese Bratislava-Vidiek.

Cattle attendants on two farms in the Outer Bratislava district showed symptoms of Q-fever. The blood of the cows in these farms was found to contain antibodies to Coxiella burnetti and the causative agent of the disease was detected in milk samples of aborting cows by biological assays on hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). The naturally invaded dairy cows with antibodies in the blood and heifers without antibodies were vaccinated with different doses of inactivated suspension of C. burnetii in stage I. A different antibody reaction to vaccination was obtained after the application of a four-fold amount of vaccine. It was proved that the animals did not excrete the causative agent of the infection even after administration of lower doses of the vaccine on the 120th day after vaccination.

[Isolation and identification of Clamydia psittaci as the pathogen in enzootic abortion of sheep in eastern Slovakia]. / Izolácia a identifikácia Chlamydia psittaci ako pôvodcu enzootického potratu oviec na východnom slovensku.

Abortions in ewes occurred on a large scale in three localities in eastern Slovakia. Antibodies to the group-type ornithosis antigen were detected in titres of 1 : 128 to 1 : 2048 in the aborting ewes in the mentioned localities. Suspensions were prepared from the four samples of material, obtained either from the placentae and afterbirths of the aborting ewes or from the tissues of the aborted foetuses. Seven-day old yolk sacs of chicken embryos were infected with these suspensions. Four strains of Chlamydia psittaci were isolated and designated EPO-A2-uterus, EPO-B1 aborted foetus-lung, EPO-B2-aborted foetus-lung, EPO-B3-aborted foetus-spleen. Differential diagnosis eliminated some bacteria, toxoplasma, and parainfluenza-3 virus as possible agents responsible for the abortions.

[Enzootic abortion among ewes in the Roznava district]. / Enzootický potrat oviec v okrese Roznava.

In the winter months of the year 1977, 64 dams out of 170 ewes pregnant for the first time miscarried on one farm in the locality G., Roznava district. Antibodies were revealed in 97% dams after the examination of the blood of 170 ewes from the abortion-affected flock; ornithosis antigen was employed for the examination in the complement-fixing reaction. In the cytoplasm of placentary cells of two miscarrying ewes chlamydiae were proved microscopically. The chlamydiae-strains designated LH-5109 and PK-5082 were isolated by inoculating placentary suspensions to the yolk sacs of chicken embryos. Both strains correspond to all the criteria necessitating the identification of chlamydiae (Storz, 1971). As miscarrying ewes in the course of abortions eliminate, with abortions and amniotic fluids, great amounts of chlamydiae to their environment, they represent a powerful source of infection to healthy animals housed on the same premises and to tending staff. Chlamydiae-antibodies were proved, by the complement-fixing reaction, in the blood of seven attendants out of all the eleven-member tending staff.

Immunization against Q-fever of naturally infected dairy cows.

Dairy cows infected naturally with Coxiella burnetii as evidenced either by presence of phase II agglutinating antibodies in the blood or by shedding C. burnetii in the milk, were vaccinated subcutaneously with formalin-killed phase I C. burnetii organisms. Attempts to demonstrate C. burnetii in the milk of vaccinated dairy cows 47 days after vaccination were negative, while continuous shedding of C. burnetii in the milk of control non-vaccinated dairy cows was repeatedly demonstrated in the course of 123 days (period of investigation). No harmful systemic reaction following vaccination was observed.

Vaccination of cattle against Q-fever.

Formalin-killed phase I C. burneti organisms containing the protective antigenic component were used for vaccination of heifers against Q fever. None of the vaccinated heifers contracted Q fever, whereas 8 out of 12 (66.6%) control, non-vaccinated heifers became infected when exposed to infection for 3 months in the breed of naturally infected dairy cows. In the vaccinated cattle C. burneti was detected immediately post partum neither in the placenta nor in the colostrum. No shedding of C. burneti in milk has been found so far during 3 years of post-vaccinal observation period. For detecting Q fever antibodies in the blood of vaccinated as well as naturally infected animals MAR was found more sensitive than CFR.

Experimental infection of weanling pigs with A-swine influenza virus. 3. Immunity in piglets farrowed by antibody-bearing dams experimentally infected a year earlier.

Pigs experimentally infected as weanlings with swine influenza virus, as described in previous papers, were bred from when mature. Attempts to isolate virus at parturition from the placenta and from different organs of some of the piglets immediately after birth gave negative results. Antibody levels were determined in the sows and remaining piglets at different times after birth, and the clinical course, immunity and antibody formation were studied in some of the piglets challenged with swine influenza virus 10 days after birth. The levels were found to be generally higher in the sows than those in their offspring. Specific antibodies were detected in piglets that had presumably not ingested colostrum, but the possibility of unobserved ingestion of colostrum could not be excluded. Colostrum-fed piglets had specific antibody in their sera; an increase in antibody titre occurred by the 10th day after birth, remained until the 20th day and decreased steadily to the 30th day. Colostrum-fed piglets receiving antibodies from immune dams were resistant to a challenge of virulent swine influenza virus, and did not respond with an antibody rise during a 30-day observation period after challenge.