South Med J, 1996 Sep, 89(9), 889 - 91 Prevalence of Salmonella enteritidis in poultry shell eggs in Arkansas; Schutze GE et al.; The objective of this study was to determine whether poultry shell eggs are a major reservoir of Salmonella enteritidis in Arkansas . One hundred dozen commercially purchased shell eggs were cultured for the presence of Salmonella sp . After each dozen eggs was examined, the contents of the 12 eggs were separated from their shells . The contents and the shells were separately pooled and cultured . One dozen of the 100 dozen egg shells cultured were found to be externally contaminated with S heidelberg, while none of the contents of the 100 dozen eggs were found to contain Salmonella organisms . The reevaluation of previously obtained telephone follow-up data on 204 patients with Salmonella infections from 1992-1993 revealed that 30 had consumed raw eggs before their salmonellosis but only one patient was infected with S enteritidis . These data suggest that poultry shell eggs are not a major cause of human illness due to S enteritidis in Arkansas. Hepatology, 1996 Sep, 24(3), 516 - 9 Salmonella hepatitis: analysis of 27 cases and comparison with acute viral hepatitis; El-Newihi HM et al.; The liver is commonly involved in patients with typhoid fever . However, severe hepatic derangement simulating acute viral hepatitis is rare . Our aim was to characterize the clinical picture, biochemical features, and prognosis of Salmonella hepatitis . Retrospective case-control analysis of medical records included 27 patients with Salmonella hepatitis and 27 inpatients with acute viral hepatitis from 1973 to 1993 . Travel history, clinical picture, a standard battery of 18 biochemical tests, complete blood counts, disease complications, duration of hospital admission, and final outcome were analyzed . Eleven patients with Salmonella hepatitis (40%) travelled abroad within 1 month of illness . A greater proportion of Salmonella hepatitis patients developed fever > 104 degrees (44% vs . 4%, respectively; P < .0001), and had relative bradycardia (42% vs . 4%, respectively; P < .002) than viral hepatitis patients . Salmonella hepatitis was associated with lower peak serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase, and higher peak serum alkaline phosphatase (296 vs . 3,234 U/L, 535 vs . 2,844 U/L, and 500 vs . 228 U/dL, respectively; P < .0001, <.0003, and <.004) . The admission ALT/lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) ratio, when levels of both enzymes were expressed as multiples of upper limit of normal value for each, was significantly lower in Salmonella hepatitis . All Salmonella hepatitis cases had a ratio < 4, and all viral hepatitis cases had a ratio > 5, P < .0001 . Left shift of white blood cells was more common in Salmonella hepatitis (83% vs . 37%; P < .004) . Patients with Salmonella hepatitis had a longer hospitalization (14.8 vs . 6.5 days, respectively; P < .0001) . All 54 patients survived their illness . The clinical picture of Salmonella hepatitis is frequently indistinguishable from viral hepatitis . The admission ALT/LDH ratio is the best discriminator between both entities . Other clues that raise the possibility of Salmonella hepatitis include high fever, relative bradycardia, and left shift of WBCs . Despite long hospitalization, Salmonella hepatitis responds to proper antibiotic therapy and has an excellent prognosis. J Infect Dis, 1996 Sep, 174(3), 451 - 5 Summary of the thirty-first United States-Japan Joint Conference on Cholera and Related Diarrheal Diseases; Lang DR et al.; The 31st United States-Japan Cholera and Related Diarrheal Diseases Conference was held in conjunction with the United States-Japan Malnutrition Conference at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, 30 November to 3 December 1995 . In addition to the overall conference theme of the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of enteric infections and malnutrition, researchers described substantial advances in cholera epidemiology, detection, molecular mechanisms, and pathophysiology plus new mechanisms for enterotoxigenic, enteroadherent, enterohemorrhagic, and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli . There was also emphasis on new work with and vaccine development with Bacteroides fragilis and Yersinia, Shigella, and Salmonella species. J Bacteriol, 1996 Sep, 178(17), 5323 - 6 Salmonella typhi contains identical intervening sequences in all seven rrl genes; Mattatall NR et al.; Salmonella typhi Ty2 rrl genes contain intervening sequences (IVSs) in helix-25 but not in helix-45 on the basis of observed 23S rRNA fragmentation caused by IVS excision . We have confirmed this and shown all seven IVSs to be identical by isolating genomic DNA fragments containing each of the seven rrl genes from S . typhi Ty2 by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; each rrl gene was amplified by PCR in the helix-25 and helix-45 regions and cycle sequenced . Thirty independent wild-type S . typhi strains, tested by genomic PCR and DraI restriction, also have seven rrl genes with helix-25 IVSs and no helix-45 IVSs . We propose that IVS homogeneity in S . typhi occurs because gene conversion drives IVS sequence maintenance and because adaptation to human hosts results in limited clonal diversity. Infect Immun, 1996 Sep, 64(9), 3916 - 9 Role of gamma-delta T cells in murine Chlamydia trachomatis infection; Williams DM et al.; The role of gamma-delta T cells in host resistance to Chlamydia trachomatis was characterized by using a murine model of pneumonia caused by the mouse pneumonitis agent (MoPn), murine C . trachomatis . At days 3 and 7 after infection, gamma-delta T-cell-deficient knockout mice had significantly higher levels of MoPn in the lungs than did immunologically intact controls . At day 20, paradoxically, gamma-delta T-cell-deficient mice were more resistant to MoPn than were controls . This increased resistance was not due to an increased production of toxic cytokines or interleukin-10 in controls on that day . Gamma-delta T cells play a role in protection early in MoPn infection, but they may be deleterious later in infection, as has been observed in models of salmonella and trypanosome infection. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 1996 Aug 30, 45(34), 737 - 42 Outbreaks of Salmonella serotype enteritidis infection associated with consumption of raw shell eggs--United States, 1994-1995; Risk factors associated with development of diarrhea in horses after celiotomy for colic: 190 cases (1990-1994); Department of Large Animal Medicine & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-4475, USAOBJECTIVE--To determine the incidence of the risk factors for developing diarrhea in horses after celiotomy for colic . DESIGN--Retrospective cohort study . ANIMALS--357 adult horses that had celiotomy for colic at the teaching hospital between Jan 1, 1990 and Sep 1, 1994 . PROCEDURE--Medical records of horses that had celiotomy for colic were reviewed to abstract information regarding development of diarrhea, signalment, history, and treatment . RESULTS--In horses that had celiotomy for colic, the incidence of diarrhea was 53.2% (190/357) . Using multiple logistic regression, horses with a disorder of the large intestine were approximately twice as likely to develop diarrhea after celiotomy as horses that had surgery for other types of intestinal lesions (P < 0.001) . Even after accounting for the effects of large intestinal surgery, horses that also had an enterotomy were approximately 1.5 times as likely to develop diarrhea (P = 0.042) . Diarrhea in horses associated with duration > 2 days, isolation of Salmonella spp from feces, or leukopenia was categorized as being severe . Incidence of severe diarrhea was 27.5% (98/357) . Using multiple logistic regression, horses that had surgery of the large intestine were approximately 2.5 times as likely to develop severe diarrhea after celiotomy as horses that had surgery for other types of intestinal lesions (P = 0.006) . In horses that had celiotomy for colic, those that were fed grass hay were approximately half as likely to develop severe diarrhea as were horses that were not fed grass hay (P = 0.018) . CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS--Although the risk factors identified for the development of diarrhea are not alterable, knowledge of them will enable clinicians to better advise clients and to better prepare for medical management of horses after surgery. Mutat Res, 1996 Aug 12, 369(3-4), 175 - 81 Saturated and monofluoro analogs of the oriental fruit fly attractant methyl eugenol show reduced genotoxic activities in yeast; Brennan RJ et al.; Methyl eugenol, is a commercially used fruit fly attractant and a suspected carcinogen . Several phenylpropenes, including methyl eugenol and the known carcinogen safrole, score negative in the Salmonella assay but score positive in the yeast DEL assay that selects for intrachromosomal recombination events in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . In an attempt to dissociate the beneficial properties of methyl eugenol from its genotoxic properties, saturated or fluorinated analogs were evaluated for their ability to induce intrachromosomal (DEL) recombination in yeast . Field tests have previously shown that all of the analogs used have appreciable properties as fruit fly attractants . The analogs 1,2-dimethoxy-4-ethylbenzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(2-fluoro-2-propenyl)benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(2-fluoroethyl)benzene and 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(3-fluoro-2-propenyl)benzene all showed reduced toxicity and reduced recombinagenicity in yeast compared to methyl eugenol . These results confirm the validity of fluorination and/or removal of the 2-propenyl moiety in reducing the toxicity and recombinagenicity of methyl eugenol derivatives. Mutat Res, 1996 Aug 12, 369(3-4), 129 - 45 Validation of the SOS/umu test using test results of 486 chemicals and comparison with the Ames test and carcinogenicity data; Reifferscheid G et al.; The present study gives a comprehensive update of all umu genotoxicity assay results published so far . The available data of 486 chemicals investigated with the umu test are compared with the Ames test (274 compounds) as well as rodent carcinogenicity data (179 compounds) . On the whole, there is good agreement between the umu test and the Ames test results, with a concordance of about 90% . The umu test was able to detect 86% of the Ames mutagens, while the Ames test (using at least 5 strains) detected 97% of the umu positive compounds . The elimination of TA102 from the set of Ames tester strains reduced the percentage of detectable umu genotoxins from 97 to 86% . The agreement between carcinogenesis and umu response was 65%, which is comparable to earlier studies concerning rodent carcinogenesis and Salmonella mutagenesis . The present compilation of umu results provides a database that can be used for the comparison of the SOS-inducing activity of chemicals and their mutagenicity, respectively, carcinogenicity . The results presented here clearly demonstrate that a chemical which induces the expression of the umu operon can be regarded a rodent carcinogen with a high degree of certainty (93%). Indian J Med Sci, 1996 Aug, 50(8), 277 - 9 Prevalence of multi-drug resistant Salmonella typhi in Ludhiana Punjab; Prabhakar H et al.; A total of 945 strains of S . typhi isolated from blood cultures during 1989 to 1994 were studied . Their antibiotic susceptibility showed 580 (61.4%) of strains to be multidrug resistant . The 464 strains tested for their susceptibility to ciprofloxacin were all sensitive to the drug . Twenty three (17.9%) of the 128 strains of S . paratyphi A were resistant to chloramphenicol . The sole isolate of S . paratyphi B was sensitive to all antibiotics tested. Biodegradation, 1996 Aug, 7(4), 335 - 43 Changes in mutagenicity during crude oil degradation by fungi; Rudd LE et al.; Two fungal strains, Cunninghamella elegans and Penicillium zonatum, that grow with crude oil as a sole carbon source were exposed to three crude oils that exhibit a range of mutagenic activity . At regular time intervals following fungal incubation with the various crude oils, extracts were tested for the presence of mutagenic activity using the spiral Salmonella assay . When the most mutagenic of the oils, Pennsylvania crude oil, was degraded by C . elegans or by P . zonatum, its mutagenicity was significantly reduced; corresponding uninoculated (weathered) controls of Pennsylvania crude remained mutagenic . West Texas Sour crude oil, a moderately mutagenic oil, exhibited little change in mutagenicity when incubated with either C . elegans or P . zonatum . Swanson River Field crude oil from Cook Inlet, Alaska is a slightly mutagenic oil that became more mutagenic when incubated with C . elegans; weathered controls of this oil showed little change in mutagenicity . Mycelial mat weights measured during growth on crude oils increased corresponding to the biodegradation of about 25% of the crude oil. Lett Appl Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 23(2), 115 - 9 Growth/survival of Salmonella enteritidis on fresh poultry and fish stored under vacuum or modified atmosphere; Nychas GJ et al.; The effect of vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging on the growth/survival of Salmonella enteritidis on fresh poultry and fish (Boops boops) is described . Salmonella enteritidis survived but did not grow significantly in all samples (poultry or fish) at 3 degrees C . At 10 degrees C the numbers of Salm . enteritidis increases rapidly in vacuum-packed samples and in samples flushed with 100% N2, 20% CO2/80% O2 of both types of proteinaceous food . Growth was also evident in fish and poultry flushed with 100% CO2; however the rate of growth was greater in fish samples rather than in poultry. Lett Appl Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 23(2), 107 - 9 Survival of Salmonella enteritidis Pt4 and Salm . typhimurium Swindon in aerosols; McDermid AS et al.; Small particle aerosols of plate-grown Salmonella enteritidis and Salm . typhimurium were generated and maintained within a rotating drum at 75% relative humidity and 24 degrees C for 2 h . Plate-grown organisms were found to be more aerosol-stable than broth-grown organisms . Differences were observed between the two species; plate-grown Salm . typhimurium retained 100% viability after 2 h compared to approximately 70% for plate-grown Salm . enteritidis . A large proportion of cells of both serotypes remained viable in aerosols after 2 h, confirming the potential for airborne transmission for these organisms, e.g . within henhouses and during food processing. J Comp Pathol, 1996 Aug, 115(2), 185 - 9 Respiratory and digestive lesions caused by Salmonella arizonae in two snakes; Oros J et al.; Cases of diphtheritic necrotizing gastritis in a Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata) and of necrotizing tracheitis in a double-headed Kingsnake (Lampropeltis hondurensis), both associated with Salmonella arizonae, are described . An immunoperoxidase technique indicated that S . arizonae played a role in the causation of the lesions . In addition, the study showed the value of the technique for the detection of S . arizonae in the tissues of infected snakes. Zentralbl Bakteriol, 1996 Aug, 284(4), 559 - 64 Protection against bacterial infection by urea extracts from Salmonella; Schlecht S et al.; Immunization assays were performed in NMRI mice using urea extracts from both the S-form and an R-mutant of S . typhimurium . Our results show that, apart from providing protection against infection, both vaccines induced a DTH (delayed type hypersensitivity) reaction against the antigen extract . The strength of the DTH reaction depended on the type of test antigen used, the urea extracts proving to be superior to extracts obtained by ultrasonication . With the urea extract, all animals responded in the foot pad test . Both parameters of the immune response, protection against infection and the strength of DTH, could be further enhanced by a lipopeptide adjuvant, which was effective both in mixture and conjugate form; the humoral immune response was not enhanced . Thus, urea extract vaccines from S . typhimurium induce a cell-mediated response which can be further enhanced by lipopeptide adjuvants. Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 1996 Aug, 52(4), 403 - 9 Flow cytometric analysis of the reactivity of workshop monoclonal antibodies on sheep lymph node cells, after infection with Salmonella abortusovis; Bernard S et al.; Of the 302 monoclonal antibodies included in the Third Workshop on Ruminant Leukocyte Antigens, 167 have been tested for their reactivity on uninfected and Salmonella-infected sheep lymph node leukocytes using FACS analysis . Only 47 of them showed specificities which could be related to those of some control monoclonal antibodies, such as the anti-CD5, anti-Ig light chain and anti-MHC Class II monoclonal antibodies. Eur J Epidemiol, 1996 Aug, 12(4), 409 - 12 Two outbreaks of typhoid fever related to the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bradaric N et al.; Two outbreaks of typhoid fever caused by Salmonella typhi of the same phagotype (A, biotype II), and antibiotic susceptibility are reported . Both occurred during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina . The first outbreak appeared among the refugees from the town of Jajce . The second outbreak appeared among the inhabitants in the village of Vidosi near Livno . This report describes main clinical, epidemiological and laboratory findings for 22 patients treated in Split University Hospital, Croatia, in the period November 1992-January 1993 . Possible epidemiological connections between those two outbreaks are discussed. Eur J Epidemiol, 1996 Aug, 12(4), 377 - 81 Interregional foodborne salmonellosis outbreak due to powdered infant formula contaminated with lactose-fermenting Salmonella virchow; Usera MA et al.; Spain's Salmonella surveillance system backed by regionally-based epidemiologists around the country made it possible to detect and halt the spread of a foodborne salmonellosis outbreak due to powdered infant formula contaminated with a lactose-fermenting strain of Salmonella virchow . Forty-eight cases involving children, mostly under 7 months old, were detected in 14 out of Spain's 17 Regions . The outbreak started in January and ended in June 1994 . All cases were microbiologically confirmed . The implicated strain had a 3.6 kb plasmid, was susceptible to all antimicrobials tested except nitrofurantoin and was phagetype 4a . Isolates from 8 of 24 Brand "A" milk samples tested had the same characteristics as case isolates . All affected/suspect batches of Brand "A" milk were destroyed and the product withdrawn from sale, which led to the end of the outbreak . This incident underscores the importance of maintaining surveillance systems able to detect and prevent foodborne outbreaks and alert to the possibility of isolating unusual lactose-fermenting Salmonella serotypes in especially sensitive food products. Kansenshogaku Zasshi, 1996 Aug, 70(8), 792 - 800 {Epidemiological characters of Salmonella serovar enteritidis isolated from patients with sporadic diarrhea in Yamanashi prefecture during the last 11 years (1985-1995)}; Kaneko M et al.; A total of 603 strains of Salmonella serovar Enteritidis (SE) isolated from patients with sporadic diarrhea during the period from April 1985 to December 1995 in Yamanashi Prefecture, were examined for their yearly and monthly frequency of SE isolates, drug susceptibility, phage typing and plasmid profile . The results can be summarized as follows: 1) The rate of sporadic diarrhea due to SE to all the Salmonella isolates were 4.4% during the period from 1985 to 1988 . However it suddenly increased to 47.1% in 1989 . After that, the rates decreased to half every year as compared to 1989 . And yet, in the last 3 years it became as high as 69.2%, 68.9% and 73.5% in 1993, 1994, and 1995, respectively . 2) Monthly frequency of isolates was 20.1% in September, 19.4% in August, 15.3% in October, 10.9% in July . 3) The predominant ages of isolates were 2 years of age (7.3%), 1 year of age (6.1%), 4 years of age (5.8%), 3 years of age (5.6%) . 4) The rates of isolates from males was higher than females (Male: 59.5%, Female: 40.5%) . 5) The rate of resistant isolates was 85.4% in the period . The predominant resistance pattern was SM single (417 strains: 69.2%), SA.SM.TC resistance (76 strains: 12.7%) . 6) The phage type (PT) of isolates were classified into 15 different patterns . After 1990, the most prevalent PT was PT4 . And recently, new types of PT appeared in isolation of PT22 in 1994, PT5 in 1995 . 7) The predominant plasmid profile (PP) of SE isolates was 60 kb plasmid . Almost all SE strains of PT4 carried 60 kb plasmid . SE strains of PT1 possessed 2 patterns of PP . One pattern showed that SM single resistance strains carried only 60 kb plasmid, on the other hand SA . SM.TC resistance strains carried 60, 50, 7.5 kb plasmids. Food Chem Toxicol, 1996 Aug, 34(8), 725 - 30 Effect of commercial marinades on the mutagenic activity, sensory quality and amount of heterocyclic amines in chicken grilled under different conditions; Tikkanen LM et al.; The effect of processing conditions on the mutagenic activity and sensory quality of everyday food was studied by investigating grilled chicken samples seasoned with four different marinades and grilled at temperatures of about 110, 170 and 220 degrees C . The amounts of the heterocyclic amines 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo{4,5-f}quinoxaline, 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo{4,5-f}quinoxaline and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo{4,5,-b}pyridine were determined only in samples grilled at 220 degrees C, using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique with negative-ion chemical ionization . Sensory quality was determined using the extended ranking test method and the mutagenic activity using the Ames Salmonella assay . At 220 degrees C one of the marinades decreased the mutagenic activity in the chicken samples compared with the unseasoned control or samples treated with the other marinades . Great variations, without any clear correlation with mutagenicity, were observed in the amounts of heterocyclic amines between chicken samples treated with the same or different marinades . At the grilling temperatures of 170 degrees C and 110 degrees C the mutagenic activities of the chicken samples were lower or they were non-mutagenic . There was no correlation between mutagenic activity and sensory quality of the products . The samples with high mutagenic activity were ranked to be as good as the samples with lower or no mutagenicity . The results show that it is possible to prepare grilled products with reduced mutagenicity without compromising their sensory quality . It was also evident that marinades can have a reducing effect on the mutagenicity of grilled chicken . Variation observed in the amounts of heterocyclic amines between equivalent products makes it difficult to estimate their concentration in everyday foods. Int J Food Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 31(1-3), 301 - 9 Screening of Salmonella in naturally contaminated feeds with rapid methods; Fierens H et al.; Five commercially available screening methods, the Oxoid MSRV, Merck SALMOSYST-RAMBACH AGAR combination, Organon Teknika SALMONELLA-TEKTM, Dynal DYNABEADS ANTI-SALMONELLA and Foss Electric EIAFOSS, were compared to the conventional culture procedure for the detection of Salmonella in naturally contaminated feed samples . A total of 217 feed samples from animal as well as from vegetable origin were examined . Twenty one samples were found to be positive for Salmonella by all methods combined . The conventional culture method detected 17 (81,0%), MSRV 19 (90,5%), SALMOSYST-RAMBACH 8 (38,1%), SALMONELLA-TEK 19 (90,5%), DYNABEADS ANTI-SALMONELLA 7 (33,3%) and EIAFOSS 21 (100%) of the 21 total Salmonella contaminated samples. Int J Food Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 31(1-3), 283 - 99 Microbiological analysis of 'black pudding', a Trinidadian delicacy and health risk to consumers; Adesiyun AA et al.; The prevalences of Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in black pudding which originated from local vendors and supermarkets in Trinidad were determined . The enterotoxigenicity of S . aureus strains and occurrence of O157:H7 strains amongst E . coli isolates were also investigated . For the 100 black puddings each sampled from supermarkets and vendors, the mean total aerobic plate count (TAPC) per g was 1.8 x 10(7) +/- 1.5 x 10(7) and 1.5 x 10(8) +/- 2.3 x 10(8), respectively . E . coli was isolated from 56 (56.0%) black pudding samples from supermarkets with a mean count per g of 9.2 x 10(6) +/- 7.9 x 10(6) compared to a prevalence of 79% (79 of 100) and mean count per g of 3.2 x 10(7) +/- 4.7 x 10(7) for samples from local vendors . The difference between prevalences was statistically significant (P < or = 0.001; chi 2) . Only 1 (2.2%) of 45 strains of E . coli from supermarket-purchased pudding tested, was an 0157:H7 strain compared to 9 (13.6%) of 66 strains of E . coli from vendor-sold black pudding . The difference was not statistically significant (P > or = 0.05; chi 2) . Five (5.0%) of 100 black pudding samples from supermarkets yielded Salmonella, with S . ohio being the predominant serotype . For vendor-sold black pudding however, 11 (11.0%) samples were positive for Salmonella with a new serotype, S . unnamed (4,12:d-) being responsible for 50% (6 of 12) of isolates from this source . Forty samples each of black pudding from supermarkets and vendors were all (100.0%) positive for S . aureus with mean counts per g being 3.1 x 10(5) +/- 8.8 x 10(5) and 3.3 x 10(6) +/- 7.7 x 10(6), respectively . Overall, 27 (33.8%) of 80 strains of S . aureus tested were enterotoxigenic producing staphylococcal enterotoxins A(SEA), SEB, SEC, SED or a combination . It was concluded that black pudding poses a high risk to consumers based on the prevalence, microbial load and toxigenicity of the pathogens detected. Int J Food Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 31(1-3), 273 - 82 Multilocus enzyme electrophoretic (MEE) analysis of Australian isolates of Salmonella enteritidis; Cox JM et al.; Seventy-three Australian isolates of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) were analysed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MEE) using a polyacrylamide gel system . Analysis of 11 enzyme loci identified eight electrophoretic types (ETs), with 61 of the isolates assigned to ET1, and 72 isolates considered to represent a clonal lineage . Representative isolates of each of the Australian ETs were then compared with isolates from England, Germany and the United States, using a starch gel system and 13 enzyme loci . The overseas isolates formed a single ET with representatives of the major Australian ET . It is concluded that Australian isolates of SE are closely related genetically to those from countries in which egg-borne transmission is common. Int J Food Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 31(1-3), 173 - 80 The major sources of Salmonella enteritidis in Thailand; Sakai T et al.; The data of Salmonella serotypes during 1989-1993 from the World Health Organisation (WHO) National Salmonella and Shigella Center, Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Medical Science, Ministry of Health, Thailand was analysed and found that the prevalence of Salmonella enteritidis had been dramatically increased since 1990 . The average S . enteritidis isolates from human patient samples was 0.70% +/- 0.41% of the total reported Salmonella isolates during 1972-1989 and increased to 1.33%, 2.98%, 9.54%, and 16.98% in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993, respectively . The similar trend of S . enteritidis isolates from chicken meat samples were also observed . However, the conclusive epidemiological relationship between human and chicken S . enteritidis isolates needs to be proved by phage typing or other Salmonella typing methods. Int J Food Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 31(1-3), 27 - 43 Luminescent Salmonella strains as real time reporters of growth and recovery from sublethal injury in food; Chen J et al.; LuxA and luxB genes from V . harveyi carried by a Tn-5 containing plasmid were introduced into S . enteritidis by either conjugation or electroporation . Lux genes were used as a reporter to indicate the effects of heat treatment (50 degrees C, 55 degrees C and 65 degrees C) and pH (from 1 to 7) on the survival, growth and recovery of Salmonella cells . When a luminescent S . enteritidis strain, obtained by electroporation, was subjected to a plasmid curing procedure, the resulting culture lost the plasmid but remained luminescent . Southern hybridization was performed to determine the location of lux genes in S . enteritidis cells . The light output from recombinant cultures with different gene locations was compared and found to be higher for strains in which the luciferase was plasmid-mediated . The luminescent Salmonella culture was inoculated in food samples such as homogenized chicken meat, whole liquid eggs and fluid milk and development of luminescence with time was monitored . The minimum number of Salmonella cells required for positive observation was approximately 1 x 10(2) CFU/ml in broth and homogenized meat cultures, 2 x 10(3) CFU/ml in fluid milk and 7 x 10(3) CFU/ml in whole liquid egg. Bioorg Med Chem, 1996 Aug, 4(8), 1361 - 4 Synthesis and biological evaluation of an electronically activated isooxacephem; Hakimelahi GH et al.; New isooxacephem (+/-)-3-ethyl 2-hydrogen (6RS,7RS)-8-oxo-7-(phenylacetamido)-4-oxa-1-azabicyclo {4.2.0}oct-2-ene-2, 3-dicarboxylate (8) was synthesized from (+/-)-dibenzyl 2-{cis-2-oxo-3-(phenylacetamido)-4-styryl-1-azetidinyl}-2-{t- butyldimethylsiloxy(methoxycarbonyl)methyl}malonate (1) in six steps . This bicyclic beta-lactam was found to possess notable biological activities against several pathogenic microorganisms in vitro, including Staphylococcus aureus 95, S . aureus FDA 209P, Escherichia coli ATCC 39188, Salmonella typhi O-901, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 18S-H, P . aeruginosa 1101-75, and Klebsiella pneumoniae NCTC 418 . The electronic activation of the beta-lactam moiety by an ester group plays a prominent role in the biological activity of this novel isooxacephem. Immunobiology, 1996 Aug, 195(3), 385 - 400 Induction of nitric oxide synthase in bovine mononuclear phagocytes is differentiation stage-dependent; Jungi TW et al.; Bovine monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) activated by various means were assessed for induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), using the Griess assay, Northern blotting and reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) . Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) induced little, if any, iNOS expression and NO production in MDM, although these cells responded to IFN-gamma in other regards . In contrasts, MDM produced copious amounts of NO when stimulated with LPS or Salmonella dublin, and this was paralleled by high steady state levels of iNOS mRNA . Heat-killed Listeria monocytogenes induced more iNOS mRNA and nitrite than IFN-gamma, but much less than L . mono-cytogenes and IFN-gamma combined . Monocytes differed from M phi with respect to iNOS induction and nitrite production in several regards: (i) LPS and S . dublin induced only low levels of iNOS mRNA and nitrite in monocytes, although cells responded to these stimuli in various other ways: (ii) IFN-gamma alone induced in monocytes iNOS mRNA generation and NO formation, although to a low and variable degree; (iii) upon maximal stimulation (e.g . by L . monocytogenes and IFN-gamma combined), monocytes produced much less nitrite than MDM, and mRNA levels were lower . Regulation of macrophage iNOS varies considerably between species . We provide the first evidence in any species that the steady state levels of iNOS mRNA and NO generation in monocytes and macrophages activated by various means depend on the stage of mononuclear phagocyte differentiation. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol, 1996 Aug, 18(3), 433 - 41 Production of IL-1 beta and IL-6 by adherent spleen cells after the stimulation with lipopolysaccharides from Salmonella enteritidis strain; Kollarova Z et al.; Three different procedures were used to isolate lipopolysaccharides from the Salmonella enteritidis strain 477: phenol-water extraction with ethanol precipitation (LPS 1), phenol-water extraction with methanol precipitation (LPS 2) and FPLC purification (LPS 1/1) . Production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was observed in the supernatants of adherent spleen cells of BALB/c mice after the stimulation and cultivation of the cells . The quantity of IL-1 beta and IL-6 depended on the method of LPS isolation . The highest level of IL-1 beta was recorded at LPS 2, and of IL-6 at the stimulation of cells by means of LPS 1. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol, 1996 Aug, 18(3), 355 - 74 Immunological effects following administration of interferon-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (cHCV) infection; Jirillo E et al.; The immunological effects of interferon (IFN)-alpha administration were evaluated in 15 patients with cHCV infection . Individuals were treated with 6 MU of lymphoblastoid IFN-alpha three times a week for 6 months and with 3 MU three times a week for an additional 6 months . Patients were divided into responders (12 subjects) and nonresponders (3 subjects), respectively, according to alanine aminotransferase serum levels at the end of treatment . Before therapy (T0), absolute numbers of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD14+ and CD16+ cells were significantly reduced in both groups when compared to normal values . At the same time, all patients displayed a profound decrease of phagocytosis and killing exerted by both polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) and monocytes (MO) . However, MO Killing resulted to be normal in the responder group . With special reference to T cell function, T cell mediated antibacterial activity, using Salmonella typhi as a target, was also significantly reduced . After therapy (T12), in responder patients a significant increase of CD3+, CD4+, CD14+ and CD16+ cell absolute numbers was observed, while phagocytic and T cell functions were still depressed . Among the nonresponders, in two of three patients IFN-alpha administration gave rise to an increase (above normality) of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD14+, CD16+ and CD20+ cell absolute numbers, while in one patient the same markers dramatically dropped below normal range . In two patients, antibacterial activity was significantly augmented by IFN-alpha treatment, whereas in one patient no modification was observed . Finally, in the same patients IFN-alpha did not correct PMN and MO pretreatment deficits. Pediatr Emerg Care, 1996 Aug, 12(4), 285 - 7 An uncommon presentation of Salmonella; Deutsch A et al.; Salmonella infection can cause appendicitis by direct invasion of the appendix, or can mimic appendicitis by causing mild inflammation of the appendix, ileum, or lymph nodes . Clinical presentation and radiologic and laboratory evaluation may not distinguish the extent of underlying pathology . This case of a child with an atypical presentation of Salmonella who underwent diagnostic laparotomy illustrates the overlap of enteric infections and acute appendicitis . A literature review confirms the variety of clinical scenarios of patients with suspected appendicitis and Salmonella-positive cultures . We conclude that enteric infection should be considered in children with atypical presentations of appendicitis, and that the knowledge that Salmonella can progress to appendicitis should guide management if signs and symptoms of appendicitis develop. Shock, 1996 Aug, 6(2), 106 - 11 Effect of endotoxin-enhanced hepatic reperfusion injury on endothelium-dependent relaxation in rat aorta; McKenna R et al.; We have investigated endothelial function in a two-hit model of multiple organ failure . Male Fischer rats were subjected to 20 min of partial hepatic ischemia followed by reperfusion and administration of .5 mg/kg Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin at 30 min of reperfusion . After either 4 or 24 h of reperfusion, rings of aorta were prepared and suspended in bioassay baths, contracted with phenylephrine, and examined for endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to acetylcholine and endothelium-independent relaxation using nitroglycerin . Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was impaired in rings from animals exposed to endotoxin-enhanced reperfusion injury at both 4 h and 24 h . At 24 h of reperfusion the EC50 for acetylcholine relaxation was significantly increased from 45 +/- 8 nM to 258 +/- 105 nM . Endothelium-independent relaxation to nitroglycerin was not affected . The 21-aminosteroid Tirilazad mesylate (U-74006F) prevented endothelial dysfunction; at 24 h of reperfusion the EC50 for acetylcholine relaxation in U-74006F-treated animals was 55 +/- 8 nM . Thus, endothelial function is impaired in this model of multiple organ failure and this impairment is prevented by Tirilazad mesylate. Zentralbl Veterinarmed B, 1996 Aug, 43(6), 357 - 63 Differentiation of Salmonella gallinarum and Salmonella pullorum by their whole-cell fatty acid methyl ester profiles; Ryll M et al.; The whole-cell fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles of Salmonella (S.) gallinarum and Salmonella (S.) pullorum strains were compared in the computer-linked gas-liquid chromatography . The profiles of whole cellular FAMEs allow the separation and identification S . gallinarum and S . pullorum by the Microbial Identification System and so can be used for their differentiation. Trop Med Int Health, 1996 Aug, 1(4), 443 - 8 Non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia: clinical features and risk factors; Thamlikitkul V et al.; A case control study was conducted to determine the risk factors of non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia . Eighty adult patients with non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia admitted to Siriraj Hospital from January to December 1993 served as the cases . The controls comprised 3 groups: group 1, 80 adult in-patients with Escherichia coli bacteraemia; group 2, 80 adult in-patients who did not have bacteraemia and had been admitted to the hospital during the same period as the cases; group 3, 80 in-patients who did not have Salmonella bacteraemia and matched the cases in terms of gender, age, hospital services and admission date . AIDS and corticosteroid use were the major risk factors for acquiring non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia with an odds ratio of 7.27 to 12.31 (95% confidence interval of 3.39 to 29.40) . Almost all patients with non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteraemia presented with a fever for a median duration of 7 days . AIDS patients usually had concomitant opportunistic infections . Salmonella group D was the most common serogroup . Most patients were treated with co-trimoxazole, quinolones, ceftriaxone and ampicillin . Localized suppurative complications were observed in 14% of the patients; the overall mortality rate was 36.3%, 12% of whom died prior to receiving appropriate antibiotics for Salmonella. Trop Med Int Health, 1996 Aug, 1(4), 439 - 42 Plasmid-mediated multidrug resistance in Salmonella typhi in Kuwait; Panigrahi D et al.; Multidrug resistant Salmonella typhi infection is common in Kuwait . Between January 1993 and December 1994, 266 strains of S . typhi were isolated from blood of suspected typhoid fever cases attending the Infectious Disease Hospital, Kuwait . Of these, 205 strains were isolated from patients from the Indian sub-continent, 105 (45%) of which showed resistance to one or more drugs; 91 of these resistant strains showed resistance to the oral antimicrobials ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline and co-trimoxazole (ACTCo) . All 266 isolates were sensitive to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporines . The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for ampicillin, chloramphenicol and tetracycline in resistant strains were > 1000 micrograms/ml . All 91 strains with ACTCo resistance pattern transferred their resistance to a recipient E . coli strain, whereas none of the remaining 14 strains with different resistance patterns transferred theirs . This paper reaffirms that multidrug resistant S . typhi is quite common in Kuwait and that such resistance is encoded by auto-transferring plasmids. Epidemiol Infect, 1996 Aug, 117(1), 79 - 88 Isolates of Salmonella enterica Enteritidis PT4 with enhanced heat and acid tolerance are more virulent in mice and more invasive in chickens; Humphrey TJ et al.; Two Enteritidis PT4 isolates which differed in inherent tolerance to heat, acid, H2O2 and the ability to survive on surfaces were used to infect mice, day-old chicks or laying hens . The acid-, heat-, H2O2- and surface-tolerant isolate was more virulent in mice and more invasive in laying hens, particularly in reproductive tissue . However, no significant differences were observed in behaviour in chicks . Both PT4 isolates were able to infect chicks housed in the same room as infected birds, although the heat-tolerant isolate survived significantly better than the heat-sensitive one in aerosols. Epidemiol Infect, 1996 Aug, 117(1), 69 - 77 World Health Organisation--supervised interlaboratory comparison of ELISAs for the serological detection of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis in chickens; Barrow PA et al.; A collaborative exercise, supervised by the World Health Organisation, was set up to compare ELISAs used for the serological detection of Salmonella enteritica serotype Enteritidis in chickens . The aim was to ascertain how far agreement could be reached on the interpretation of optical density readings for high titre, intermediate titre and low titre sera . Two sets of sera were sent to 14 participants . The first set compared high, medium and low titre sera raised in specified-pathogen-free and commercial broiler breeder chickens . The second set comprised 20 sera of different antibody titres raised in commercial birds reared under laboratory conditions and sent blind . Both indirect and double-antibody sandwich blocking ELISAs were used with a number of different detecting antigens . With a few exceptions good agreement was reached on the interpretation of results obtained from high and low titre sera from the optical density obtained with a single serum dilution . Differences were observed in the interpretation of medium titre sera . The results suggested that most ELISAs produce reasonably comparable results and that practical problems may arise from interpretation of the results mainly as a result of the choice of the criteria used for differentiating sera obtained from infected and uninfected chickens . These problems are discussed. Epidemiol Infect, 1996 Aug, 117(1), 35 - 41 Salmonella virchow PT 26 infection in England and Wales: a case control study investigating an increase in cases during 1994; Willocks LJ et al.; An increase in the number of human isolates of Salmonella virchow phage type (PT) 26 in England and Wales during 1994 was investigated . A national case control study was conducted which included 88 cases and 182 controls . The cases were mostly young adults (median age 26) and 13 (15%) were admitted to hospital . Acquisition of S . virchow PT 26 was associated with the consumption of any chicken (OR 2.5, CI 1.1-5.8), of chicken curry from restaurants and take aways (OR 2.9, CI 1.4-6.1), and of some other diverse types of pre-prepared chicken (OR 3.8, CI 1.9-7.6) . Halal chicken was associated (P = 0.006) with illness in a subset . There were negative associations with contact with animals (OR 0.47, CI 0.23-0.95) and with the consumption of chicken cooked whole (OR 0.37, CI 0.21-0.66) . The increase in S . virchow PT 26 may be due to changing epizoology and may be an indicator of what will become the dominant salmonella strain in poultry in future years . The increasing incidence of S . virchow PT 26 is of particular concern because of its association with more invasive disease in humans. Epidemiol Infect, 1996 Aug, 117(1), 29 - 34 Recurrent outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in a Texas restaurant: phage type 4 arrives in the United States; Boyce TG et al.; In recent years infection caused by Salmonella serotype Enteritidis (SE) phage type 4 has spread through Europe but has been uncommon in the USA . The first recognized outbreak of this strain in the USA occurred in a Chinese restaurant in EI Paso, Texas, in April 1993; no source was identified . In September 1993, a second outbreak caused by SE phage type 4 was associated with the same restaurant . To determine the cause of the second outbreak, we compared food exposures of the 19 patients with that of two control groups . Egg rolls were the only item significantly associated with illness in both analyses (first control group: odds ratio {OR} 8.2, 95% confidence interval {CI} 2.3-31.6; second control group: OR 13.1, 95% CI 2.1-97.0) . Retrospective analysis of the April outbreak also implicated egg rolls (OR 32.4, 95% CI 9.1-126.6) . Egg roll batter was made from pooled shell eggs and was left at room temperature throughout the day . These two outbreaks of SE phage type 4 likely could have been prevented by using pasteurized eggs and safe food preparation practices. Epidemiol Infect, 1996 Aug, 117(1), 17 - 28 Distribution, gene sequence and expression in vivo of the plasmid encoded fimbrial antigen of Salmonella serotype Enteritidis; Woodward MJ et al.; The pefA gene which encoded the serotype associated plasmid (SAP) mediated fimbrial major subunit antigen of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium shared genetic identity with 128 of 706 salmonella isolates as demonstrated by dot (colony) hybridization . Seventy-seven of 113 isolates of Typhimurium and individual isolates of serotypes Bovis-morbificans, Cholerae-suis and Enteritidis phage type 9b hybridized pefA strongly, whereas 48 isolates of Enteritidis hybridized pefA weakly and one Enteritidis isolate of phage type 14b failed to hybridize . Individual isolates of 294 serotypes and 247 individual isolates of serotype Dublin did not hybridize pefA . Southern hybridization of plasmids extracted from Enteritidis demonstrated that the pefA gene probe hybridized strongly an atypical SAP of 80 kb in size harboured by one Enteritidis isolate of phage-type 9b, whereas the typical SAP of 58 kb in size harboured by 48 Enteritidis isolates hybridized weakly . One Enteritidis isolate of phage type 14b which failed to hybridize pefA in dot (colony) hybridization experiments was demonstrated to be plasmid free . A cosmid library of Enteritidis phage type 4 expressed in Escherichia coli K12 was screened by hybridization for the presence of pef sequences . Recombinant clones which were deduced to harbour the entire pef operon elaborated a PEF-like fimbrial structure at the cell surface . The PEF-like fimbrial antigen was purified from one cosmid clone and used in western blot experiments with sera from chickens infected with Enteritidis phage-type 4 . Seroconversion to the fimbrial antigen was observed which indicated that the Enteritidis PEF-like fimbrial structure was expressed at some stage during infection . Nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrated that the pefA alleles of Typhimurium and Enteritidis phage-type 4 shared 76% DNA nucleotide and 82% deduced amino acid sequence identity. J Appl Bacteriol, 1996 Aug, 81(2), 195 - 200 Antimicrobial susceptibility and plasmid-mediated streptomycin resistance of Plesiomonas shigelloides isolated from blue crab; Marshall DL et al.; Five Plesiomonas shigelloides strains isolated from retail or wild-catch Louisiana blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) were examined for resistance to selected antibiotics and presence of plasmids . Three agar media, MacConkey, Salmonella-Shigella and a modification of inositol brilliant green bile salt (IBB), were evaluated for isolation of P . shigelloides . Of these, IBB was most satisfactory for distinguishing between P . shigelloides and the related species Aeromonas hydrophila . Isolates were susceptible to gentamicin, nalidixic acid and tetracycline, and were resistant to ampicillin, carbenicillin, kanamycin and streptomycin . Each isolate carried three plasmids of approximately 2.5 kb, 3.8 kb and 5.3 kb . Plasmid curing with ethidium bromide and elevated temperature linked the streptomycin resistance determinant with the 3.8 kb and/or 5.3 kb plasmids . These results provide the first description of small size plasmids in P . shigelloides . Identical antibiotic resistance patterns of the isolates indicated they share a common environment and likely share a common mode for developing antibiotic resistance . Furthermore, emergence of antibiotic-resistant P . shigelloides may imply contamination of Louisiana aquatic environments by wastewater. J Immunol, 1996 Aug 1, 157(3), 1028 - 36 Activation of murine lymphocytes by lipopolysaccharide incorporated in fusogenic, reconstituted influenza virus envelopes (virosomes); Dijkstra J et al.; We have studied the in vitro activation of murine lymphocytes with LPS incorporated in the membranes of both phospholipid vesicles (liposomes) and vesicles composed of fusogenic, reconstituted influenza virus envelopes (virosomes) . The incorporation of Salmonella minnesota rough-LPS in liposomes reduced the potency of LPS to stimulate splenocyte proliferation and cell surface kappa-light chain expression on 70 Z/3 pre-B cells by over 100-fold . Salmonella minnesota rough-LPS inserted into virosomes was at least 10-fold more potent than free LPS, both when prebound virosomes were allowed to be taken up by the cells at neutral pH and when the virosomes were fused into the plasma membrane by low pH treatment . Inactivation of the virosomes by low pH pretreatment reduced the potency of the virosomal LPS to the level of liposome-incorporated LPS . The association of the various LPS forms with the cells was quantitated using radio-iodinated LPS . Correcting for uptake, virosomal LPS remained 2- to 10-fold more potent than free LPS in stimulating B lymphocytes and at least 100-fold more active than liposomal LPS or fusion-inactivated virosomes . After low pH-induced fusion with the plasma membrane, the majority (80%) of the prebound virosomes had fused with the cells, compared with about 8% after neutral uptake . From these results we conclude that LPS inserted into the plasma or endosomal membranes efficiently activates murine lymphocytes . The fusion data suggest that the incorporation into endosomal membranes might be a more effective stimulus. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1996 Aug 1, 209(3), 629 - 31 Control of an outbreak of salmonellosis caused by drug-resistant Salmonella anatum in horses at a veterinary hospital and measures to prevent future infections; Hartmann FA et al.; Salmonella anatum was isolated from horses treated at a private veterinary clinic or at a university veterinary medical teaching hospital . All isolates were resistant to most commonly used antibiotics . Because of the severity of disease resulting from outbreaks of infections with drug-resistant strains of S anatum, an epidemiologic investigation was conducted . Enteric bacteria, including S anatum, that were resistant to most antibiotics were isolated from the private veterinary clinic environment . Salmonella anatum was not isolated from the university teaching hospital environment . To prevent transmission, disinfection and isolation protocols were reviewed, and changes were implemented, including discontinuing use of power sprayers for cleaning, improving a two-step disinfection process, restricting movement of horses, and enhancing awareness of Salmonella spp transmission . Communication and prompt action are pivotal in preventing dissemination of resistant strains of Salmonella spp in a clinic or hospital environment. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1996 Aug, 62(8), 2741 - 6 Use of homoduplex ribosomal DNA spacer amplification products and heteroduplex cross-hybridization products in the identification of Salmonella serovars; Jensen MA et al.; When the hypervariable 16S-23S intergenic spacer regions found in prokaryotic ribosomal DNA (rDNA) are amplified from conserved adjacent sequences, homoduplex double-stranded DNA structures and heteroduplex structures containing substantial regions of single-stranded DNA are generated . The electrophoretic separation of these structures results in product profile patterns, which may be organized into highly correlated pattern groups of ribosomal spacer and heteroduplex polymorphism (RS/HP) types . In a test panel of 380 Salmonella strains that were analyzed by this procedure, 36 unique RS/HP types were observed . Of the 28 serovars in the test group, 21 showed single characteristic RS/HP types . The remaining seven serovars each contained multiple RS/HP types, which were also unique to individual serovars . Formation of heteroduplex structures with a substantially reduced electrophoretic mobility was observed in 29 of the 36 RS/HP pattern types . Because the mobility of these heteroduplex structures is sensitive to intergenic spacer sequence composition, the presence of these structures adds an additional diagnostic feature that is extremely useful in the differentiation of Salmonella serovars . The RS/HP types show sufficient diversity to be useful in the identification of many commonly observed Salmonella serovars . This analytical procedure is simple to perform and is well suited to rapid and inexpensive screening of large numbers of Salmonella strains. Mutat Res, 1996 Jul 22, 354(2), 183 - 93 A study of the structural basis of the ability of chlorinated alkanes and alkenes to induce aneuploidy and toxicity in the mold Aspergillus nidulans; Rosenkranz HS et al.; A knowledge-based system (MULTICASE) was applied to the elucidation of the structural basis of the induction of aneuploidy and growth inhibition by a group of chlorinated alkanes and alkenes in Aspergillus nidulans . It was found that while there were commonalities in the structural determinants associated with fungicidal and fungostatic activities, there were none between these and the structures associated with the induction of aneuploidy . Moreover, there did not appear to be a commonality between the structures associated with the induction of aneuploidy and those associated with the induction of mutations in Salmonella. Commun Dis Rep CDR Rev, 1996 Jul 19, 6(8), R112 - 5 Four outbreaks of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 food poisoning linked to a single baker; Wight JP et al.; An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness occurred among a party of diners at a hotel in South Yorkshire . A case control study identified a gateau, from an outside supplier, as the likeliest vehicle of infection . Further gateaux from the same baker's premises and other outlets were examined microbiologically . Three other outbreaks of food poisoning in neighbouring districts were recognised and found to be associated with gateaux supplied by the same baker . A total of 32 cases were identified . Stool specimens from 24 cases grew Salmonella enteritidis phage type (PT) 4 . The same organism was also grown from gateau in the domestic refrigerator of the chef of one hotel, cheesecake made by the same baker, and a gateau and ingredients from the baker's premises . The isolates of S . enteritidis PT4 were all fully sensitive to antibiotics, and had the same plasmid and pulsed field gel electrophoresis profiles . It is most likely that cross contamination occurred from infected raw eggs on the baker's premises . The control measures instituted probably prevented two further outbreaks, and the baker now uses only pasteurised eggs . The benefits of close cooperation between different local and health authority districts in the investigation of the outbreaks are discussed. FEMS Microbiol Lett, 1996 Jul 15, 141(1), 31 - 6 Construction of CTB fusion proteins for screening of monoclonal antibodies against Salmonella typhi OmpC peptide loops; Paniagua-Solis J et al.; Mice were immunized with resin-bound peptides whose sequences have been proposed to be part of exposed loops in Salmonella typhi outer membrane protein OmpC . To screen hybridomas for monoclonal antibodies against those epitopes, we designed fusion proteins where the candidate peptide sequence was attached to the amino end of cholera toxin B-subunit (CTB) . The constructed fusion proteins allowed the efficient selection of positive clones by GM1-ELISA . Selected antibodies recognized purified OmpC and whole Salmonella bacteria . This suggests a native structure of our genetically attached peptides in agreement with immunological properties reported for previous CTB recombinant fusion proteins . In a more general context, CTB hybrids could be used to screen for antibodies towards immunogenic epitopes in other systems . This might turn out to be particularly useful when producing antibodies against peptide sequences in microorganisms whose handling is difficult or that pose inherent health risks. Vet Rec, 1996 Jul 6, 139(1), 11 - 6 Stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome: a study of calves with an abnormal thyroid gland; Smyth JA et al.; Data collected from 365 calves dead from stillbirth/perinatal weak calf syndrome were analysed to determine the predictive value of thyroid gland weight as an indicator of abnormality of the thyroid gland, and to examine the relationships between abnormality of the thyroid gland and other findings in the calves and also the parity of the dam . There was a significant relationship (P < 0.001) between the thyroid gland weight and bodyweight for the calves with a histologically normal thyroid gland, but there was no such relationship for calves with an abnormal thyroid gland . Only 1.1 per cent of the histologically normal thyroid glands weighed more than 30 g, indicating that there is a very high probability that glands weighing more than 30 g are abnormal . However, 76.0 per cent of moderately to severely affected glands weighed less than 30 g . The following significant differences between calves with an abnormal and those with a normal thyroid gland were established . Abnormal thyroid glands were significantly heavier (P < 0.01), constituted a significantly greater percentage of the calf's bodyweight (P < 0.01) and had a significantly lower iodine concentration (P < 0.001) . A significantly higher proportion of calves with an abnormal thyroid gland had uninflated lungs (P < 0.01), and a significantly higher proportion had pneumonia (P < 0.01) . Abnormal thyroid glands were associated with a low selenium concentration in the kidneys . There were no associations between abnormalities of the thyroid gland and the parity of the dam, the presence of skeletal fractures, the weight or sex of the calf, infection with leptospira, Salmonella dublin, Bacillus species, Actinomyces pyogenes or Aspergillus species, the quantities of hepatic iron pigment, liver vitamin E concentration or serum cholesterol concentration. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1996 Jul 5, 224(1), 184 - 90 Abnormal activation of K+ channels underlies relaxation to bacterial lipopolysaccharide in rat aorta; Hall S et al.; We have examined the role of K+ channels in mediating vasorelaxation produced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in endothelial-denuded strips of rat aorta precontracted with phenylephrine (1 microM) . Salmonella typhosa LPS (0.1 microgram/ml) caused significant relaxation of tension which peaked at approximately 4hr . The K+ channel blocker, tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA; 10 mM), fully reversed these relaxations whether applied before or after long term exposure to LPS . L-arginine, the substrate for nitric oxide synthase, caused large relaxations in tissues incubated with LPS that were markedly inhibited by TEA . In contrast, TEA or L-arginine had little effect on phenylephrine contractions in control tissues . Furthermore, the inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, aminoguanidine (0.4 mM), reversed the effects of LPS and blocked responses to TEA . These results suggest that activation of K+ channels, possibly Ca-activated K+ channels, through induction of the nitric oxide synthase pathway, may well be responsible for endotoxin-mediated hyporeactivity to vasoconstrictor agents in vascular smooth muscle. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1996 Jul-Aug, (4), 53 - 7 {Epidemiological data on salmonellosis due to Salmonella enteritidis in some areas of the Russian Federation}; Khazenson LB et al.; A rise in morbidity caused by S . enteritidis at individual territories of the Russian Federation in the second half of 1980s was due to the consumption of insufficiently heated infected chicken eggs and the nonobservance of sanitary and hygienic rules in the preparation of food from chicken meat . The spread of S . enteritidis in the Russian Federation occurred mainly at the territories supplied with incubator eggs from the same poultry-breeding enterprise . S . enteritidis strains isolated from infected patients, chicken eggs, follicles and chicken-meat products belonged to biovar Jena (as a rule, to phagovar 1), had plasmid with a mol . wt . of 38 MD, produced no aerobactin, and their overwhelming majority was resistant to antibiotics. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1996 Jul-Aug, (4), 46 - 9 {Salmonellosis in Moscow: its epidemiological characteristics and the prevention tasks}; Solodovnikov IuP et al.; Zooanthroponotic Salmonella infections in Moscow are characterized, on the whole, by the same epidemiological characteristics as in other areas of Russia . Despite the pronounced polyetiological character of these infections, only a few Salmonella serovars were found to dominate in their dynamics for many years . The 1970s were characterized by a growth in morbidity due to a wide spread of S.typhimurium among children of early age in hospitals . This situation was stabilized by 1985, but since 1986 a sharp rise in morbidity was observed again, reaching its peak in 1989 . This time its rise was determined by S.enteritidis, whose specific etiological importance grew from 13.3% to 81.3% . The growth of these bacteria was determined by a sharp increase in the epidemic role of such transmitter factors of Salmonella infection as chicken meat, prepared chicken meat products, as well as chicken eggs and their products, including confectionery, which production appreciably increased during this period simultaneously with the presence of a high level of infection among poultry in Russia with salmonellae of this serovar . High morbidity, observed all year round, with a high proportion of adults among patients (more than 60%) is the direct consequence of the preserved still present epidemic activity of the "chicken" factor and a high virulence of S.enteritidis. West Afr J Med, 1996 Jul-Sep, 15(3), 165 - 9 Multiple-resistant Salmonella group G outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit; Newman MJ; An outbreak of nosocomial infection due to multiple-resistant Salmonella Group "G' infection in a neonatal intensive care unit in a temporary ward is reported . It started with five cases of Septicaemia and one case of meningitis over a period of about six weeks . Investigation of the outbreak resulted in isolation of a multiple-resistant Salmonella Group G from the rectal swab of 21 out of 72 babies (29%) . Surveillance culture from staff yielded two fully-sensitive salmonella species . Stool culture from mother of colonised babies were all negative . Environmental cultures from the nursery grew multiple-resistant Salmonella Group G from three of four incubator mattresses and also from the radiant warmer . Institution of strict aseptic measures, followed by closure of the ward was able to stop the epidemic. Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 1996 Jul, 103(7), 273 - 7 {The distribution of antibiotically-resistant organisms in the environment with special attention to salmonellae}; Tschape H; Antibiotic resistant determinants (R) prevail in environmental bacteria independent of antibiotic application in human and veterinary medicine als well as in agriculture . Due to horizontal gene transfer (plasmids) the spread of R . determinants to pathogenic bacteria occur in relation to selection pressure . Since salmonella bacteria have been found to persist in environmental habitats for a long time they will serve as recipients as a reservoir (donors). Avian Dis, 1996 Jul-Sep, 40(3), 672 - 6 Sewage effluent: likely source of Salmonella enteritidis, phage type 4 infection in a commercial chicken layer flock in southern California; Kinde H et al.; Following the diagnosis of Salmonella enteritidis, phage type 4, infection in a commercial layer flock in southern California, effluent from a nearby sewer treatment plant was investigated as a potential source of infection . Between July 1994 and March 1995, 68 Salmonella isolations, comprising 27 serotypes, were made from the inflow (raw sewage) and effluent (treated sewage) . Thirty-nine of 68 (57%) isolations yielded six serotypes, which consisted of S . enteritidis 12% (8/68), S . cerro 10% (7/68), S . typhimurium 7.4% (5/68), S . tennessee 7.4% (5/68), S . give 7.4% (5/68), S . mbandaka 7.4% (5/68), and S . panama 6% (4/68) . The remaining 43% (29/68) isolations were represented by 21 serotypes . Seventeen S . enteritidis isolates originating from the effluent (creek water), resident feral animals (rodents, stray cats, skunks), and chickens (organs, eggs) of the affected flock were subjected to plasmid profile and restriction endonuclease analysis . Twelve of the 17 isolates had identical plasmid profile and restriction digestion patterns . Two of 17 isolates showed similar patterns but both differed from the rest; and 1 of 17 did not yield plasmids . Two other isolates were found to be different from each other and from the rest of the group. Avian Dis, 1996 Jul-Sep, 40(3), 665 - 71 Salmonella enteritidis, phase type 4 infection in a commercial layer flock in southern California: bacteriologic and epidemiologic findings; Kinde H et al.; Salmonella enteritidis, phage type 4 (SE PT4), was isolated from five of six 27-wk-old layer chickens submitted for necropsy from a flock of 43,000 . Bacteriologic and epidemiologic investigations on the ranch revealed that five of the eight flocks (n = 176,000) were infected . The prevalence of SE PT4 in randomly selected healthy birds ranged from 1.7% (in caged birds) to 50% (in free-range birds) and prevalence in culled birds (kept on dirt floor houses) ranged from 14% to 42% . The estimated overall prevalence of group D Salmonella in eggs contaminated with group D Salmonella was 2.28 per 10,000 . The estimated prevalence of group D Salmonella in eggs from caged birds in three infected houses ranged from 1.5 to 4.1 per 10,000, whereas in two houses of free-range birds, prevalence was 14.9 to 19.1 per 10,000 . Three of the eight flocks on the ranch remained negative for Salmonella between May 1994 and December 1995 or until removed from the ranch . Salmonella enteritidis PT4 was also isolated from 12.5% (6 of 48) of mice; 57% (four of seven) of cats; and two of two skunks tested . Environmental drag swabs and well water samples yielded multiple serotypes of Salmonella (23/180 and 5/14, respectively) but not S . enteritidis. Avian Dis, 1996 Jul-Sep, 40(3), 626 - 33 Studies of contamination of three broiler breeder houses with Salmonella enteritidis before and after cleansing and disinfection; Davies RH et al.; Three broiler breeder houses on three different sites were sampled before and after cleansing and disinfection . None of the farms achieved total elimination of Salmonella enteritidis from the poultry house environment but substantial improvements were seen when errors in the cleansing and disinfection protocol in the first house had been corrected . Fundamental errors such as over-dilution and inconsistent application of disinfectants were observed despite supervision of the process by technical advisors . In each of the three poultry units failure to eliminate a mouse population that was infected with S . enteritidis was likely to be the most important hazard for the next flock. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1996 Jul, 15(7), 603 - 7 Specific and sensitive two-step polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of Salmonella species; Haedicke W et al.; A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was applied for the selective amplification of a characteristic sequence within a Salmonella-specific chromosomal fragment . A two-temperature PCR cycle enhanced both the speed and overall sensitivity of the amplification procedure . Twenty-one well-characterized Salmonella strains and a number of non-Salmonella strains were tested . With the exception of the rarely isolated Salmonella arizonae strain, the PCR-based approach enabled the specific identification of Salmonella with a detection limit of 10(3) organisms . In combination with a nested PCR assay, as few as ten organisms were detectable . Specificity was demonstrated as no distinct amplification products were detectable with any of the tested non-Salmonella strains . With a pre-enrichment step using paramagnetic anti-Salmonella beads, an increase in sensitivity was observed in the case of clinical samples while the amplification process was not influenced. Int J Food Microbiol, 1996 Jul, 30(3), 325 - 44 Drug resistance, plasmids, biotypes and susceptibility to bacteriophages of Salmonella isolated from poultry in Canada; Poppe C et al.; Salmonella isolates from 295 layer and 294 broiler flocks in Canada were examined to determine resistance to antimicrobial agents, plasmid profiles, biochemical properties, and susceptibility to polyvalent bacteriophages . Except for the high number of strains resistant to spectinomycin (97.8%), the frequency of drug resistance of Salmonella isolates from layer flocks was low . None of 457 isolates from layer flocks was resistant to amikacin or ciprofloxacin, and less than 2% of the strains were resistant to cephalothin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, nitrofurantoin, and/or polymyxin B . About 3% of the strains were resistant to ampicillin, carbenicillin and/or tetracycline, whereas 8% of the strains were resistant to sulfisoxazole . Salmonella anatum var . O15+ and S . typhimurium var . copenhagen strains were resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents . None of 1159 Salmonella strains from broiler flocks was resistant to amikacin, cephalothin, ciprofloxacin or polymyxin B, less than 1% of the strains were resistant to chloramphenicol, 2% were resistant to ampicillin, carbenicillin and/or chloramphenicol; 5-7% were resistant to the aminoglycosides gentamicin, kanamycin and/or neomycin; 6% were resistant to nitrofurantoin; 10% to tetracycline; 14% to sulfisoxazole; and 99% to spectinomycin . A high percentage of S . binza, S . anatum var . O15+, S . schwarzengrund and S . heidelberg strains were resistant to antimicrobial agents . Some of the single or multiple resistances were encoded by conjugative plasmids or by plasmids that were thermosensitive for transfer . Eight percent of S . heidelberg strains did not produce hydrogen sulfide . Ninety-seven percent of the Salmonella strains were susceptible to the lytic effect of polyvalent bacteriophages. J Vet Diagn Invest, 1996 Jul, 8(3), 324 - 31 Specific, nonradioactive detection of the NHP bacterium in Penaeus vannamei by in situ hybridization; Loy JK et al.; Necrotizing hepatopancreatitis (NHP) is a disease of farm-raised Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) caused by a pleomorphic intracellular bacterium . A DNA probe that is specific for the etiologic agent of necrotizing hepatopancreatitis was devised and tested in an in situ hybridization assay . A procedure was developed for labeling a single-stranded DNA probe with digoxigenin by the polymerase chain reaction . The DNA probe encompasses the V1 and V2 variable regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and is designed to hybridize to complementary sequences of the 16S rRNA of the NHP bacterium . The probe was tested on fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens, and an intense, specific hybridization signal was localized to the cytoplasm of hepatopancreatic epithelial cells that were infected with the NHP bacterium, as demonstrated by serial sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin or the Steiner and Steiner method . Negative results were obtained from normal shrimp and from shrimp infected with Vibrio spp . The specificity of the probe was confirmed using either mammalian or avian tissues infected with other intracellular bacteria, including Ehrlichia canis, Salmonella enteritidis, Brucella abortus, and Chlymidia spp., and using another species of shrimp (P . monodon) infected with a different rickettisa-like intracellular bacterium. J Vet Diagn Invest, 1996 Jul, 8(3), 310 - 4 A dot immunobinding assay (dot-ELISA) for the rapid serodiagnosis of Salmonella enteritidis infection in chickens; Charles SD et al.; A dot immunobinding assay (DIA) was developed for the detection of antibodies to Salmonella enteritidis . Western blot analysis of outer membrane proteins from SE identified 2 polypeptides of molecular masses 43 and 46 kD that were specific for S . enteritidis . These 2 polypeptides were utilized as antigens in the DIA . The DIA was tested on sera from chickens experimentally infected with S . enteritidis . Results of the DIA were compared with that of conventional microagglutination and serum plate tests . The DIA was a highly specific and sensitive test that can be useful for screening birds to determine if they are infected with S . enteritidis . Its simplicity, reliability, reproducibility, and speed in interpreting the assay results makes it a useful screening test for flock monitoring. Br Poult Sci, 1996 Jul, 37(3), 589 - 96 Persistence of Salmonella enteritidis in poultry units and poultry food; Davies RH et al.; 1 . Studies on the survival of Salmonella enteritidis in poultry units and food were carried out over a two-year period . 2 . The organism persisted for at least one year in an empty trial house at the laboratory in which naturally-infected broiler breeder birds had previously been housed . A similar survival period was seen in a building which had housed an infected layer breeder flock, although infection was not detected in a subsequent pullet flock . 3 . Salmonella enteritidis was also frequently found surviving outside poultry houses in small pockets of litter and fan dust which had been left after cleansing and disinfection of the site . On some poultry units S . enteritidis was also found in wild bird droppings . 4 . Salmonella contamination appeared to persist preferentially in association with dust particles swept from the floor and in food troughs and S . enteritidis survived at least 26 months in artificially contaminated poultry food. Biomaterials, 1996 Jul, 17(14), 1451 - 6 Mutagenic activity of various dentine bonding agents; Schweikl H et al.; The potential mutagenicity of bonding agents of the new generation was characterised by employing an in vitro gene mutation assay . Eight different components of three dentine bonding systems (Scotchbond Multi Purpose, Prisma Universal Bond 3 and C&B Metabond) were tested in the Ames test using four different Salmonella strains (TA97a, TA98, TA100 and TA102) . The materials were eluted in dimethyl sulphoxide and physiological saline; aliquots of the serially diluted eluates were then used in the standard plate incorporation assay . No mutagenic effects were found with Scotchbond Multi Purpose primer and adhesive, Prisma Universal Bond 3 primer, and C&B Metabond base, powder and activator . However, the glutaraldehyde-containing Prisma Universal Bond 3 adhesive elicited a strong mutagenic effect in S . typhimurium strain TA102 . Mutation rates caused by dimethyl sulphoxide eluates as well as physiological saline eluates were about five times higher than solvent control values . A mutagenic effect was also observed with C&B Metabond catalyst, especially in strain TA97a when the material was eluted in physiological saline . Both mutagenic responses were not influenced by a metabolically active microsomal fraction from rat liver . We consider the results observed in the Ames test as a first indication of possible mutagenic activity in higher organisms . Therefore, the materials are currently under further investigation using a quantitative in vitro mammalian cell mutation assay. J Appl Physiol, 1996 Jul, 81(1), 341 - 8 Expression of adhesion molecules on circulating PMN during hyperdynamic endotoxemia; Holzer K et al.; In a porcine model of hyperdynamic endotoxemia, we studied the numerical expression of L-selectin and beta 2-integrins on circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) . Functional changes of beta 2-integrins were determined by the adhesion of PMN to C3-coated zymosan particles . Anesthesized pigs received a continuous infusion of Salmonella abortus-equi endotoxin (5 micrograms.kg body wt-1.h-1) for 270 min (endotoxin group; n = 7) . A control group received 0.9% NaCl (n = 6) . L-selectin had decreased 30 min after the induction of endotoxemia {59.1 +/- 11.9 vs . 91.6 +/- 15.5 relative fluorescence units (RFU) at baseline; P < 0.05}, reaching minimal values after 150 min (23.9 +/- 3.9 RFU in endotoxin group vs . 95.2 +/- 30.4 RFU in control group; P < 0.05) . PMN adhesion to C3-coated zymosan increased at 30 min (41.3 +/- 9.9% in endotoxin group vs . 2.4 +/- 1.1% in control group; P < 0.05) and remained significantly elevated thereafter . In contrast to the rapid shedding of L-selectin and functional upregulation of beta 2-integrins, the numerical expression of beta 2-integrins remained unchanged until 60 min (44.8 +/- 2.8 vs . 32.2 +/- 1.7 RFU at baseline; P < 0.05); compared with the control group, significantly elevated values were observed 150 min after the start of endotoxin (48.9 +/- 2.4 RFU in endotoxin group vs . 36.5 +/- 2.7 RFU in control group; P < 0.05) . We conclude that numerical and functional expressions of beta 2-integrins are dissociated during endotoxemia . Although upregulation of beta 2-integrins might render PMN more adhesive to the vascular endothelium, the presence of activated PMN in the circulation suggests that low expression of L-selectin might impede adhesion. J Hosp Infect, 1996 Jul, 33(3), 181 - 90 Outbreaks of salmonellosis in hospitals in England and Wales: 1992-1994; Wall PG et al.; Data from the surveillance scheme of general outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease in England and Wales were used to describe the epidemiology of outbreaks of salmonellosis in hospitals from 1992-1994 . Outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease in hospitals accounted for 15% (189/1275) of all outbreaks . A salmonella was the implicated pathogen in 12% (22/189) . The mode of transmission was described as mainly person to person in 12 outbreaks, mainly foodborne in eight and equal or unknown proportions of foodborne and person to person in two . The most common strain involved was Salmonella enteritidis PT4 (11 outbreaks) . The mean duration of outbreaks was 16 days . The mean attack rate in patients was 25% but varied from 2-67% . Illness was reported in 260 patients, of whom 130 had a laboratory confirmed infection . Eight hundred and twenty-six asymptomatic patients were tested, 31 of whom were positive . The salmonella infection was believed to have contributed to the deaths of five patients . Ill staff (115) were tested and 68 were positive; 1508 well staff were tested and 33 were positive . Outbreaks of salmonellosis in hospitals are preventable . Attack rates can be high and outbreaks are often prolonged, with high morbidity and associated disruption of hospital services . There is need for effective infection control policies, appropriate training of staff, simple surveillance systems and readily available expert advice to ensure outbreaks are rapidly controlled. Acta Paediatr, 1996 Jul, 85(7), 804 - 8 A case-control study of Salmonella gastrointestinal infection in Italian children; Borgnolo G et al.; A case-control study of 85 cases with non-typhoid Salmonella gastroenteritis, 85 outpatient controls and 79 inpatient controls was conducted among children in Monfalcone, north-east Italy, between June 1989 and June 1994 . Logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of demographic and socio-economic characteristics, duration of breastfeeding, history of intestinal illnesses and household diarrhoea, and the recent use of antimicrobials . Breastfeeding was the single most important factor associated with a 5-fold decreased risk of Salmonella infection . In addition, children who were treated with antimicrobials before onset of gastroenteritis had a 3-fold increased risk . Low social class and history of other chronic non-infectious intestinal diseases were also directly associated with illness. J Vet Intern Med, 1996 Jul-Aug, 10(4), 265 - 70 Necrotizing enterocolitis in horses: a retrospective study; Saville WJ et al.; The clinical and clinicopathologic characteristics of fatal necrotizing enterocolitis were examined in 16 horses (age 4 months to 12 years) . At initial presentation, 8 of 16 horses were pyrexic (median temperature, 38.4 degrees C; range, 33.8 to 40.6 degrees C); all 16 were tachycardic (median heart rate, 93 bpm, range, 66 to 138 bpm); 13 of 16 were tachypneic (median heart rate, 36 bpm, range, 16 to 80 bpm), dehydrated, and had discolored mucous membranes . All horses that were pyrexic were also tachycardic and tachypneic . PCV was high (> 45%) in 14 horses . Six horses were leukopenic (< 5,000 cells/microL); 12 were neutropenic (< 2,300 cells/microL), and 14 had > 100 band neutrophils/microL . Twelve horses were acidemic (pH < 7.37; range, 6.88 to 7.33) and the venous bicarbonate concentration was low (< 23 mEq/L) in 14 horses . Median anion gap in 16 horses was 31.5 mEq/L (> 15 mEq/L in 15 horses) . Eleven of 16 horses were hyponatremic (< 137 mEq/L), 1 horse was hypernatremic (> 143 mEq/L), 3 were hypokalemic (< 3.2 mEq/L), 6 were hyperkalemic (> 4.5 mEq/L), and 14 were hypochloremic (< 98 mEq/L) . Serum creatinine concentrations were high (> 1.4 mg/dL) in 15 horses . Abdominal fluid was examined in 12 horses 4 had total protein concentrations > 2.5 g/dL and 6 had nucleated cell counts > 5,000/ microL and < 10,000/microL; none had > 10,000/microL . Eight of 12 samples revealed a nondegenerate neutrophilia (> 50%) . Abdominal fluid collected from 4 horses immediately before death was normal in 2 horses and indicative of suppurative inflammation in 2 . All 8 horses tested had low or nonexistent serum immunofluorescent antibody titers to Ehrlichia risticii . Four of 16 horses had Salmonella spp isolated from feces or tissues . All 16 horses either died (5 of 16; 31%) or were euthanized because of a grave prognosis . Median time to death was 45.5 hours (range, 7 to 113 hours) from the time of admission . Death was preceded by severe abdominal pain in 14 horses . Fatal necrotizing enterocolitis of horses is characterized by a brief course, profound dehydration, electrolyte derangements, acid-base abnormalities, and terminally, severe abdominal pain . Abdominal fluid analysis was frequently not indicative of the severity of disease. Semin Gastrointest Dis, 1996 Jul, 7(3), 151 - 66 Mucosal immune responses to intestinal bacterial pathogens; Bloom PD et al.; Current advances in the study of gut mucosal immunology and molecular biology have enhanced our ability to understand the pathogenesis of enteric bacterial infections as well as the role of the immune system in mediating both tissue injury and protection . In this article, we review the immunopathogenesis and the protective immune response to three enteric pathogens, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella, and Salmonella . Each of these pathogens has a distinctive mechanism by which it causes disease, ie, epithelial attachment, epithelial invasion, and epithelial invasion with systemic dissemination . Pathogenicity and immune response can be conceptualized in terms of the interaction of these enteric pathogens with the gut epithelial compartment, immune inductive sites (Peyer's patch of the small intestine and lymphoid follicles of the colon), and a common immune effector compartment in the laimina propria where protective antibody is secreted . V cholerae, the representative noninvasive pathogen, has fimbrial adhesins that mediate attachment and colonization of the luminal surface of epithelial cells where organisms secrete cholera toxin (CT), a potent enterotoxin that induces a voluminous diarrhea via adenylate cyclase-dependent chloride secretion . Protective immunity is based on secretory (s) immunoglobulin A directed against whole-cell components that prevent attachment to gut epithelial cells and is enhanced by CT, an immunogen with potent adjuvant activity . Shigella, an enteric pathogen that locally invades gut epithelium, subverts the usual mechanism of immune sampling by initially invading via M cells overlying inductive sites . Subsequent macrophage invasion induces apoptosis and the release of interleukin-1, a proinflammatory cytokine . This seems to be a critical initiating event in immune-mediated tissue injury . Protective immunity is serotype specific . Infection caused by Salmonella is characterized by mucosal invasion and systemic spread mediated by the organisms ability to survive within macrophages . Both antibody and cell-mediated immunity are important for protection against Salmonella. Fundam Appl Toxicol, 1996 Jul, 32(1), 87 - 95 Absence of mutagenic effects of sodium dichloroacetate; Fox AW et al.; Sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) is a drug with potential for treating patients with stroke and head injury . Conflicting evidence has been published on the mutagenic potential of DCA . A series of genetic tests for mutagenicity and clastogenicity was carried out on pharmaceutical grade DCA . Four types of mutagenicity test were included, with and without metabolic activation where appropriate . These studies included: (i) Salmonella and Escherichia coli mutation (Ames) test, (ii) thymidine kinase locus forward mutation in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells, (iii) tests for chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells, and (iv) and in vivo rat bone marrow erythroid micronucleus test . In each study, there was no evidence of mutagenic activity attributable to DCA . It is possible that the present test material, of pharmaceutical grade, has fewer impurities than materials studied in previous reports . These data extend, and in some cases contradict, previous published reports on DCA. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1996 Jul, 40(7), 1733 - 5 Improved survival and antagonistic effect of sodium fusidate on tumor necrosis factor alpha in a neonatal mouse model of endotoxin shock; Genovese F et al.; Unlike the antibiotics erythromycin and penicillin G, sodium fusidate (fusidin) pretreatment (80 mg/kg of body weight) increased the survival rate of neonatal BALB/c mice challenged with Salmonella enteritidis lipopolysaccharide . Fusidin also significantly reduced the plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha levels . Hence, fusidin may prove useful in the management of bacterial sepsis in humans. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1996 Jul, 40(7), 1589 - 93 Treatment of experimental endocarditis due to ampicillin-susceptible or ampicillin-resistant Salmonella enteritidis; Fernandez Guerrero ML et al.; Using two strains of Salmonella enteritidis, one susceptible and one resistant to ampicillin, we studied the efficacies of ampicillin, gentamicin, ampicillin plus gentamicin, ofloxacin, and cefotaxime for the treatment of experimental salmonella endocarditis . Rabbits were treated for 3 days with dosages of antibiotic selected to achieve concentrations in serum equivalent to those obtained in humans during therapy . Aortic salmonella endocarditis seemed to be very difficult to treat, and all antimicrobial regimens failed to achieve the complete sterilization of cardiac vegetations . In vitro studies did not accurately predict the in vivo response to therapy, and no correlations regarding the synergistic activity of the combination of ampicillin plus gentamicin were observed . For the ampicillin-susceptible S . enteritidis isolate, ampicillin and cefotaxime produced the greatest reduction in the number of organisms in vegetations, with no significant differences between them . For the ampicillin-resistant strain, the combination of ampicillin with gentamicin produced a synergistic effect that was not anticipated by the in vitro studies . Both cefotaxime and ofloxacin were effective in reducing the number of microorganisms in the vegetations, although the reduction produced by cefotaxime was less that that produced against the ampicillin-susceptible strain . Monotherapy with gentamicin exhibited only modest activity against the ampicillin-susceptible S . enteritidis strain. Poult Sci, 1996 Jul, 75(7), 867 - 72 Dietary copper level affects copper metabolism during lipopolysaccharide-induced immunological stress in chicks; Koh TS et al.; Two experiments were conducted to examine the effect of dietary Cu level on Cu metabolism during the acute phase response in broiler chicks with adequate (Experiment 1) or deficient (Experiment 2) Cu . Diets based on cornstarch and isolated soybean protein were used to formulate a basal diet, and basal diet plus either 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg additional Cu as either CuO or CuSO4 . Each diet was fed to six pens of five chicks per pen (Experiment 1) or eight pens of five chicks (Experiment 2) . Half of the chicks on each diet were injected with Salmonella typhymurium lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on alternate days . In Experiment 1, LPS significantly decreased daily gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency (P < 0.01) and increased the concentration of Cu in blood plasma (P < 0.01) . In the uninjected birds, adding 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg Cu as CuO or 15 mg/kg Cu as CuSO4 increased the rate of gain over that of chicks fed the basal diet . In the birds challenged with LPS, 10 mg/kg Cu as CuO increased the rate of gain and efficiency compared to those of chicks fed the basal diet . Addition of CuSO4 to the diet of chicks challenged with LPS did not affect gain, intake, or feed efficiency compared to those of chicks fed the basal diet . Ceruloplasmin levels were higher in chicks challenged with LPS than in control chicks (P = 0.03), and this difference tended to be greater in chickens fed CuO than in chickens fed CuSO4 (P = 0.07) . In chicks challenged with LPS, feeding CuO at all levels and feeding CuSO4 to give 10 or 15 mg/kg Cu increased ceruloplasmin levels above that of chicks fed the basal diet . Hepatic Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Cu/Zn SOD were not influenced by dietary Cu level or source or LPS . Results of Experiment 2 were similar to those of Experiment 1 except that supplemental CuSO4 and CuO gave similar increases in gain and CuSO4 was more effective at increasing ceruloplasmin levels . Chicks given supplemental Cu had higher ceruloplasmin levels following challenge with LPS than Cu-deficient chicks fed the basal diet . Apparently, Cu requirements are higher for chicks experiencing an acute phase response than for healthy chicks. Immunol Invest, 1996 Jul, 25(4), 369 - 81 Application of cloth-based enzyme immunoassay for the characterization of monoclonal antibodies to Salmonella lipopolysaccharide antigens; Brown JG et al.; The specificity, detection limit, and stability of twelve anti-Salmonella monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were evaluated by cloth-based enzyme immunoassay (CEIA) and polymyxin-cloth based enzyme immunoassay (p-CEIA) . Using the p-CEIA, five Mabs were found to react with cholate extracted lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens of all 44 Salmonella strains representing 19 different serogroups examined, with the exception of the one strain of serogroup-O tested . These five Mabs did not react with cholate extracts of any of 16 Gram-positive or Gram-negative non-Salmonella bacteria tested . The detection limit of purified S . typhimurium LPS antigen in the p-CEIA was approximately 40 ng for four of the Mabs and approximately 20 ng for the other Mab . Four of the five Mabs were stable during storage at 22 degrees C-23 degrees C for 24 h . These four Mabs are potentially useful for the immunodetection of Salmonella in foods and other samples. Kansenshogaku Zasshi, 1996 Jul, 70(7), 702 - 9 {Characterization of Salmonella ser . enteritidis phage type 34 isolated from food poisoning outbreaks in Tokyo by epidemiological makers}; Kusunoki J et al.; Since 1989, outbreaks of Salmonella ser . Enteritidis food poisoning has dramatically increased in Tokyo, and a total of 95 outbreaks has been reported between 1989 and 1993 . As the results of examination of phage type by the method of Ward, et al., strains isolated from 31 (32.6%) of 95 outbreaks were phage type 34 which is a very rare type in Europe and America . To characterize these unique strains of phage type (PT) 34, 302 isolates obtained from patients and vehicle foods of the outbreaks, eggs and environments in Tokyo were examined for plasmid DNA profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns . Plasmid DNA was extracted by the Kado's method, and analysed by agalose gel electrophoresis . Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested for CP, TC, SM, KM, ABPC, NA, SXT, FOM and NFLX by the K-B disc method . The strains of PT 34 were further subdivided to 4 types by plasmid profile and antibiogram . The prevalent pattern of PT 34 strains was type plasmid profile which carried 2 different plasmids (> 250 and 60 kb) and was streptomysin-resistant . A total of 28 (90.3%) of 31 outbreaks were found to be caused by this specific type of Salmonella ser . Enteritidis . Several kinds of egg-related foods were suspected for the vehicles of transmission among 12 outbreaks . Especially, in 5 outbreaks, this specific type (type B plasmid profile and streptomysin resistant) of Salmonella ser . Enteritidis strains were isolated both from patients and incriminated food which were cooked with eggs . The phase type of Salmonella ser . Enteritidis strains isolated from raw egg and poultry or environmental specimens from poultry farm showed that the prevailing phage types were almost the same as those of foods poisoning outbreaks . This strongly suggests that these foods may be considered as a source of infection in Salmonella ser . Enteritidis outbreaks. J Clin Microbiol, 1996 Jul, 34(7), 1701 - 7 Epidemic typhoid in Chile: analysis by molecular and conventional methods of Salmonella typhi strain diversity in epidemic (1977 and 1981) and nonepidemic (1990) years; Fica AE et al.; From 1977 to 1986, Chile experienced an important typhoid fever epidemic, despite statistics that indicated apparently improving levels of sanitation of drinking water and sewage disposal . The lack of antibiotic resistance among the Salmonella typhi strains isolated during this period, the mild clinical presentation of the disease, and the initially low level of efficacy of the S . typhi Ty21a vaccine in the population exposed to the epidemic suggested that this epidemic might have resulted from the dissemination of S . typhi strains with unique characteristics . To investigate this hypothesis, we used conventional methods (bacteriophage typing and biotyping) and molecular methods (restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, ribotyping, IS200 typing, and PCR amplification of the fliC-d gene) to study a population of 149 S . typhi isolates during 1977, 1981, and 1990, the years that included periods with low (when the disease was endemic) and high (when the disease was epidemic) morbidities . Our results indicate that these S . typhi isolates in Chile represent a number of highly diverse variants of the clone of S . typhi with a worldwide distribution described by Selander et al . (R . K . Selander, P . Beltran, N.H . Smith, R . Helmuth, F.A . Rubin, D.J . Kopecko, K . Ferris, B.D . Tall, A . Cravioto, and J.M . Musser, Infect . Immun . 58:2262-2275, 1990) . For example, we detected 26 PstI and 10 ClaI ribotypes among 47 and 16 S . typhi strains belonging to this clone, respectively . These results suggest that the Chilean epidemic was probably produced by multiple sources of infection because of deficient sanitary conditions . These findings illustrate the usefulness of molecular methods for characterizing the potential causes of the typhoid epidemics and the possible routes of transmission of S . typhi strains in typhoid epidemics. J Clin Microbiol, 1996 Jul, 34(7), 1641 - 5 Evolutionary origin of a monophasic Salmonella serovar, 9,12:l,v:-, revealed by IS200 profiles and restriction fragment polymorphisms of the fljB gene; Burnens AP et al.; The emergence in several countries of the monophasic serogroup D1 serovar Salmonella 9,12:l,v:- provided the opportunity to study its evolutionary origin . According to current models, such a variant serovar could have arisen by horizontal transfer of a new flagellar gene to a preexisting monophasic Salmonella strain or, alternatively, by the loss of the phase 2 flagellar gene of an originally biphasic Salmonella strain . Five known serovars of Salmonella, S . panama, S . kapemba, S . goettingen, S . zaiman, and S . mendoza, could have been possible ancestors of the new variant . The profiles of the insertion element IS200, which has been shown to provide phylogenetic markers for serogroup D1 salmonellae, were analyzed in relation to the restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the phase 2 flagellar gene . Together they provide unequivocal evidence that Salmonella 9,12:l,v:- arose from a strain of S . goettingen . Analysis of the flj operon of the variant indicated that loss of phase 2 flagellar antigen expression occurred through deletion of the hin gene and adjacent DNA, thereby blocking the phase 2 flagellar gene in the off position. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1996 Jul, 62(7), 2375 - 80 Strain typing with IS200 fingerprints in Salmonella abortusovis; Schiaffino A et al.; A collection of Salmonella abortusovis isolates was examined for the presence of insertion element IS200 . All proved to contain three or four copies of the element . One IS200 hybridization band of approximately 9 kb was found in all isolates, indicating that all S . abortusovis strains carry an IS200 element in similar or identical locations; this band can be potentially useful for serovar identification . S . abortusovis collection isolates from distinct geographic areas were highly polymorphic, suggesting that IS200 fingerprints might provide information on the geographic origin of S . abortusovis strains . Isolates obtained from the same geographic area (the island of Sardinia, Italy) were less polymorphic: all shared three constant IS200 hybridization bands, indicating that they derive from a single ancestor . Most strains analyzed contained an additional copy of IS200 in the variable region of the virulence plasmid . Certain Sardinian flocks proved to be infected by only one S . abortusovis strain, while others harbored two strains . Strain typing with IS200 fingerprints proved to be more reliable than plasmid analysis, because the latter yielded a high degree of polymorphism, even among isolates from the same flock. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1996 Jul, 62(7), 2294 - 302 Detection and serogroup differentiation of Salmonella spp . in food within 30 hours by enrichment-immunoassay with a T6 monoclonal antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Ng SP et al.; We previously described an antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay which makes use of monoclonal antibody T6, which recognizes an epitope on the outer core polysaccharide of Salmonella lipopolysaccharide molecules that is common to almost all Salmonella serovars . In this paper, we show that this assay can detect between 10(5) and 10(7) Salmonella cells per ml even in the presence of excess Escherichia coli . A total of 153 of 154 (99%) serogroup A to E strains and 51 of 78 (71%) serogroup F to 67 strains were reactive as determined by this assay . This corresponds to a detection rate of approximately 98% of all salmonellae known to affect humans . None of the 65 strains of non-Salmonella bacteria tested positive . Taking advantage of the O-factor polysaccharides also present on the antigen captured by the immobilized T6 antibody, we showed that 136 of 154 Salmonella serogroup A to E strains (88%) were correctly differentiated according to their serogroups by use of enzyme conjugates of a panel of O-factor-specific monoclonal antibodies . We evaluated this assay for the detection and serogroup differentiation of salmonellae directly from enrichment cultures of simulated food, eggs, pork, and infant formula milk . All 26 samples which had been contaminated with Salmonella spp . were detected by T6 (100% sensitivity), with only one false-positive result from 101 samples not contaminated by Salmonella spp . (99% specificity) . The detection time was substantially reduced to between 17 and 29 h, depending on the enrichment methods used . Since there were no false-negative results, we concluded that this enrichment-immunoassay method can afford rapid screening for Salmonella spp . in food samples. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1996 Jul, 62(7), 2212 - 5 Efficacy of chlorine and heat treatment in killing Salmonella stanley inoculated onto alfalfa seeds and growth and survival of the pathogen during sprouting and storage; Jaquette CB et al.; The efficacy of chlorine and hot water treatments in killing Salmonella stanley inoculated onto alfalfa seeds was determined . Treatment of seeds containing 10(2) to 10(3) CFU/g in 100-micrograms/ml active chlorine solution for 5 or 10 min caused a significant (P < or = 0.05) reduction in population, and treatment in 290-micrograms/ml chlorine solution resulted in a significant reduction compared with treatment in 100 micrograms of chlorine per ml . However, concentrations of chlorine of up to 1,010 micrograms/ml failed to result in further significant reductions . Treatment of seeds containing 10(1) to 10(2) CFU of S . stanley per g for 5 min in a solution containing 2,040 micrograms of chlorine per ml reduced the population to undetectable levels (< 1 CFU/g) . Treatment of seeds in water for 5 or 10 min at 54 degrees C caused a significant reduction in the S . stanley population, and treatment at > or = 57 degrees C reduced populations to < or = 1 CFU/g . However, treatment at > or = 54 degrees C for 10 min caused a substantial reduction in viability of the seeds . Treatment at 57 or 60 degrees C for 5 min appears to be effective in killing S . stanley without substantially decreasing germinability of seeds . Storage of seeds for 8 to 9 weeks at 8 and 21 degrees C resulted in reductions in populations of S . stanley of about 1 log10 and 2 log10 CFU/g, respectively . The behavior of S . stanley on seeds during soaking germination, sprouting, and refrigerated storage of sprouts was determined . An initial population of 3.29 log10 CFU/g increased slightly during 6 h of soaking, by about 10(3) CFU/g during a 24-h germination period, and by an additional 10 CFU/g during a 72-h sprouting stage . A population of 10(7) CFU/g of mature alfalfa sprouts was detected throughout a subsequent 10-day storage period at 5 degrees C . These studies indicate that while populations of S . stanley can be greatly reduced, elimination of this organism from alfalfa seeds may not be reliably achieved with traditional disinfection procedures . If S . stanley is present on seeds at the initiation of the sprout production process, populations exceeding 10(7) CFU/g can develop and survive on mature sprouts exposed to handling practices used in commercial production and marketing. Eur J Immunol, 1996 Jul, 26(7), 1443 - 50 Homocysteine modification of HLA antigens and its immunological consequences; Gao XM et al.; Homocysteine-treated cells can be specifically lysed by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) identifiable in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and reactive arthritis . Sensitization of target cells involves disulfide bonding and the interaction between homocysteine and HLA antigens occurs in a pre-Golgi compartment in the cells . Salmonella-infected B cells are also lysed by homocysteine-specific CTL, suggesting that intracellular invading microorganisms may provide homocysteine which would gain access to the newly synthesized intracellular HLA molecules and modify them inside the cells . Two different mechanisms for homocysteine modification of HLA antigens are proposed: homocysteine could bind directly to the unpaired cysteine residues in HLA antigens, or it could bind indirectly to HLA antigens through cysteine-containing peptides bound to them . Thus, HLA antigens containing unpaired cysteine residues (e.g . HLA B27) could be modified by homocysteine directly or indirectly, while HLA antigens without unpaired cysteine residues (e.g . HLA A68) could only be modified indirectly . The results are discussed in relation to the potential involvement of homocysteine-specific CTL in ankylosing spondylitis and reactive arthritis, both of which are related to bacterial infections, associated with HLA B27, and considered to be autoimmune diseases. Farmaco, 1996 Jul, 51(7), 493 - 501 Biological studies on 1,2-benzisothiazole derivatives V . Antimicrobial properties of N-alkanoic, N-arylalkanoic and N-aryloxyalkanoic derivatives of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one: QSAR study and genotoxicity evaluation; Mor M et al.; N-alkanoic, N-arylalkanoic and N-aryloxyalkanoic acids of 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, esters and amides of N-arylalkanoic and N-aryloxyalkanoic acids and 1,1-dioxide derivatives of N-arylalkanoic acids and esters were investigated in vitro antimicrobial activity . N-arylalkanoic and N-aryloxyalkanoic acids (compounds 4-12) and their esters and amides (compounds 13-26) exhibited a good antimicrobial activity against Gram positive bacteria, with several compounds showing potencies 10-20 times higher than 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one . None of the chemicals tested inhibited the growth of E . coli . Yeasts and moulds possess a considerable susceptibility to compounds 12-23 . The logP (octanol-water) of esters and amides of N-arylalkanoic and N-aryloxyalkanoic acids were measured by the shake-flask technique and the potencies against Gram positive bacteria of the compounds tested was related to their lipophilicity . QSAR analysis showed a bilinear relation, with a logD0 around 3 for the activity on B . subtilis . The phenoxyacetic and phenoxybutyric acid derivatives are positive outliers, showing a potency higher than that predicted from their lipohilicity . The most active compounds were further tested against different Gram positive bacteria and moulds, including Bacilli, Sarcina lutea, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Candida spp . and dermatophytes . The antibacterial and antifungal activity was specific for 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-ones, the corresponding 1,1-dioxide derivatives being inactive . The genotoxic properties of the compounds studied were evaluated by the Bacillus subtilis rec-assay and Salmonella-microsome test . None of the compounds showed DNA-damaging or mutagenic activity. Food Chem Toxicol, 1996 Jul, 34(7), 639 - 50 Safety evaluation of perfluoropolyethers, liquid polymers used in barrier creams and other skin-care products; Malinverno G et al.; Fomblin HC products are a inverted question markfamily' of high-purity perfluoropolyethers manufactured for barrier cream and other personal care applications which involve direct application to the skin . To confirm the safety of such use, representative Fomblin HC products were tested in experimental animals for acute toxicity, primary and repeated insult irritancy, sensitization and photosensitization, subacute oral toxicity and comedogenicity; mutagenicity was examined in vitro, and irritancy or sensitization was also investigated on human skin (in patch tests with volunteers) . A high molecular weight Fomblin HC only was tested in rats for subacute oral toxicity and in man for dermal effects . Single oral doses of 15 g/kg body weight were without evident toxicity to rats, as were single dermal applications or an ip injection at 5 g/kg . No primary irritant action was seen in rabbits or man, and similarly there was no evidence of skin sensitization or photosensitization in guinea pigs, or sensitization in man . No mutagenic action on Salmonella strains of tester bacteria was seen . In repeat dose irritancy or oral toxicity tests in rabbits or rats, no adverse effects of Fomblin HC products were noted; in particular, daily oral administration (1000 mg/kg/day) to rat