Haemophilus

Allerg Immunol (Leipz), 1978, 24(1), 36 - 41
Demonstration of non-capsulated Haemophilus influenzae in the tissues of the respiratory tract in atopic and non-atopic subjects by means of an immunofluroescence technique; Csizer Z et al.; The use of an immunofluorescence method for demonstration of non-capsulated H . influenzae colonization and penetration in the tissues of the respiratory tract seems to be a useful and convenient laboratory method . However, in in the tissues of the lower respiratory tract H . influenzae in our materials could not be demonstrated.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1978, 10(2), 135 - 42
Evaluation of spiramycin as a therapeutic agent for elimination of nasopharyngeal pathogens . Possible use of spiramycin for middle ear infections and for gonococcal and meningococcal nasopharyngeal carriage; Kamme C et al.; Varying doses of spiramycin were administered orally to healthy volunteers, and concentrations in serum and saliva were determined . The absorption of the drug was not significantly influenced by concomitant food intake . Saliva peak concentrations were 1.3--4.8 times higher than peak concentrations in serum . The elimination half life was 2--3 h in serum, and 4--8 h in saliva . Accumulation of the drug was seen in saliva but not in serum . The possible effect of spiramycin in eliminating bacteria from the nasopharynx was evaluated in vitro by comparing the spiramycin saliva concentrations with the MICs of bacteria known to establish themselves in the nasopharynx . At a concentration of 1.2 microgram/ml, spiramycin inhibited all investigated strains of group A streptococci, pneumococci and Branhamella catarrhalis, and at 2.4 microgram/ml all investigated gonococci . Concentrations of 19 and 38 microgram/ml, respectively, were required to inhibit all meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae . Following administration of 1.5 g spiramycin as a single daily dose for 3 days, the mean concentration in saliva reached or surpassed the MIC values of streptococci, pneumococci and Branhamella for 45 h, and of gonococci for 25 h . The possible use of spiramycin for prevention of relapses in acute otitis media and in treatment of serous otitis media is discussed, as well as the possible use of the drug in gonococcal and meningococcal nasopharyngeal carriage.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1978, 10(1), 53 - 6
R-factor involvement in a local outbreak of ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae infections; Malmvall BE et al.; In a Swedish nursery 11 of 15 children harboured non-encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae in their nasopharynx . Six children had ampicillin-resistant and beta-lactamase-producing isolates . Five of these children had otitis whereas one was healthy . In order to identify the origin of the H . influenzae isolates their O-antigen determinants were studied by an immunodiffusion technique . 18 different rabbit antisera were used . For each isolate an O-antigen pattern was recorded . Five of the 6 resistant isolates had the same O-antigen pattern, indicating that their origin was one strain . The 6th isolate was from another strain . Different isolates from the same strain were found to be either sensitive or resistant to ampicillin . In one child the H . influenzae lost its resistance during trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole treatment . It is concluded that an R-factor may have been involved in the distribution of ampicillin resistance in the H . influenzae studied . Previous in-vitro studies have shown that beta-lactamase production can be transmitted by a plasmid among H . influenzae strains.

Immunology, 1978 Jan, 34(1), 149 - 56
The regulation of the immune response of mice to Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide; Lee CJ et al.; The regulation of age-related antibody response to Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide (HITB-PS) was studied by measuring the splenic plaque forming cells (PFC) following immunization with this capsular polysaccharide . The magnitude of PFC response to HITB-PS was found to be dose-related, enhanced by Freund's complete adjuvant and influenced by the genetic strain of mice . Priming with a low dose of HITB-PS did not induce a state of immunological unresponsiveness . Treatment with antilymphocyte serum significantly increased the PFC response to HITB-PS . Athymic nude mice showed an enhanced ability to induce both IgG and IgA-PFC responses as well as a significant increase in the biosynthesis of protein and mitogenicity in spleen cells . These findings suggest that the immune response to HITB-PS is regulated by the suppressor T cell . The magnitude of the IgM-PFC response induced by HITB-PS in mice increased gradually from two weeks of age and reached a plateau at 8 weeks . Treatment with fetuin resulted in the inhibition of direct IgM and IgG-PFC responses to HITB-PS; the suppressive effect on the immune response was more profound and lasting in young than in adult mice.

Scand J Immunol, 1978, 8(5), 369 - 75
The use of bacteria for the functional characterization of human lymphocyte subpopulations in various lymphoid organs; Rynnel-Dagoo B et al.; In a haemolytic plaque assay staphylococcal strain Cowan 1 was shown to induce polyclonal antibody secretion in human blood lymphocytes, whereas Haemophilus influenzae and Escherichia coli gave low responses . Diplococcus pneumoniae and haemolytic streptococci generally did not activate blood cells . All five bacteria could activate spleen, tonsil and adenoid cells both to polyclonal Ig secretion and increased DNA synthesis . Thus blood cell reactivity does not necessarily reflect the response pattern in other lymphatic organs . The adenoid was shown to contain lymphocytes more responsive to bacteria normally residing in nasopharynx than cells residing in other lymphatic organs . On the other hand, spleen and mesenteric lymph node contain a subpopulation of cells highly responsive to bacteria such as Escherichia coli normally residing in the bowel . Therefore, we conclude that there exists a functional compartmentalization of lymphocytes in distinct secondary lymphoid organs.

N Z Med J, 1977 Dec 14, 86(601), 511 - 4
Bacterial meningitis in children; Lang SD; Cases of bacterial, non-tuberculous meningitis among Auckland children aged one month to 13 years were reviewed for the five year period September 1971 to September 1976 . The aetiological agent was established in 203 of 227 cases . Haemophilus influenzae was the most frequent cause and together with Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for all sequelae S . pneumoniae was responsible for most fatal cases . It is an unusually common cause of meningitis in Auckland, particularly in children under a year of age . Polynesians contracted bacterial meningitis almost four times as often as Europeans . For a Polynesian child the risk of death due to bacterial meningitis was 12 times that of European.

Ann Clin Res, 1977 Dec, 9(6), 359 - 64
Acquired tracheobronchomalacia . A bronchological follow-up study; Nuutinen J; Ninety-four patients with acquired tracheobronchomalacia were followed up between 1967-1977, for an average of 5.2 years . Fifty-six were still alive at the end of the period, and 47 of these were reexamined . Twenty-one patients had retired on pensions for lung disease . Of the 36 patients who underwent rebronchoscopy, tracheomalacia alone was seen in 3 and tracheobrochomalacia in 33 . Six out of the 9 cases of tracheomalacia and all the 5 cases of bronchomalacia had developed into tracheobronchomalacia . The malacia was mild in 6 (17%), moderate in 8 (22%) and severe in 22 (61%), against the figures of the preceding bronchoscopy: 13 (36%), 17 (47%) and 6 (17%), respectively . Mild bronchitic changes were seen in 9 (25%) and severe in 22 (61%) bacterial cultures grew Haemophilus, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella, and the culture was positive on 8 occasions (22%) . A fungal culture of the bronchial aspirate was positive in 9 cases (25%) . No pronounced eosinophilia on the bronchial mucosa was observed.

Scott Med J, 1977 Dec, 22(5), 355 - 9
Erythromycin in respiratory tract infection; Gould JC; One of the main uses of erythromycin in respiratory tract infection has been in the treatment of acute streptococcal tonsillitis as an alternative to penicillin . Studies on the quantitative bacteriology of tonsils obtained at tonsillectomy have shown large numbers of both haemolytic streptococci and Haemophilus species in most samples and these organisms can be effectively reduced in number by preoperative treatment with antibiotics such as erythromycin . Such investigations suggest that erythromycin might have wider use in the treatment of respiratory tract infections, particularly where Haemophilus influenzae and other Haemophilus species are involved . Apart from specific infections such as those due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, erythromycin is effective in the treatment of acute pneumonia due to organisms such as the pneumococcus, and this paper reports the further use of erythromycin in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis where the clinical and bacteriological effects of treatment with this antibiotic are compared with those of ampicillin.

Infect Immun, 1977 Dec, 18(3), 735 - 40
Cellular immunity to bacteria: impairment of in vitro lymphocyte responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis patients; Sorensen RU et al.; Lymphocyte responses to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A and to Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were evaluated in patients with cystic fibrosis and in normal individuals . Lymphocyte proliferation in vitro was stimulated by gentamicin-killed whole bacteria, and the proliferative response was measured by {3H}thymidine incorporation . The in vitro lymphocyte responses to antibiotic-killed bacterial reached maximum thymidine incorporation after 5 days in culture and followed a unimodal dose-response curve for each of the bacteria studied . A significant specific incapacity to respond to P . aeruginosa was detected in cystic fibrosis patients with advanced clinical disease.

Arch Dis Child, 1977 Dec, 52(12), 925 - 31
Diagnosis of acute bacterial pneumonia in Nigerian children . Value of needle aspiration of lung of countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis; Silverman M et al.; Eighty-eight Nigerian children with untreated, severe, acute pneumonia were investigated by standard bacteriological techniques (blood culture and culture of pharyngeal secretions) and by needle aspiration of the consolidated lung . Countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) against grouped pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae type b antisera was carried out on serum samples from 45 patients . The aetiology of pneumonia was shown by examination of the needle aspirate in 70/88 patients (79%), by CIE in 9/45 patients (20%), and by blood culture in 4/36 patients (11%) . Overall, a bacterial cause for pneumonia was shown in 73/88 patients (83%) . The results of pharyngeal culture were misleading when compared with cultures of needle aspirates . The prediction of aetiology from the radiological appearance was alos inaccurate, even for labor pneumonia . Needle aspiration of the lung, with a low (5%) and minor complication rate, merits wider application in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary infections in children . Tradiational bacteriological techniques (blood culture and pharyngeal culture) are of very limited value . The place of CIE in the investigation of childhood pneumonia still needs thorough evaluation.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Dec, 132(3), 1048 - 9
Heat sensitivity of Haemophilus influenzae containing defective prophage; Setlow JK; Strains of Haemophilus influenzae that carry a defective prophage are more sensitive to heat than is a strain that does not, even in the presence of a rec-1 mutation, which normally renders prophage noninducible . The prophage of HP1c1, a nondefective phage, does not affect the heat sensitivity.

Nouv Presse Med, 1977 Nov 5, 6(37), 3391 - 6
{The rapid detection and specific identification of bacterial antigens by electro-immunodiffusion in 80 cases of purulent meningitis (author's transl)}; Denis F et al.; The cerebrospinal fluid of 120 subjects, 80 of whom were suffering from a purulent meningitis, were examined comparatively by classical bacteriological techniques (direct examination and culture) and by electro-immunodiffusion . This procedure makes it possible to detect not only viable bacteria, but also capsular polysaccharide antigens . It revealed the diagnosis in 96.9% of cases of meningococcal, pneumococcal and Haemophilus meningitis, as against 80.3% positive results using classical bacteriological techniques, for the same organisms . Electro-immunodiffusion provides a rapid answer (20 minutes) and, amongst other things, makes it possible: - to confirm the serotype or capsular type within the species, - to determine the aetiological diagnosis in certain types of meningitis where diagnosis is rendered difficult by blind antibiotic therapy, - to quantify and follow over a period of time the levels of polysaccharide antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of the patients . The sensitivity and specificity of electro-immunodiffusion render it a technique of the future in the diagnosis of purulent meningitis . By virtue of its simplicity, it should become a routine examination.

S Afr Med J, 1977 Nov 5, 52(20), 798 - 800
A multicentre study of the susceptibility of a variety of bacteria to cephalothin, cefamandole, tobramycin and gentamicin; du T Naude W et al.; A multicentre study of antibiotic susceptibility was performed in South Africa . Sensitivity to cephalothin, cefamandole, tobramycin and gentamicin was tested on a variety of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria . Two disc susceptibility techniques were used, i.e . the Kirby-Bauer technique (aerobes) and the broth-disc method (anaerobes); minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined according to the International Collaborative Study techniques, and regression lines for individual centres were constructed . Satisfactory lines were obtained for cephalosporins, but, in some centres, problems were experienced with the aminoglycosides . Variations in MICs for Haemophilus influenzae were probably due to an inoculum effect . Accumulative percentage tables of the number of strains inhibited were compiled, and the comparative performance of the antibiotics was assessed.

Am J Epidemiol, 1977 Nov, 106(5), 388 - 91
Bacterial meningitis in southwestern Alaska; Gilsdorf JR; Between July 1, 1971, and June 30, 1974, thirty-nine cases of bacterial meningitis were diagnosed at the Alaska Native Health Service Hospital at Bethel, Alaska . Thirty-two (82%) occurred in infants less than one year of age . Haemophilus influenzae (H . influenzae) was the predominant causative agent, and was isolated from 23 (72%) of the 32 patients under one year of age . The annual incidence of H . influenzae meningitis in the Bethel area was 63/100,000, and the annual incidence of H . influenzae meningitis in children less than five years of age was 474/100,000 cases.

Nord Vet Med, 1977 Nov, 29(11), 465 - 73
Pleuropneumonia in swine caused by Haemophilus parahaemolyticus . A study of the epidemiology of the infection; Nielsen R et al.; Haemophilus parahaemolyticus infection was studied in a herd with continuous production, i.e., continuous introduction of stock to replace animals delivered for slaughter . None of 30 seronegative pigs contracted the infection when exposed to contact with two pigs that were seropositive after inoculation with H . Parahaemolyticus three weeks earlier . After aerosol infection had been applied in the building an acute outbreak with a morbidity rate of 100 per cent developed in less than 24 hours . Following recovery the majority of the 16 pigs present became seropositive, and when 30 seronegative pigs were introduced 7 weeks later, antibody response occurred in three of them . The persistence of H . parahaemolyticus in pigs that had been infected during the acute outbreak was confirmed at slaughter, in that the organism was re-isolated from the tonsils of 2 of these pigs . Most serum titres persisted for several months, but some animals showed just a transient antibody response.

Clin Allergy, 1977 Nov, 7(6), 527 - 37
Precipitating antibody to antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic obstructive lung disease; Clarke CW; Two antigens designated Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytoplasmic antigen (P(1-5)) and P . aeruginosa cell wal antigen (PCW) were prepared by ultrasonic disintegration and hot phenol extraction of a smooth polyagglutinable strain of P . aeruginosa isolated from the respiratory tract . It was shown that P(1-5) and PCW are immunologically distinct, that P(1-5) is heat-labile while PCW contains a heat-stable component which stains positively for polysaccharide, is positive for endotoxin and cross-reacts with a cell wall antigen of Haemophilus influenzae prepared by hot phenol extraction . Both antigens were able to activate the alternate pathway for complement . A statistically significant number of patients with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis have precipitating antibody to that fraction of cytoplasmic antigen specific for P . aeruginosa (P(1-2)) and PCW compared to controls, whereas patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis do not . The use of both antigens increases the number of patients with antibody to P . aeruginosa . Radioactive immunodiffusion studies indicate that 80.8% of controls have precipitating antibody to PCW antigen and that antibody to it is IgG, IgA and IgM . These studies indicate that consideration should be given to PCW as well as P(1-5) in any consideration of the pathogenesis of P . aeruginosa in these conditions.

Pediatrics, 1977 Nov, 60(5), 730 - 7
Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide vaccine in children: a double-blind field study of 100,000 vaccinees 3 months to 5 years of age in Finland; Peltola H et al.; A recently developed Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide vaccine was given to 48,977 children 3 months to 5 years of age; an equal number of children receiving group A meningococcal vaccine served as controls . The protection as well as serum antibody response was strongly age-dependent . Among children who had received the H . influenzae type b vaccine when 18 months of age or older, there were no cases of bacteremic disease caused by H . influenzae type b in the first year after vaccination . At the same time 11 such cases were seen in the control group of the same age, a highly significant difference . In the second year after vaccination two cases occurred in the H . influenzae type b-vaccinated group, five in the meningococcal-group A vaccinated group . No protection was seen among children who had been younger than 18 months when vaccinated, even if they received a booster dose of the vaccine . The serum antibody response to the H . influenzae type b polysaccharide, measured by radioimmunoassay, was poor in children below 18 months of age and good in those above it . No effect of the vaccine could be seen on the nasopharyngeal carriage of H . influenzae type b, which was approximately 6% in this age group . Adverse effects of the vaccine were mild.

J Clin Pathol, 1977 Nov, 30(11), 1030 - 2
A comparison of three rapid methods for the detection of beta-lactamase activity in Haemophilus influenzae; Skinner A et al.; Three methods for rapidly detecting beta-lactamase activity in Haemophilus influenzae are compared . The chromogenic cephalosporin method was found to be the most easily performed and the reagents could be stored for up to three weeks . The phenol red method was simple to perform but the iodometric method was more time consuming . All three tests gave identical results.

Mayo Clin Proc, 1977 Nov, 52(11), 707 - 10
Antibiotic therapy for severe infections in infants and children; Rhodes KH; Guidelines for the use of antibiotics in infants and children must take into account drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion . In the developing human being, these factors may differ significantly from those in the adult, and so there are differences in therapeutic efficacy and toxicity . Certain drugs should be avoided in the neonate because of known toxicity; these include the sulfonamides, tetracycline, and high doses of chloramphenicol . Antibiotic therapy should be modified in neonates in several ways because of the biologic immaturity of systems important for the termination of drug action, such as the liver and kidney . Because of poor conjugation, inactivation, or excretion, the administration of many antibiotics results in higher and more prolonged serum levels than those produced in older infants . Thus, in the neonate, the dosages of many antibiotics have to be lower and intervals between administration longer . In the case of gentamicin, studies in the 6-month to adult age group have shown that children less than 5 years old require almost twice as much of the drug as do children older than 10 years or adults to achieve similar peak concentrations . The appearance throughout the United States of strains of Haemophilus influenzae, type b, that are resistant to ampicillin has necessitated a change in the initial antibiotic therapy given to children with bacterial meningitis . There are few uses for tetracycline in pediatric practice.

Am J Vet Res, 1977 Oct, 38(10), 1591 - 3
Infectious coryza: in vivo growth of Haemophilus gallinarum as a determinant for cross protection; Rimler RB et al.; Four strains of Haemophilus gallinarum representing 3 immunotypes were used in exposure and challenge exposure studies to determine if in vivo growth of the organism would induce cross protection in chickens . Birds which recovered from infection to 1 immunotype were refractory to reinfection with the heterologous immunotype . In contrast, in vitro-produced bacterins produced immunotype-specific protection.

Am J Vet Res, 1977 Oct, 38(10), 1587 - 9
Infectious coryza: cross-protection studies, using seven strains of Haemophilus gallinarum; Rimler RB et al.; Bacterins prepared from 7 strains of Haemophilus gallinarum were used to immunized chickens for cross-protection studies . Three distinct immunotypes were distinguished . Slight protection between immunotypes was evident for some strains . Airsacculitis could be prevented by use of these bacterins; however, prevention was related to immunotype specificity . Hyaluronic acid found in 2 strains rendered them inagglutinable in homologous antiserums . Treatment with hyaluronidase rendered them agglutinable.

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1977 Oct 1, 171(7), 649 - 51
Haemophilus parasuis infection in swine; Riley MG et al.; Septicemic disease occurred in 49 of 126 pigs several days after being transported 80 km . All affected pigs died . The main changes in acutely affected pigs were skin discoloration, pulmonary edema, arthritis, meningitis, and renal glomerular thrombosis . In peracute cases, gross findings were minimal . Haemophilus parasuis was isolated from multiple organ sites in most affected pigs . Haemophilus parasuis was isolated from nasal swab specimens from 17 of 20 clinically normal pigs on the farm of origin . Fatal acute septicemia was reproduced in 2 pigs by intravenous or intratracheal exposure to an isolant of H parasuis obtained from 1 of of the 49 fatally affected pigs . Aerosol exposure of 5 pigs resulted in mild pneumonia in 4 pigs and severe pneumonia, pleurisy, pericarditis, and terminal septicemia in 1 pig.

Mayo Clin Proc, 1977 Oct, 52(10), 635 - 40
Tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and clindamycin; Wilson WR; Tetracyclines are active in vitro against most urinary tract pathogens, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Brucella, rickettsiae, and Nocardia . Chloramphenicol is used primarily for anaerobic infections, Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, and infections due to Salmonella typhi . Erythromycin is active in vitro against M . pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and group A beta-hemolytic streptococci . Erythromycin may be used as prophylactic therapy for subacute bacterial endocarditis and for recurrence of acute rheumatic fever in patients who are allergic to penicillin . Clindamycin should be used only for the treatment of anaerobic infections . Tetracycline may cause gastrointestinal upset; phototoxic dermatitis; hepatitis, especially in pregnant females; discoloration of teeth and bone dysplasia in the human fetus and children; and suprainfections, especially oral and anogenital candidiasis . Tetracycline should be used with caution in patients with renal insufficiency . The most important toxic effect of chloramphenicol is bone marrow suppression, which is dose related and idiosyncratic . The incidence of undesirable side effects associated with the use of erythromycin is low . Gastrointestinal irritation is the most common; cholestatic hepatitis may occur with erythromycin estolate . Pseudomembranous colitis is the most important toxic effect associated with clindamycin.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1977 Oct, 239(2), 231 - 9
{The occurrence of neuraminidase and N-acetylneuraminate-pyruvate lyase in pathogenic haemophili of man (author's transl)}; Muller HE et al.; We investigated the following six Haemophilus species from man for the both enzymes neuraminidase and N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase: H . aegypticus, H . aphrophilus, H . influenzae . H . parahaemolyticus, H . parainfluenzae and H . vaginalis . It is shown that H . vaginalis does not produce either neuraminidase or N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase . He differs, therefore, from all other investigated haemophili producing both enzymes, neuraminidase and N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase . Colominic acid, Na-salt, is splitted better than N-acetylneuraminyllactose . It can be concluded, therefore, some substrate specificity of the neuramindase of Haemophili in the sense that the alpha, 2 leads to 8 linkage of neuraminic acid is cleaved quicker than the alpha, 2 leads to 3 linkage . The physiological and pathologenic role of the both enzymes is discussed.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1977 Oct, 74(10), 4266 - 70
Structure of a promoter for T7 RNA polymerase; Oakley JL et al.; We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a Hpa II restriction fragment of the phage T7 DNA containing a promoter for the phage-specified RNA polymerase . (Hpa II is a restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus parainfluenzae.) Mapping of the Hpa II restriction fragments on the T7 genome shows this promoter to be the second of tandem promoters separated by approximately 170 base pairs that begin transcription by the T7 RNA polymerase at approximately 15% of the genome . Features of the sequence involved in recognition by the T7 RNA polymerase are discussed and include the following region of hyphenated 2-fold symmetry (boxed regions are related through a 2-fold axis of symmetry at the center of the sequence shown) . (See article) . This sequence includes the initiation site, since the message transcribed from this fragment begins pppG-G-G-A . Combination of our results with work of others has permitted this fragment to be mapped at the junction of T7 genes 1 and 1.1 . The RNA transcribed from this fragment begins within gene 1 and contains the RNase III cleavage site that lies between genes 1 and 1.1 . This sequence is compared to other processing sites in T7 early message.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Oct, 136(4), 593 - 6
Isolation of simian virus 40 from rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with spontaneous progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; Holmberg CA et al.; Isolates of virus from the brain tissue of two naturally occurring cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) have been characterized . Both isolates were demonstrated to be simian virus 40 (SV40) by serological tests and analysis of cleavage fragments of viral deoxyribonucleic acid produced by restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus influenzae . SV40 virions and the nonvirion T antigen were demonstrated in the brain lesions of one monkey by the fluorescent antibody staining technique . SV40 was not demonstrated in the brain of normal rhesus monkeys from the same colony with use of the same methods of viral isolation or demonstration of antigen.

N Engl J Med, 1977 Sep 29, 297(13), 686 - 91
Clinical efficacy of meningococcus group A capsular polysaccharide vaccine in children three months to five years of age; Peltola H et al.; We performed field trials in the course of an epidemic in Finland to learn whether Group A memingococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine protects infants and young children from meningitis . The first trial involved 130,178 children between the ages of three months and five years; 49,295 children received the vaccine, 48,977 received a control Haemophilus influenzae Type b polysaccharide vaccine, and 31.906 remained unvaccinated . No cases of meningitis or sepsis caused by Group A meningococci were seen in the first year of observation among the children vaccinated with meningococcal vaccine whereas six occurred among those vaccinated with the H . influenzae vaccine and 13 among those not vaccinated . In the second trial 21,007 children of the same ages received the meningococcal vaccine . No cases caused by Group A occurred among those vaccinated, although five to seven would have been expected within the year . Meningococcal Group A vaccine appears efficacious in young infants and children.

JAMA, 1977 Sep 5, 238(10), 1032 - 3
Acute purulent otitis media in children older than 5 years . Incidence of Haemophilus as a causative organism; Schwartz R et al.; It is generally believed that Haemophilus influenzae is not commonly a causative agent of otitis media in children older than 5 years of age . We recently studied cases of 58 children, aged from 5 to 9 years, who had acute otitis media . Haemophilus species were the causative agents in 36% of cases . This high incidence of Haemophilus isolation from the middle ear exudate of these children has important therapeutic implications; antibiotics effective against H influenzae should be employed when dealing with otitis media in this older age group.

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1977 Sep 1, 171(5), 435 - 7
Phycomycosis associated with encephalitis caused by Haemophilus somnus in a heifer; Seaman W; Numerous fungal hyphae resembling those of a phycomycete were found in thrombi, vessel walls, and areas of inflammatory cell infiltration within a large focus of necrosis in the brainstem of a 2-year-old heifer . Haemophilus somnus and Pasteurella multocida were isolated from the same lesion . Antemortem hyperglycemia was also demonstrated.

J Clin Pathol, 1977 Sep, 30(9), 831 - 3
Radioimmunoassay of capsular polysaccharide antigens of groups A and C meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae type b in cerebrospinal fluid; Kayhty H et al.; Sensitive radioimmunoassays capable of measuring 0-5 ng/ml of the Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide and 2 ng/ml of the groups A and C meningococcal polysaccharides were developed and used to detect these substances in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) . Polysaccharide of the causative agent was detected in the CSF of 14 out of 15 patients with Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis, in 18 out of 23 patients with group A, and in two out of four patients with group C meningococcal meningitis . In some cases the antigen could be detected even after three days of antibacterial treatment . No false positive reactions were seen . The assay procedure could be shortened to approximately three hours . These assays could be useful in routine diagnostic work and epidemiological investigations.

Helv Paediatr Acta, 1977 Sep, 32(3), 207 - 16
Thiamphenicol in treatment of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis; Pfenninger J et al.; 17 infants and children with pyogenic meningitis (14 Haemophilus influenzae, 2 Diplococcus pneumoniae, 1 Neisseria meningitidis) were treated with thiamphenicol, 100 mg/kg body weight/day in 4 doses i.v., as single drug . In the H . influenzae group 10 patients were cured, 4 had relapses of meningitis, 3 with documented subdural effusions . This group is compared with 14 children matched for age, initial leucocyte and CSF cell count treated with ampicillin: all of these were cured, 1 had a subdural effusion . Thiamphenicol concentrations were determined in the serum and CSF 2 h after administration . The mean serum levels were between 10-12 mcg/ml, the mean CSF levels varied from 5.4 mcg/ml at the beginning to 1-1.9 mcg/ml at the end of meningitis . The MIC of H . influenzae was 0.6-12 mcg/ml . A significant, acute, and dose related bone marrow toxicity of thiamphenicol could be documented, but was always rapidly fully reversible . We conclude that thiamphenicol cannot replace chloramphenicol in the treatment of pyogenic meningitis as single systemic antibiotic . Special indications for thiamphenicol in this disease are discussed.

Arch Dis Child, 1977 Sep, 52(9), 679 - 82
Choice of antibiotics in management of acute osteomyelitis and acute septic arthritis in children; Nade S; A survey of 158 children with acute haematogenous osteomyelitis, and of 94 children with acute septic arthritis over an 8-year period was made to determine which bacteria cause these infections . In the osteomyelitis group the organism most frequently detected was Staphylococcus aureus (74% of cases) . In 16% of cases streptococci were found . Staph . aureus was also the most frequently grown organism in cases of acute septic arthritis (55% of cases), but Haemophilus influenzae accounted for 24% of positive cultures . On the basis of the survey it is the current practice of the author to use a combination of methicillin or cloxacillin and penicillin for acute haematogenous osteomyelitis, and methicilline or cloxacillin and ampicillin for acute septic arthritis . The choice of antibiotics is vitally important as treatment must start before the results of culture are known . Repeated evaluation of trends in the pattern of causative organisms is strongly recommended, in order to be aware of changing sensitivity of organisms to antibiotics.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1977 Sep, 68(3), 351 - 4
Evaluation of the capillary beta-lactamase test and antimicrobial susceptibility of Haemophilus influenzae; Watanakunakorn C et al.; The capillary beta-lactamase test for the detection of Haemophilus influenzae resistance to ampicillin was evaluated against 132 strains of H . influenzae recently isolated from clinical materials and four reference strains . Nineteen strains, including two of serotype b, were beta-lactamase-positive . The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ampicillin for the 117 beta-lactamase-negative strains ranged from less than or equal to 0.125 to 2 microgram/ml (only one strain had a MIC of 2 microgram/ml) . The range of MIC's of ampicillin was 4 to 64 microgram/ml for the 19 beta-lactamase-positive strains; all but two strains required 8 microgram/ml or more for inhibition . The capillary beta-lactamase test is an easy, rapid and reliable test for the detection of H . influenzae resistance to ampicillin . It is suitable for routine use in the clinical microbiology laboratory . The MIC of carbenicillin was higher for ampicillin-resistant than for ampicillin-susceptible strains, but the highest MIC (32 microgram/ml) was within achievable serum concentrations . Both cefamandole and chloramphenicol were active against all strains.

Acta Otolaryngol, 1977 Sep-Oct, 84(3-4), 292 - 5
Penetration of erythromycin stearate into maxillary sinus mucosa and secretion in chronic maxillary sinusitis; Paavolainen M et al.; The penetration of oral erythromycin stearate (Abboticin), administered in a dosage of 500 mg three times a day, into the maxillary sinus mucosa and secretion was studied in 15 patients (22 sinuses) operated on for chronic maxillary sinusitis . The average concentration in serum was 2.3 microgram/ml, 1.2 microgram/ml in secretion, and 1.8 microgram/ml in mucosa . These concentrations are highly effective against diplococci and most aerobic and anaerobic streptococci (MIC value 0.06 microgram/ml) but not against Haemophilus influenzae (MIC value for 80% of 2 microgram/ml).

J Infect Dis, 1977 Sep, 136(3), 400 - 15
Acute bacterial meningitis at Boston City Hospital during 12 selected years, 1935-1972; Finland M et al.; Data are presented on the occurrence of and mortality rate from acute bacterial meningitis at Boston City Hospital during 12 years between 1935 and 1972 selected in relation to the introduction of potent antibacterial agents . The most frequent causative organisms were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae, but large proportions were caused by other gram-positive cocci and gram-negative bacilli . The greatest reduction in mortality rate after antibiotics became widely used was in patients with meningococcal and influenzal meningitis who were less than or equal to 19 years old . Less striking reductions occurred in cases of other etiologies in patients less than or equal to 59 years old, but in those greater than or equal to 60 years old, the mortality rate remained high, and the proportion of cases of meningitis in that age group more than doubled . Comparisons with similar data on all bacteremic infections are presented.

JAMA, 1977 Aug 15, 238(7), 604 - 7
Haemophilus influenzae type b disease . Incidence in a day-care center; Ginsburg CM et al.; Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB) disease was observed during a 14-month period in seven of 48 infants attending a day-care center . Surveillance studies showed that 28 (58%) infants had positive nasopharyngeal cultures for HIB; four infants were colonized with HIB for nine to 12 months . Ampicillin trihydrate prophylaxis failed to reduce the HIB carrier rate . Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine was administered to 34 of the children . Sera obtained prior to immunization showed detectable antibody in all infants . Only nine (26%) infants had twofold or greater rises in serum HIB antibody titers after vaccination . Antibody response was independent of age, preimmunization antibody concentration, and HIB carrier status . In one infant, HIB meningitis developed four months after she received polysaccharide vaccine . This outbreak emphasizes that HIB is highly contagious in closed populations of young, susceptible infants.

N Engl J Med, 1977 Aug 4, 297(5), 245 - 8
Impaired humoral immunity in treated Hodgkin's disease; Weitzman SA et al.; To define the contribution of aggressive lymphoma treatment to the risk of post-splenectomy septicemia, we investigated the humoral immunity of 44 patients with Hodgkin's disease . Specific antibody against Haemophilus influenzae Type b was significantly reduced (mean, 147 ng per milliliter, P less than 0.01) in patients receiving combined treatment (radiotherapy and chemotherapy), whereas single treatment reduced titers marginally (chemotherapy) or not at all (radiotherapy) . Untreated patients had normal values (396 ng per milliliter), and splenectomy was without effect . In some patients who received combined treatment, titers were reduced to levels seen in infants . IgM levels were likewise normal in untreated patients . Chemotherapy, however, significantly reduced IgM levels (P less than 0.025), an effect potentiated by prior splenectomy . IgG, IgA, alternate-pathway activity, C3, C4 and CH50 were all normal or elevated . Aggressive treatment with chemotherapy and radiation impairs humoral defense against encapsulated micro-organisms, and thus magnifies the risk of post-splenectomy septicemia in patients with Hodgkin's disease.

Am J Vet Res, 1977 Aug, 38(8), 1111 - 4
Serologic studies on porcine strains of Haemophilus parahaemolyticus (pleuropneumoniae): agglutination reactions; Gunnarsson A et al.; Fifteen strains of Haemophilus parahaemolyticus (pleuropneumoniae) represented by 6 American isolates, 6 Swedish isolates, and 3 reference strains of Nicolet's serotype 1, 2 and 3, were used in serologic studies by agglutination and agglutinin-adsorption tests . By whole cell-agglutination tests in rabbit antiserums, 3 additional serotypes, 4, 5, and 6, were identified . All strains had strong serotype-specific agglutinating properties . Occasional weak cross reactions could be eliminated by appropriate adsorptions without effect upon type-specific reactivity . The Swedish isolates were assigned to serotypes 2, 3, 4, and 6, and the American isolates, to serotypes 4 and 5 . All European isolates were distinct from 5 of the 6 American strains . An American culture isolated from a steer and another from a lamb were identical in their agglutination reactions with the porcine isolates of serotype 5 . The serotyping of isolated strains is important in the epizootiologic and immunologic studies of H parahaemolyticus infections.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1977 Aug, 68(2), 284 - 9
Latex agglutination in diagnosis of bacterial infections, with special reference to patients with meningitis and septicemia; Kaldor J et al.; Antibody-sensitized latex particles were used to demonstrate specific bacterial antigens in cerebrospinal fluid, blood and urine . Difficulties with reported nonspecific agglutinations appear to have been overcome . The method seems to be sensitive, specific, and simple to perform, and shows a better detection rate than culture or countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis . Urinary excretion of Haemophilus influenzae antigens was followed . The diagnostic usefulness of demonstrating such antigens at a later stage of disease is discussed.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136 Suppl, S51 - 6
Interim report of a controlled field trial of immunization with capsular polysaccharides of Haemophilus influenzae type b and group C Neisseria meningitidis in Mecklenburg county, North Carolina (March 1974-March 1976); Parke JC Jr et al.; Approximately 16,000 children, from two months to five years of age, were vaccinated with the capsular polysaccharide of either Haemophilus influenzae type b or group C Neisseria meningitidis . Immunizations were carried out in a double-masked, randomized manner; the doses of immunogens used were 10 microgram of H . influenzae type b polysaccharide and 25 micron g of the group CN . meningitidis polysaccharide . Immunogenicity of the two vaccines was measured in single, random specimens of blood taken from vaccinees of all ages at various intervals after immunization . A positive effect on formation of serum antibody was observed in children of all ages vaccinated with N . meningitidis polysaccharide, but increased levels of serum antibody to H . influenzae type b were observed only in recipients of that vaccine who were three years of age or older . No untoward reactions to either vaccine were noted, and both vaccines retained their original molecular size after storage for three years . Too few cases of disease have been studied for a definitive assessment of vaccine efficacy; however, a slightly protective effect against meningitis was observed for the H . influenzae type b vaccine in infants up to one year of age.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Aug, 131(2), 557 - 63
Molecular characterization of two beta-lactamase-specifying plasmids isolated from Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Roberts M et al.; The molecular nature of two distinct gonococcal R plasmids, 4.4 X 10(6) and 3.2 X 10(6) daltons, encoding beta-lactamase activity were examined . Both plasmids contained about 40% of the transposable ampicillin resistance sequence Tn2 . Deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid polynucleotide sequence studies have shown that the two gonococcal plasmids share about 70% of their sequences and are closely related to RSF0885, a 4.1 X 10(6)-dalton plasmid found in a beta-lactamase-producing strain of Haemophilus influenzae . All three of these R plasmids possess a guanine-plus-cytosine content of 0.40 to 0.41 mol fraction and are present as multicopy gene pools in their bacterial hosts.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136 Suppl, S25 - 30
Sickle cell anemia and severe infections due to encapsulated bacteria; Pearson HA; Overwhelming infections caused by encapsulated bacteria are an important cause of morbidity and death in children with sickle cell anemia . The most important contributing factors to this increased susceptibility to infections are an opsonophagocytic defect due to an abnormality of the alternate pathway of complement activation, a state of functional hyposplenia, and a lack of specific circulating antibodies as a developmental phenomenon . If the inordinately high, early mortality rate associated with sickle cell anemia is to be prevented, early diagnosis of affected infants is crucial . Prophylactic therapy with penicillin has been advocated in recognition of the fact that a majority of the causative organisms are sensitive to penicillin . However, no controlled studies have proved the effectiveness of such therapy . Immunization with broadly polyvalent vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and Neisseria meningitidis may ultimately represent the most effective way to reduce the incidence of catastrophic infections.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136 Suppl, S186 - 90
The infant rat as a model of bacterial meningitis; Moxon ER et al.; The pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis was studied in infant rats . Intranasal intoculation of greater than 10(3) Haemophilus influenzae type b resulted in an incidence of bacteremia that was directly related to the size of hte challenge inoculum . The temporal and quantitative relationship of bacteremia to meningitis indicated that bacteria spread to the meninges by the hematogenous route and that the magnitude of bacteremia was a primary determinant in the development of meningitis . In a sparate series of experiments, infant rats that were fed Escherichia coli strain C94 (O7:K1:H-) became colonized and developed bacteremia and meningitis, but invasive disease was rare when rats were fed E . Coli strain Easter (O75:K100:H5) . A comparison of intranasal vs . oral challenge indicated that the nasopharynx was the most effective route for inducing H . influenzae bacteremia, whereas the gastrointestinal route was the more effective challenge route for the E . coli K1 serotype.

Mutat Res, 1977 Aug, 44(2), 197 - 206
Attempts to induce mutations in Haemophilus influenzae with the base analogues 5-bromodeoxyuridine and 2-aminopurine; Kimball RF et al.; Attempts were made to induce mutations in Haemophilus influenzae with the base analogues 5-bromodeoxyuridine and 2-aminopurine . These attempts were unsuccessful . Incorporation studies with BrdUrd showed, in agreement with earlier studies on Escherichia coli, that BrdUrd was discriminated against when dThd was also present but was incorporated to essentially the same extent as dThd when only BrdUrd was present . In this latter case, strands fully substituted with BrdUrd was produced, but survival data suggest that bacteria deriving their DNA by replication on such fully substituted templates were inviable . However, bacteria with about 20% of the thymine substituted with bromouracil were usually viable . No mutations could be detected in the descendants of such bacteria . The reasons for this are discussed and it is concluded that in all probability the replication system in species rarely if every treats incorporated bromouracil as anything except a thymine analogue . The alternative possibility, that the negative results are a consequence of the absence of the reclex (SOS) error-prone repair system in this species, is considered much less likely.

Mutat Res, 1977 Aug, 44(2), 183 - 96
Evidence that UV-inducible error-prone repair is absent in Haemophilus influenzae Rd, with a discussion of the relation to error-prone repair of alkylating-agent damage; Kimball RF et al.; Haemophilus influenzae Rd and its derivatives are mutated either not at all or to only a very small extent by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, X-rays, methyl methanesulfonate, and nitrogen mustard, though they are readily mutated by such agents as N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, ethyl methanesulfonate, and nitrosocarbaryl . In these respects H . influenzae Rd resembles the lexA mutants of Escherichia coli that lack the SOS or reclex UV-inducible error-prone repair system . This similarity is further brought out by the observation that chloramphenicol has little or no effect on post-replication repair after UV irradiation . In E . coli, chloramphenicol has been reported to considerably inhibit post-replication repair in the wild type but not in the lexA mutant . Earlier work has suggested that most or all the mutations induced in H . influenzae by NC result from error-prone repair . Combined treatment with NC and either X-rays or UV shows that the NC error-prone repair system does not produce mutations from the lesions induced by these radiations even while it is producing them from its own lesions . It is concluded that the NC error-prone repair system or systems and the reclex error-prone system are different.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136 Suppl, S63 - 70
Immunogenicity in weanling rabbits of a polyribophosphate complex from Haemophilus influenzae type b; Anderson P et al.; Polyribophosphate (PRP), the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b, is more effectively immunogenic when it is associated with the bacterium than when it is in the purified form that is being tested as a vaccine for humans . In an effort to analyze this difference, we isolated from H . influenzae type b a high-molecular-weight, soluble complex, in which PRP appears to be combined with protein (about 7% protein) . The pyrogenicity and limulus lysate gelation activity of the complex suggest that a small amount of lipopolysaccharide also is present . The protein was resolved into five polypeptides by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel containing sodium dodecyl sulfate . In weanling rabbits, which do not respond to purified PRP, the complex induces high titers of antibody of PRP, in an anamnestic pattern . Bactericidal antibody to other bacterial components was also elicited . Equilibrium density gradient centrifugation of the complex indicated that most of the immunogenicity of PRP resides in the least dense fractions, which are high in protein, low in polysaccharide, and active in the limulus lysate test; denser fractions that react strongly with limulus lysate but are poor in protein were much less immunogenic.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136 Suppl, S57 - 62
Antibody of polyribophate of Haemophilus influenzae type b in infants and children: effect of immunization with polyribophosphate; Anderson P et al.; Antibody to polyribophosphate, the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b, was measured in healthy ambulatory children by a radioactive antigen-binding assay . Titers fell from birth through nine months of age, then increased until six years, when they plateaued . Antibody activity was not correlated with the child's sex, ethnic status, or area of residence . Doses of 0.2-50 microgram of polyribophosphate given as single or booster doses had similar effects on antibody activity . Of 368 doses given to infants two to six months of age, 7% produced a significant antibody response; of 95 doses given to infants seven to 12 months old, 17% produced a response . The geometric mean titers of antibody resulting from immunization with polyribophosphate given at various times in relation to diphtheria-pertussistetanus vaccine did not differ significantly from one another or from titers observed in infants given only the latter vaccine . These data indicate that purified polyribophosphate will not provoke humoral immunity in young infants against H . influenzae type b and that it should no longer be considered as a candidate vaccine for this purpose.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136(2), 292 - 6
Circulating capsular antigen in infant rats infected with Haemophilus influenzae type b; Granoff DM et al.; The kinetics of bacteremia and capsular antigenemia in infant rats infected with Haemophilus influenzae type b were measured by quantitative bacterial counts in blood and counterimmunoelectrophoresis of plasma . After intraperitoneal inoculation with 10(4) colony-forming units (cfu) of H . influenzae type b, bacteremia was detected in 100% of animals at 12 hr after inoculation (mean, 16,500 cfu/ml) and by two days exceeded 10(5) cfu/ml in most animals . Despite these high levels of bacteremia, capsular antigen was detected infrequently during the early phase of experimental infection; it was present in 20% of animals at 12 hr and in 50% at one day . Peak levels of antigen in blood occurred two to three days after inoculation and coincided with the histologic appearance of meningitis . Thereafter, the frequency of antigenemia declined and paralleled the decline in quantitative bacterial counts in blood . Since detection of antigen was dependent on the occurrence of prolonged infection, counterimmunoelectrophoresis proved to be an insensitive method for early diagnosis.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Aug, 136(2), 222 - 8
Pharyngeal colonization with Haemophilus influenzae type b: a longitudinal study of families with a child with meningitis or epiglottitis due to H . influenzae type b; Michaels RH et al.; A longitudinal study of pharyngeal colonization with Haemophilus influenzae type b included 264 members of families that had a child with meningitis or epiglottitis due to this organism . It was found that (1) 52 of 67 such families contained at least one carrier of H . influenzae type b, who was usually a sibling; (2) H . influenzae type b spread slowly in 39 families colonized continuously during a six-month period, with only eight of 19 uncolonized siblings acquiring the organism during that time; (3) 18 of 30 initially colonized families contained one or more carriers after 12 months, including 30% of initially colonized siblings; (4) the highest carrier rate of H . influenzae type b occurred in recovered patients, 80% of whom were colonized after hospital discharge; (5) titers of antibody in serum were higher in colonized than in uncolonized individuals (P less than 0.001); (6) levels of antibody in colonized children were lower in those younger than two years than in older children (P less than 0.001); and (7) prolonged or heavy colonization with H . influenzae type b was not associated with unusually high titers of antibody.

J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Aug, 6(2), 172 - 3
Pneumonia due to Haemophilus influenzae (H . aegyptius) biotype 3; Marraro RV et al.; Haemophilus influenzae (H . aegyptius) biotype 3 was isolated from eye, nasopharyngeal, and sputum cultures of a 23-month-old male and from sputum and transtracheal aspirate cultures of his 39-year-old mother, both with diffuse bronchopneumonia.

Am J Dis Child, 1977 Aug, 131(8), 854 - 6
Occlusion of the internal carotid artery complicating Haemophilus influenzae meningitis; Headings DL et al.; We report a patient with occlusion of the internal carotid artery complicating Haemophilus influenzae meningitis . The etiology of this complication is discussed, along with its role in the acute seizures of meningitis, and in the chronic neurological residua of this infection.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1977 Aug, 74(8), 3213 - 6
Cleavage specificity of the restriction endonuclease isolated from Haemophilus gallinarum (Hga I); Brown NL et al.; The nucleotide sequences in the replicative form (duplex) of phiX174 DNA around six sites cut by Hga I, a restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus gallinarum, have been compared . The enzyme produces a staggered cleavage resulting in a pentanucleotide 5'-terminal extension . The sequences within and immediately surrounding the pentanucleotide cleavage site have no obvious relationship . However, the sequence 5'-G-A-C-G-C-3' 3'-C-T-G-C-G-5' occurs five nucleotide pairs to the left of the cut in the upper strand and 10 nucleotide pairs to the left of the cut in the lower strand and, therefore, is believed to constitute the recognition site . This is a member of the class of restriction endonucleases in which recognition and cleavage sites lack 2-fold rotational symmetry . The method used to define the cleavage site is of general applicability.

JAMA, 1977 Jul 25, 238(4), 319 - 21
Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia in adults; Everett ED et al.; Thirty cases of Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia with clinical and laboratory features have previously been recorded in adults . During the past three years, we have examined 18 patients in whom this diagnosis was established by transtracheal aspirate or blood culture . Our study suggests that H influenzae, both typable and nontypable strains, is a more frequent cause of pneumonia in adults than previously appreciated . We found no clinical values that distinguished H influenzae pneumonia from other bacterial pneumonias . A properly performed Gram's stain of a transtracheal aspirate specimen is classical in its appearance and facilitates instritution of appropriate initial treatment . The emergence of both typable and nontypable organisms resistant to ampicillin makes it important that organisms be isolated from reliable samples for sensitivity testing . With appropriate therapy, the prognosis for patients with H influenzae pneumonia appears to be good.

Avian Dis, 1977 Jul-Sep, 21(3), 364 - 9
Experimental coryza in broiler chickens . I . Effects of vaccination with Haemophilus gallinarum bacterin and its components on weight gains and resistance to infection; Boycott BR et al.; Effects of a Haemophilus gallinarum bacterin and its components were studied in young broiler chickens . When the bacterin was administered subcutaneously in the dorsal neck region at 2 weeks of age, no significant differences in weight gains of vaccinated and control birds were detected at eight weeks of age . In four groups vaccinated at 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks of age and challenged with virulent haemophilus organisms 3 weeks later, the incidence of clinical signs was 30% in the vaccinates and 60% in controls . The bacterin was equally protective at the four ages of administration . Caseous plugs were found at the vaccination sites in all birds which had received adjuvant either alone or in the complete bacterin . Signs of depression lasting about 24 hours were observed in the youngest birds injected with the bacterin, but overall weight gains were normal.

Cornell Vet, 1977 Jul, 67(3), 327 - 32
Septicemia and meningoencephalitis in pastured cattle caused by a Haemophilus-like organism ("Haemophilus somnus"); Smith BP et al.; Septicemia and meningoencephalitis developed in 10 pastured cattle 7 months to 3 years of age . Two unrelated herds were involved . Necropsy findings were similar to those previously reported in cattle infected with a Haemophilus-like organism, including multifocal hemorrhages in some muscles, suppurative polyarthritis, and multifocal hemorrhagic thrombi in the brain . A Haemophilus-like organism was isolated from one animal . It was characterized by growth on blood agar or tryptose agar plus a feeder streak under raised carbon dioxide tension, and lack of response to Haemophilus growth factors X and V.

Gene, 1977 Jul, 1(5-6), 323 - 9
A new sequence-specific endonuclease (Bsp) from Bacillus sphaericus; Kiss A et al.; A new restriction endonuclease has been isolated from Bacillus sphaericus R . The purification procedure includes Bio-Gel filtration, (NH4)2SO4 fractionation and phosphocellulose chromatography . After the phosphocellulose step the enzyme preparation is free of non-specific nucleases . Bsp cleaves double-stranded DNA with the same specificity as Bacillus subtilis (Bsu) and Haemophilus aegyptius (HaeIII) restriction endonucleases, as concluded from digests and double-digests of phiX174 replicative form DNA with Bsu and Bsp . The 5'-terminal nucleotide of the cleavage products was shown to be C . Bacillus sphaericus R produces Bsp in extremely large quantities and the enzyme can be easily purified in high yield.

J Antimicrob Chemother, 1977 Jul, 3 Suppl B, 141 - 8
Pivmecillinam and amoxycillin as combined treatment in purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis; Pines A et al.; One hundred and thirty-two patients with purulent exacerbations of chronic bronchitis were randomly allotted to treatment in three groups . They received (a) amoxycillin 250 mg and pivmecillinam 200 mg; or (b) amoxycillin 500 mg; or (c) amoxycillin 500 mg and pivmecillinam 400 mg: three times daily for 10 days . By the 7th day of treatment there was significant improvement over amoxycillin alone for both groups given combined chemotherapy in conversion of sputum to mucoid and in general improvement; at the end of treatment results in patients given the higher doses of both antibiotics were still superior to amoxycillin alone . Patients were observed 2 to 4 weeks later, when those given amoxycillin alone relapsed much more frequently . The three treatments were well tolerated and succeeded equally in clearing potential pathogens from the sputum . Combined treatment may be superior due to synergy against Haemophilus influenzae or to the elimination of beta-lactamase producing organisms and should be investigated further.

Infect Immun, 1977 Jul, 17(1), 83 - 90
Effect of neonatal gastrointestinal colonization with cross reacting Escherichia coli on anticapsular antibody production and bacteremia in experimental Haemophilus influenzae type b disease of rats; Myerowitz RL et al.; Neonatal gastrointestinal colonization of newborn rats with Escherichia coli 075:K100:H5, cross-reactive with the capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae type b, was harmless but failed to stimulated detectable ( greater than 200 ng/ml) serum anticapsular antibodies . Neonatally colonized rats, when challenged at age 13 weeks by intraperitoneal inoculation of H . influenzae b, showed no difference in the frequency, magnitude, or duration of bacteremia or in the postinfection anticapsular antibody response when compared with saline-fed controls . However, neonatally colonized rats challenged at age 4 weeks had a significantly decreased incidence of sustained bacteremia and/or endophthalmitis when compared with controls . This decreased frequency of disease correlated with a significant increase in postinfection serum anticapsular antibodies . Neonatal gastrointestinal colonization with cross-reacting E . coli appears to "prime" the young host to respond to infection with H . influenzae b with an anticapsular antibody response that protects against sustained H . influenzae b bacteremia and its complications.

Am J Dis Child, 1977 Jul, 131(7), 778 - 81
Intrafamily spread of Haemophilus type b infections; Tejani A et al.; Meningitis and epiglottitis are the clinical manifestations of severe Haemophilus influenzae serotype b infection . Compared with meningitis, epiglottitis occurs in older children . When secondary cases occur within the family, the type of clinical manifestation produced by this serotype is generally similar in siblings . This report concerns the unusual occurrence of meningitis developing in older child and epiglottitis developing in the younger one . We discuss the possible explanations for this unusual pattern . We also survey the spread of H influenzae both within and outside the family unit and review the present status of histocompatibility antigens and Haemophilus disease.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Jul, 131(1), 356 - 62
Relationships among some R plasmids found in Haemophilus influenzae; Elwell LP et al.; Tetracycline resistance in a strain of Haemophilus influenzae isolated in the United Kingdom was found to be determined by an apparently non-selftransmissible plasmid of 31 X 10(6) daltons (31 MDal), designated pUB701 . Deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization studies indicated that pUB701 shares about 70% base sequence homology with the 30-MDal ampicillin resistance R plasmid RSF007 isolated in the United States from H . influenzae, and 64% sequence homology with the 38-MDal tetracycline and chloramphenicol resistance R plasmid pRI234, isolated in the Netherlands . Heteroduplex studies between RSF007 and pUB701 confirmed the fact that these plasmids were largely homologous, except that pUB701 contained the tetracycline resistance transposon TnD, whereas RSF007 contained the ampicillin resistance transposon TnA . A strain of H . parainfluenzae resistant to both chloramphenicol and tetracycline carried two species of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid of 2.7 and 0.75 MDal . We were unable to prove that either resistance was plasmid-borne in this strain . Hybridization studies with a {3H}thymine-labeled tetracycline resistance enteric plasmid suggested that the tetracycline transposon was integrated into the chromosome of H . parainfluenzae UB2832 . We conclude either that the strains we studied received R factors of the same incompatibility group bearing different resistance genes, or that different resistance genes were translocated to a commom resident plasmid of H . influenzae.

Nucleic Acids Res, 1977 Jul, 4(7), 2467 - 75
Restoration by T4 ligase of DNA sequences sensitive to "flush" cleaving restriction enzyme; Mottes M et al.; Fouteen "flush"-ended segments originate from the action of the restriction endonuclease Hae III of Haemophilus aegiptius on the DNA of the colicinogenic factor ColE 1 (A . Oka and M . Takanami, Nature, 264, 191, 1976) . They are joined by the T4 polynucleotide ligase . The reaction can be monitored by gel electrophoresis, electron microscopy and resistance to phosphatase of the 5'-32P labelled ends . The joined products are a random recombination of the original segments, and can be cleaved by the same Hae III endonuclease to restore the exact electrophoretic pattern of the Hae III-cut ColE 1 DNA . In a properly diluted mixture of 5'-32P segments treated with T4 ligase, the level of phosphatase resistance is very close to the frequency of circle-formation as determined by electron microscopy: thus, the joining of the "flush"-ends involves the formation of circular structures covalently closed in both strands.

Gene, 1977 Jul, 1(5-6), 291 - 303
Specificity of cleavage by restriction nuclease from Bacillus subtilis; Heininger K et al.; The restriction nuclease from B . subtilis (Bsu) which cleaves in the middle of the tetra-nucleotide sequence 5'-GGCC-3' 3'-CCGG-5' has been found to decrease its substrate specificity at high nuclease concentrations . There are special conditions, high pH, low ionic strength, and high glycerol content, which strongly enhance splitting with decreased specificity and also lead to splitting of single-stranded DNA . By sequence analyses it is shown that the reduction in specificity of Bsu corresponds to cleavage predominantly at 5'-GC-3' 3'-CG-5' sequences . No comparable change in specificity has been observed in a restriction nuclease from Haemophilus aegyptius (HaeIII), and isoschizomer of Bsu.

Med J Aust, 1977 Jun 25, 1(26), 956 - 7
A case of chancroid; Harvey K et al.; After a visit to Hong Kong, a 27-year-old salesman developed penile ulceration which failed to respond to three weeks' penicillin therapy . He then presented to hospital with acute paraphimosis . A clinical diagnosis of chancroid was confirmed by isolation of Haemophilus ducreyi . The ulcers healed after sulphonamide and streptomycin therapy . Although chancroid is an uncommon venereal disease in Australia, its incidence is still high in many tropical countries . It should be considered as a possible cause of genital ulceration in patients who have travelled overseas.

Int J Epidemiol, 1977 Jun, 6(2), 101 - 5
Space-time and family characteristics of meningococcal disease and haemophilus meningitis; Goldacre MJ; Significant space-time clustering was found for cases of meningococcal disease . This result was entirely accounted for by the occurrence of a small number of sibling pairs, and clustering was no longer found when these were omitted from the analysis . Meningococcal disease should still be regarded as potentially communicable between siblings . However, in this region of England the current level of infectivity of the disease outside the family is low . Space-time clustering was not convincingly demonstrated for haemophilus meningitis . This emphasizes that, even with diseases of known microbial aetiology, evidence for such clustering may be difficult to obtain . Only a small number of cases of haemophilus meningitis occurred in single-child families . Cases of single-child families tended to occur in older children than the remainder . Although children under three years of age are most susceptible to haemophilus meningitis, it is likely that the organism is usually introduced into the family by an older sibling.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1977 Jun, 238(2), 244 - 50
{Polyacrylamid-gel-electrophoresis of Haemophilus proteins (author's transl)}; Neumann U et al.; After phenol-acetic-acid extraction the following Haemophilus strains resp . their proteins were subjected the polyacrylamid-gel-electrophoresis in presence of 8 M urea: Strains of the serovar A of H . paragallinarum: 0083, 1516, 1598, 2213, 1645, 1646, Lohren, 2671, 1385, 758, 17756; strains of serovar B of H . paragallinarum: 0222, 2600, 733, 2028, 1596, 2026, 1676, 245, the S and R-form of 2403 as well as the strains 782 and 1655, which were not serotyped; strains of H . paravium sp . nova (HINZ: Inst . J . Syst . Bacteriol . in press): 1762, 62 (Serovar 1), 2654, 2659 (Serovar 2), 780 (Serovar 3), 94 (Serovar 4) and 1254, 0002, 0003, which were not serotyped . H . parainfluenzae (NCTC 4101) and H . parasuis were examined in the same way . The Coomassie Blue-stained protein patterns show that each of the strains tested developed its characteristic protein pattern, with exception of the S- and R-form of the strain 2403, which developed identical pattern . Interrelations between electrophoretic pattern and biological properties such as biochemical activities or pathogenicity could not be proved . However, the procedure described seems to be suitable for strain- or clon-identification on the subspecies level . The electrophoresis apparatus, which was made according to our instructions was less expensive than corresponding available equipments and proved to be usable for the polyacrylamid-gel-electrophoresis.

Carbohydr Res, 1977 Jun, 56(1), 117 - 22
The structure of the capsular antigen from Haemophilus influenzae type A; Branefors-Helander P; Structural investigation of the capsular antigen from Haemophilus influenzae type a has shown it to be composed of 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-D-ribitol residues joined through phosphoric diester linkages between O-4 of D-glucose and O-5 of D-ribitol . Chemical degradations and 13C-n.m.r . spectroscopy were the main methods used.

S Afr Med J, 1977 May 28, 51(22), 800 - 2
The use of counter-immuno-electrophoresis to identify causative organisms in bacterial meningitis: experience in Cape Town; van den Ende J et al.; Crebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 142 patients was tested for the presence of Haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcal and meningococcal antigens by counter-immuno-electrophoresis with commercial antisera . Group- or type-specific antigen was detected in the CSF of 67% of 64 patients with meningitis proved by culture to be due to these organisms, and in 10 of 25 patients with purulent meningitis but negative cultures . No false positive results were obtained in 24 normal CSF specimens, or in the CSF of 29 patients with meningitis caused by other organisms . The diagnostic usefulness of this specific, relatively simple and rapid procedure is confirmed.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1977 May, 25(5), 323 - 32
{Drug sensitivity of Haemophilus sp . and transfer of resistance into E . coli (author's transl)}; Goldstein FW et al.; From June 1973 to July 1976, 742 strains of Haemophilus influenzae and parainfluenzae, isolated from clinical specimens, were routinely tested for in vitro sensitivity to twelve antibiotics: penicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin, streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, tetracyclin, minocyclin, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazol, trimethoprim . 61 strains were found resistant to one or more of these antibiotics (ampicillin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol and tetracyclin) . The MICs of 23 antibiotics were determined by the agar dilution method on most of the resistant strains and on 60 sensitive strains isolated during the same period and considered as control . 21 strains transferred their resistance determinants into E . coli K12; 23 plasmids were obtained isolated from these strains: 2 strains contained two different plasmids . 90% of the transconjugants were stable after repeated subcultures.

J Clin Pathol, 1977 May, 30(5), 417 - 20
Routine laboratory assessment of postoperative chest infection: a prospective study; Wilkinson PJ et al.; Postoperative chest infection was studied prospectively in 73 patients in order to evaluate standard laboratory methods of sputum examination and to relate the results to the patients' clinical state and to antibiotic therapy . When a culture medium selective for haemophilus was used in addition to unselective media, homogenisation of the specimen gave no advantage . Laboratory and clinical findings usually corresponded well . Profuse growths of Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae were clearly associated with clinical evidence of chest infection but other Gramnegative bacilli and Staphylococcus aureus much less so . Coliforms were more prominent after antibiotic therapy.

Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex, 1977 May-Jun, 34(3), 661 - 8
{Severe infections by Haemophilus influenzae in children}; Herrera Labarca P et al.; Severity and increasing incidence of serious infections due to Haemophilus influenzae in children have been stressed in recent publications . An analysis of the clinical records of the Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Roberto del Rio (Santiago, Chile) was made in order to gather information about frequency and clinical feature of this kind of infections in our environement . 120 children under 3 years of age in whom H . influenzae was isolated in samples of one or more of the following sources: CSF, blood, bone marrow, pleural and synovial fluids, were admitted from January 1970 to March 1976 . Among the different syndromes observed, bacterial meningitis (83.3%) was associated with other localizations in 27% . Empyema (12.5%) was often (46.6%) associated with meningitis . Both clinical entities were the most common and with a definite tendency to increase their frequency in last years . Cultures of CSF, blood and bone marrow were considered effective tests for diagnosis in severe infections due to H . influenzae . Although precise incidence figures may not be obtained from the present data, this kind of diseases may be considered frequent and severe (mortality: 26.6% in this study).

Ann Microbiol (Paris), 1977 May-Jun, 128A(4), 383 - 91
{Plasmidic resistance of "Haemophilus sp." to aminoglycoside antibiotics: isolation and study of a new phosphotransferase (author's transl)}; Goffic FL et al.; Plasmid mediated phosphorylating activities have been found in Haemophilus sp . strains resistant to some aminoglycoside antibiotics . The enzymes responsible for this phenomenon have been purified and studied . They belong to the group of aminoglycoside phosphotransferases which are able to phosphorylate these antibiotics on the 3'- or 5"-hydroxyl group . The first enzyme studied is closely related to APH(3')I whereas the second one is different from the former on the basis of substrate specificities and physicochemical properties . We propose to call this second enzyme APH(3')Ib as compared to APH(3')I which will be called APH(3')Ia.

Laryngol Rhinol Otol (Stuttg), 1977 May, 56(5), 460 - 6
{Bacteriological findings in chronic infantile tonsillitis (author's transl)}; Mann W et al.; Under general anaesthesia cultures were taken from infantile tonsils prior to T & A . The bacteriological results and the serological classification of hemophilus are questionning literature reports . According to our findings one must consider haemophilus influencae as a resident of the common oral flora . There was no significant difference culturing tonsils with or without repeated antibiotic treatment . Hemophilus influencae combined with beta-hemolytic streptococci is common . Immunological considerations against infantile T & A, based on bacteriological observations are questioned.

J Laryngol Otol, 1977 Apr, 91(4), 295 - 302
Acute epiglottitis in adults; Kander PL et al.; Nine cases of acute epiglottitis in adults, seen over a period of ten years, are presented . The presence of severe pain and dysphagia as universal presenting features are stressed, and the frequent absence of pharyngeal injection is noted . We found that the disease in adults differs from that in children in that pain and dysphagia are more marked, that stridor is a less prominent feature, and that Haemophilus influenzae appears not to be the sole causative organism.

Mayo Clin Proc, 1977 Apr, 52(4), 209 - 15
Haemophilus endocarditis . Report of 14 patients; Geraci JE et al.; From 1963 through December 1976, 14 patients with Haemophilus endocarditis were seen, 10 since January 1972 . Four different species representing 15 isolates were cultured from the 14 patients: H . influenzae (1), H . aphrophilus (5), H . PARAPHROPHILUS (5), and H . parainfluenzae (4) . One patient had infection with both H . aphrophilus and H . paraphrophilus . Minimal inhibitory concentrations of 12 of the tested 14 strains with ampicillin were 1.25 mug/ml or less . Tube dilution tests were not possible for minimal bactericidal concentrations (7 times) or serum bactericidal titers (5 times) of the 12 tested strains . The clinical picture varied from an insidious onset and mild uncomplicated disease to abrupt onset with severe multisystem disease . Twelve patients had murmurs on admission; congestive heart failure was absent in all 14 but embolization occurred in 6 . Treatment periods of 3 to 7 weeks consisted of penicillin G or ampicillin plus aminoglycoside in nine patients and ampicillin alone in five . All 14 patients were cured; no relapses occurred . Value surgery was not needed for bacteriologic cure but was necessary 15 days after therapy in one patient and in four others from 12 to 22 months after therapy . We believe that ampicillin, 12 g/day alone for 3 weeks, is adequate treatment for Haemophilus endocarditis.

Cornell Vet, 1977 Apr, 67(2), 300 - 5
Septicemia and meningoencephalitis in pastured cattle caused by a Haemophilus-like organism ("Haemophilus somnus"); Smith BP et al.; Septicemia and meningoencephalitis developed in 10 pastured cattle 7 months to 3 years of age . Two unrelated herds were involved . Necropsy findings were similar to those previously reported in cattle infected with a Haemophilus-like organism, including multifocal intramuscular hemorrhages, suppurative polyarthritis, and multifocal hemorrhagic thrombi in the brain . A Haemophilus-like organism was isolated from one animal . It was characterized by growth on blood agar or tryptose agar plus a feeder streak under raised carbon dioxide tension, and lack of response to Haemophilus growth factors X and V.

J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Apr, 5(4), 490 - 1
Screening for cross-reacting capsular polysaccharide K antigens of Escherichia coli using antiserum agar; Counts GW et al.; Agar plates containing antiserum against group B meningococcus or Haemophilus influenzae type b were used to determine the prevalence of cross-reacting K1 and K100 capsular polysaccharide antigens in 265 isolates of disease-causing Escherichia coli . K1 antigen was found in 22% of isolates from various sites . K100 antigen was found in only three isolates . This technique is a convenient method to detect specific E . coli K antigens for evaluation as possible factors important in the virulence of the organism.

Infect Immun, 1977 Apr, 16(1), 400 - 2
Activation of the alternative complement pathway by Haemophilus influenzae type B; Quinn PH et al.; The results of the following study demonstrate that Haemophilus influenzae type B (HITB) is able to activate the alternative complement pathway . They also demonstrate that the activation of the alternative pathway by HITB is not mediated by the capsule.

Infect Immun, 1977 Apr, 16(1), 218 - 25
Immunology of the infant rat experimental model of Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis; Myerowitz RL et al.; The age-related acquisition of serum anticapsular and bactericidal antibodies to Haemophilus influenzae type b observed in rats was similar to that of humans . The antigenic source for this "natural" immunity was not identified since neither pharyngeal infection with H . influenzae b nor enteric colonization by cross-reacting bacteria was detected . Infant rats surviving H . influenzae b bacteremia failed to respond immunologically to the capsular polysaccharide . However, surviving rats demonstrated no impairment of immune responsiveness to this antigen after subsequent immunization with live bacteria in adulthood . In passive protection experiments, antibodies directed against the type b capsular polysaccharide represented the major protective specificity . However, a small protective effect of antibodies to noncapsular antigens also appeared to have been demonstrated.

J Virol, 1977 Apr, 22(1), 47 - 53
Effects of x irradiation on a temperate bacteriophage of Haemophilus influenzae; Boling ME et al.; The inactivation of bacteriophage HP1c1 by X rays in a complex medium was found to be exponential, with a D0 (the X-ray exposure necessary to reduce the survival of the phage to 37%) of approximately 90 kR . Analysis of results of sucrose sedimentation of DNA from X-irradiated whole phage showed that the D0 for intactness of single strands was about 105kR, and for intactness of double strands, it was much higher . The D0 for attachment of X-irradiated phage to the host was roughly estimated as about 1,100 kR . Loss of DNA from the phage occurred and was probably due to lysis of the phage by X irradiation, but the significance of the damage is not clear . The production of single-strand breaks approaches the rate of survival loss after X irradiation . However, single-strand breaks produced by UV irradiation, in the presence of H2O2, equivalent to 215 kR of X rays, showed no lethal effect on the phage . Although UV-sensitive mutants of the host cell, Haemophilus influenzae, have been shown to reactivate UV-irradiated phage less than does the wild-type host cell, X-irradiated phage survive equally well on the mutants as on the wild type, a fact suggesting that other repair systems are involved in X-ray repair.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Apr, 135(4), 641 - 5
Potentiation of experimental meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae by influenza A virus; Michaels RH et al.; When Haemophilus influenzae type b was given intranasally to infant rats, a very large dose was required to produce histologic evidence of meningitis in even half of the animals tested; meningitis developed in 16 of 31 rats that received 10(7) viable bacteria at the age of five days . However, when the animals first received influenza virus, the dose of bacteria required to produce meningitis was reduced 100-fold; meningitis occurred in 10 of 21 rats given virus at two days and 10(5) viable bacteria at five days . These results suggest that prior viral infection of the upper respiratory tract may be a factor in the pathogenesis of haemophilus meningitis.

Helv Paediatr Acta, 1977 Apr, 31(6), 499 - 501
Neonatal haemophilus aphrophilus meningitis; Miano A et al.; Case report of a neonatal meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae . The treatment with ampicillin was ineffective because of insensitivity . This case demonstrates the importance of a proper bacteriological identification in order to avoid ineffective or delayed treatment.

J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Apr, 5(4), 405 - 9
Counterimmunoelectrophoresis in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis; Colding H et al.; The aim of the present study was to investigate whether counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) would facilitate the rapid, etiological diagnosis of bacterial meningitis when used in parallel with other routine methods in a medical bacteriological laboratory . Of 3,674 consecutive specimens of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) received at the Department of Diagnostic Bacteriology, Statens Seruminstitu, 283 specimens (each representing one patient) were selected for examination by CIE on the basis of the following criteria: bacteria or pleocytosis or both by microscopy or positive culture or both . CIE was performed with antisera to Neisseria meningitidis (groups A, B and C), Streptococcus pneumoniae (omni-serum and pools A to 1), and Haemophilus influenzae type b . Antigen was detected in 57% (72/126) of specimens in which cultures revealed these three kinds of microorganisms in CSF and in 12% (17/139) of the culture-negative specimens . CSF specimens from 21 patients with bacterial meningitis caused by other species were all negative in CIE, except four, three of which contained Escherichia coli antigen reacting with antiserum to N . meningitidis group B and one E . coli antigen reacting with antiserum to H . influenzae type b . Specific diagnosis was achieved in 60% (170/283) of the specimens studied and could be extablished within 1 h in 85% (145/170) by the combined results of microscopy and CIE . Ten specimens, nine of which showed a reaction with antiserum to N . meningitidis group A, were positive by CIE only.

Lancet, 1977 Mar 26, 1(8013), 663 - 6
Frequency of E . coli K antigens in urinary-tract infections in children; Kaijser B et al.; The somatic (O) and casular (K) antigens of Escherichia coli from the urine of patients with acute pyelonephritis, acute cystitis, and asymptomatic bacteriuria, and in the faeces of healthy schoolchildren have been investigated . Typing antisera for sixteen capsular acidic polysaccharide K antigens were used, and five (numbers 1, 2, 3, 12, and 13) accounted for 70% of isolates from patients with acute pyelonephritis . These five K antigens were found to a lesser extent in the three other study groups . Thus, only a few K polysaccharides are associated with virulent properties of E . coli for the upper urinary tract . This finding is similar to the association of only some capsular types of pneumococci, meningococci, and Haemophilus influenzae with invasiveness . The identification of virulence markers for E . coli associated with upper-urinary-tract disease may permit more successful control with reference to preventive immunisation.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Mar 18, 475(2), 315 - 22
Formation of a thymine photoproduct in transforming DNA by near ultraviolet irradiation; Carbera-Juarez E et al.; Irradiation at 334 and 365 nm of a highly purified preparation of thymine-labeled transforming DNA from Haemophilus influenzae produced a photo product containing label from thymine but different from the cyclobutane dimer . The photoproduct is soluble in water and in ethanol and Rf values in a number of solvents are presented . The photoproduct has properties similar in a number of respects to those of the spore photoproduct, 5-thyminyl-5,6-dihydrothymine . The near ultraviolet photoproduct is more likely to affect the oxygen independent inactivation of transforming DNA rather than its mutagenesis, as judged by the quantitative relationship between amount of photboproduct and inactivation and mutagenesis.

Medicine (Baltimore), 1977 Mar, 56(2), 99 - 113
Haemophilus parainfluenzae infective endocarditis; Chunn CJ et al.; Seven young to middle-aged patients with Haemophilus parainfluenzae endocarditis are reported . Three patients had underlying heart disease and three patients had recent events predisposing for endocarditis . The clinical presentation was subacute or acute and new pathologic murmurs were uncommon . Diagnosis was prolonged because of difficulties in isolating the organism . Routine subculturing of blood cultures to chocolate agar with incubation in CO2 is recommended . A prominent complication, occurring in six patients, was major arterial occlusion secondary to emboli . Antibiotic control of infection was difficult and best achieved by the concomitant administration of ampicillin and gentamicin . Killing curves proved useful in assessing antibiotic efficacy . There were two medical failures and one death in the series . It appears H . parainfluenzae endocarditis is characterized by distinctive clinical features, difficult in vitro isolation of the organism, and the necessity for combination antibiotic therapy.

Medicine (Baltimore), 1977 Mar, 56(2), 115 - 28
Haemophilus parainfluenzae and influenzae endocarditis: a review of forty cases; Lynn DJ et al.; Two cases of bacterial endocarditis caused by Haemophilus parainfluenzae are reported with a review of 33 other cases of H . parainfluenzae endocarditis and 5 cases of H . influenzae endocarditis . Although H . parainfluenzae is usually considered a non-pathogenic microorganism, this review firmly establishes its role as a causative agent in endocarditis . Furthermore, several clinical features were noted which were atypical when compared to findings usually present in patients with bacterial endocarditis . The mean age of the patients was only 27 years . Over 60% of the patients had no identifiable predisposing illness, an unexpected finding in view of the low degree of pathogenicity associated with this microorganism . Polymicrobial bacteremia, usually with viridans streptococci, was found in 11% of patients . Major arterial emboli were documented in 57% of patients, an incidence unchanged from the pre-antibiotic era . Diagnosis of the disease is dependent upon an awareness of the fastidious cultural requirements necessary for isolation of Haemophilus species . Culture media must contain a source of X and V factors . Mortality from H . parainfluenzae endocarditis has been reduced from 100 per cent prior to 1940 to about 12 per cent by use of appropriate antimicrobial agents . Awareness that Haemophilus species can cause bacterial endocarditis is important because the diagnosis is dependent upon utilization of special culture methods and the patient may not respond to some of the empiric regimens used for treating bacterial endocarditis . It should be especially considered as a possible cause of "culture-negative" or "abacteremic" endocarditis.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1977 Mar, 67(3), 264 - 8
Standardized disk-diffusion susceptibility test for Haemophilus influenzae; Jorgensen JH et al.; The emergence of ampicillin-resistant strains of Haemophilus influenzae has emphasized the need for an improved practical method for routine susceptibility testing of clinical isolates . We have previously described a simplified medium for quantitative dilution susceptibility testing that is composed of Mueller-Hinton medium plus Supplement C (Difco) . In the present study, paired broth-dilution and disk-diffusion susceptibility tests with ampicillin and chloramphenicol were performed on 100 strains of Haemophilus (95 H . influenzae and five H . parainfluenzae), including 30 strains with previously documented ampicillin resistance . Disk-diffusion tests were performed in exactly the same manner as the standardized Kirby-Bauer procedure used for less fastidious organisms, except that supplemented Mueller-Hinton agar plates were incubated in an increased-CO2 atmosphere . Using this method, ampicillin-susceptible strains of Haemophilus produced zone diameters of 22 mm or more, while ampicillin-resistant strains produced zones of 18 mm or less . All strains were chloramphenicol-susceptible and produced zone diameters of 30 mm or more . This method would allow routine disk-diffusion testing of isolates of H . influenzae by hospital diagnostic laboratories, using a clear medium that closely resembles unsupplemented Mueller-Hinton agar.

J Virol, 1977 Mar, 21(3), 1210 - 4
Human papillomavirus DNA: physical mapping of the cleavage sites of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BamI) and Haemophilus parainfluenzae (HpaII) endonucleases and evidence for partial heterogeneity; Favre M et al.; The DNA of human papillomavirus (HPV) obtained from a pool of plantar warts is cleaved by bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BamI) and Haemophilus parainfluenzae (HpaII) restriction endonucleases at one and four specific sites, respectively . These sites were localized on the previously established cleavage map of HPV DNA, using the Hind, HindIII, HpaI, and EcoRI endonuclease restriction sites as reference . The four HpaII sites were mapped, clockwise, at 1.4, 41.1, 44.3, and 52.8% of the genome length from the unique BamI cleavage site taken as point zero . The HpaII site mapped at 1.4% of the genome length was absent in 40 to 50% of the molecules, thus showing a genetic heterogeneity of HPV DNA.

Vet Rec, 1977 Feb 12, 100(7), 126 - 7
The isolation of Haemophilus somnus following sudden deaths in suckler calves in Scotland; Pritchard DG et al.; A blood or yeast dependent pleomorphic Gram-negative bacillus was isolated from the pneumonic lung of a suckled calf which died suddenly . The organism was biochemically similar to American strains of Haemophilus somnus and was shown to be serologically similar by rapid slide agglutination, tube agglutination and micro-complement fixation tests . The possible importance of this organism in disease syndromes in cattle in the United Kingdom is discussed.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1977 Feb, 237(1), 72 - 9
{The occurrence of neuraminidase and N-acylneuraminate pyruvate lyase in Haemophilus paragallinarum and Haemophilus paravium n.sp (author's transl)}; Hinz KH et al.; 14 strains of H . paragallinarum, isolated from fowls suffering from infectious coryza or received from other investigators for comparison, and a collective consisting of 9 strains of the new species H . paravium nova species, also isolated from fowls, were shown to possess both enzymes, neuraminidase (EC 3.2.1.18) and N-Acylneuraminate-pyruvate lyase (EC 4.1.3.3) . The detection of the enzymes was made initially by paper chromatography using N-acetyl-neuraminyllactose as substrate and secondly by the colorimetric assay of Warren's thiobarbituric acid method using N-acetylneuraminyllactose, colomic acid, Na salt, bovine submaxillary mucin, human serum and furthermore N-acetyl-neuraminate as substrates for neuraminidase and N-acylneuraminate pyruvate lyase respectively . The enzyme activities of the strains of H . paravium are stronger than those of H . paragallinarum.

Chest, 1977 Feb, 71(2), 146 - 9
Bacterial endocarditis due to Haemophilus parainfluenzae; Blair DC et al.; We have evaluated three patients with Haemophilus parainfluenzae endocarditis . Two of the three had underlying heart disease . All presented with fever, chills and malaise of less than two weeks' duration . Mitral valve involvement led to congestive heart failure in two of three cases . Treatment proved difficult, despite normally adequate dosages of antibiotics to which the pathogens were sensitive in vitro (ampicillin, 12-20 gm/dag; gentamicin, 3-5 mg/kg/day) . Two patients were cured; one died . There was a suggestion of an inverse correlation between vegetation mass and favorable clinical response . Review of the English literature disclosed 22 documented cases of H parainfluenzae endocarditis, including 12 in the antibiotic era.

Br J Ind Med, 1977 Feb, 34(1), 11 - 8
Occupational formalin asthma; Hendrick DJ et al.; Hypersensitivity to formalin used to sterilise artificial kidney machines was shown by inhalation provocation tests to be responsible for attacks of wheezing accompanied by productive cough in two members of the nursing staff of a haemodialysis unit . Three further members of the staff of 28 who were continually exposed to this substance occupationally had developed similar recurrent but less frequent episodes since joining the unit . Two underwent inhalation provocation tests with formalin which did not reproduce these symptoms.Single episodes of these symptoms had been noted by three additional staff members so that altogether eight (29%) had experienced attacks described as bronchitic since becoming exposed to formalin . We suggest that, while exposure to formalin did not seem to be directly responsible in all cases, it might have increased susceptibility to other provoking agents or induced a hyper-reactive responsiveness of the airways . The responses observed in the two nurses after inhalation provocation tests with fromalin were predominantly of airways obstruction . Wheezing began between two and three hours after exposure, and peak expiratory flow rates fell maximally by approximately 50% . Reactions persisted for 10 hours to 10 days depending on the exposure dose . A productive cough was a prominent feature . The sputum appeared to be mucopurulent, but culture produced a scanty growth of Haemophilus influenzae only, together with upper respiratory tract commensals . The cellular content was not homogeneous, neutrophil leucocytes and eosinophil leucocoytes variably dominating . Variable responses of neutrophil and eosinophil leucocytes were also seen in the peripheral blood.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1977 Feb, 25(2), 83 - 7
{Sensitivity of "Haemophilus influenzae" to 5 antibiotics and rapid detection of its resistance to ampicilin (author's transl)}; Piot P et al.; Sensitivity of Haemophilus influenzae to 5 antibiotics has been determined by the agar dilution method . Two strains out of 165 are resistant to ampicillin and 5% to tetracycline . All strains were sensitive to chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole and cefuroxime . A simple test for rapid detection of beta-lactamase with a chromogenic cephalosporin and sensitivity testing by an agar diffusion method were evaluated for Haemophilus.

J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Feb, 5(2), 142 - 4
Rapid speciation of Haemophilus with the porphyrin production test versus the satellite test for X; Lund ME et al.; The detection of porphyrins produced from omega-aminolevulinic acid was evaluated for use in speciation of the Haemophilus . Two hundred and forty-eight clinical isolates of nonhemolytic Haemophilus were tested concurrently for porphyrin production and for X and V requirements . The porphyrin production test was more rapid (4 h) and more accurate than the satellite test.

Am J Dis Child, 1977 Feb, 131(2), 213 - 4
Meningitis due to two serotypes of Escherichia coli . An infant who recovered; Goldenberg RI et al.; A newborn infant with hyaline membrane disease and aspiration pneumonia developed purulent meningitis on day 19, three days after discontinuation of ampicillin sodium and gentamicin sulfate therapy . Therapy with gentamicin, both systemically and intrathecally, for two weeks was ineffective . During this time each of four specimens of cerebrospinal fluid contained two serotypes of Escherichia coli, namely, O83:H4 and O75:H5 . The antibiograms of the two strains were identical, both being susceptible to gentamicin and ampicillin . Treatment with ampicillin resulted in prompt disappearance of the infecting microorganisms and recovery from the infection . One of the strains (O75:H5) produced an antigen cross-reacting with the capsular antigen of Haemophilus influenzae type B; the other did not . The patient developed O antibodies in substantial titers against E coli O83 but not against E coli O75.

Infect Immun, 1977 Feb, 15(2), 472 - 7
Isolation of the capsular polysaccharide from culture supernatant of Haemophilus influenzae type b; Anderson P et al.; The capsular polysaccharide (CP) of Haemophilus influenzae type b is known to be spontaneously released from the cells in culture . The CP is precipitable from culture supernatant by the cationic detergent hexadecyltrimethylammonium . Most of the nucleic acid and some of the protein, but almost none of the endotoxin, in the supernatant are co-precipitated . Extraction of the precipitate with progressively stronger NaCl solutions separates nucleic acid and protein from the CP and also effects a molecular size fractionation . Residual endotoxin and protein can be reduced by extraction with cold phenol and ultracentrifugation . The resulting preparation has ribose, ribitol, and phosphate as principal components and contains less than 1% other sugars, protein, or nucleic acid; it elutes on Sepharose 2B as a symmetrical peak with Kav 0.51.

Infect Immun, 1977 Feb, 15(2), 453 - 60
Immunoprotective activity of ribosomes from Haemophilus influenzae; Lynn M et al.; Immunization with ribosomal preparations from Haemophilus influenzae type b elicited protective immunity in mice . Ribosomes from disrupted cells where isolated by differential centrifugation using sodium dodecyl sulfate . The washed ribosomes contained 25% protein and 75% ribonucleic acid and sedimented as a single peak on sucrose density gradient analysis with a sedimentation coefficient of 67S, using Escherichia coli ribosomes as a 70S marker . Immunodiffusion tests with antipolyribose phosphate serum showed that the ribosomes were free from capsular material . Mice immunized subcutaneously with ribosomes, with or without adjuvant, were challenged intraperitoneally with 100 to 1,000 mean lethal doses of H . influenzae type b suspended in gastric mucin . Significant protection was induced by ribosomes and was compared to that obtained after sublethal infection with live cells . The protection was greatly enhanced after incorporation of ribosomes into adjuvants . Maximum protection (90 to 95%) was observed at 1 to 2 weeks after immunization . Ribosomes from a nonencapsulated strain of H . influenzae were as immunogenic as those from the encapsulated strain, demonstrating that the capsular material is not responsible for immunogenicity of Haemophilus ribosomes.

J Med Microbiol, 1977 Feb, 10(1), 127 - 31
A comparison of chloramphenicol and ampicillin as bactericidal agents for Haemophilus influenzae type B; Turk DC; In tests of bactericidal action against H . influenzae type b strains isolated from patients with meningitis, chloramphenicol was found to be far more reliable than ampicillin in dealing with large inocula, and more rapidly effective against both large and relatively small inocula . These findings provide a laboratory explanation for the somewhat better record of chloramphenicol as an agent for treatment of haemophilus meningitis.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Feb, 135(2), 303 - 7
Haemophilus influenzae meningitis in infant rats: role of bacteremia in pathogenesis of age-dependent inflammatory responses in cerebrospinal fluid; Moxon ER et al.; Abnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid associated with meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae type b were characterized in infant rats . After intranasal inoculation of bacteria, the development of intense bacteremia (greater than 10(4) colony-forming units/ml) correlated with cultures of cerebrospinal fluid positive for H . influenzae, with pleocytosis, and with hisotologic evidence of meningitis . The degree of pleocytosis was related to the age of the animal, the amount of time since inoculation, and the severity of the meningitis.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Feb, 135(2), 210 - 6
Cefamandole and ampicillin therapy in experimental Haemophilus influenzae meningitis; Strausbaugh LJ et al.; Cefamandole and ampicillin were compared in the therapy of experimental Haemophilus influenzae meningitis in rabbits . Three dosages of each drug were administered as a continuous intravenous infusion for 8 hr to 24 infected animals . Samples of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were obtained at 0, 4, and 8 hr for determination of antibiotic concentrations and bacterial titers in CSF . Serum levels of cefamandole were higher, but CSF concentrations of both antibiotics were similar . With the 60-mg/kg per hr dose, the mean serum level was 106 +/- 61 mug/ml for cefamandole and 58 +/- 32 mug/ml for ampicillin (P less than 0.05) . With this dosage the mean level in CSF was 7.3 +/- 8.4 mug/ml for cefamandole and 9.5 +/- 5.4 mug/ml for ampicillin (P = 0.26) . The percentage penetration ({concentration in CSF/concentration in serum} X 100%) was higher for ampicillin (mean, 18.8% +/- 8.9%) than for cefamandole (mean, 5.6% +/- 3.8%) with all dosages tested (P less than 0.001) . The rate of bacterial killing in vivo during therapy was similar with both drugs . The efficacy of cefamandole and ampicillin given intramuscularly for five days (250 mg every 8 hr) was examined in 42 rabbits . Twelve of 14 untreated control rabbits died within 24-72 hr of inoculation . In contrast, 11 of 14 rabbits treated with cafamandole and 10 of 14 rabbits treated with ampicillin were cured of their infections . Cefamandole compared favorably with ampicillin in the therapy of experimental H . influenzae meningitis.

Am J Dis Child, 1977 Feb, 131(2), 215 - 7
Hypopyon and orbital cellulitis associated with Haemophilus influenzae type B meningitis . Diagnostic and therapeutic implications; Gomez-Barreto J et al.; Three children, 8 months to 2 years of age, demonstrated unusual manifestations in association with Haemophilus influenzae septicemia and meningitis . After one child had been diagnosed as having orbital cellulitis in conjunction with H influenzae meningitis, a second child, with orbital cellulitis and no clinical evidence of meningitis, had a lumbar tap indicative of a meningitis . A third child developed a hypopyon in association with H influenzae meningitis and septic arthritis of several joints . We report the problem of diagnosis and treatment of orbital cellulitis in the context of our cases and those previously reported.

J Gen Microbiol, 1977 Feb, 98(2), 349 - 54
The effect of sodium chloride and NADH on the growth of six strains of haemophilus species pathogenic to chickens; Rimler RB et al.; Six strains of Haemophilus species, pathogenic to chickens, required 1-0 to 1-5% (w/v) NaCl for optimum growth . The requirement was for Na+ rather than NaCl . A sodium salt buffer influenced the optimum NaCl requirement and enhanced growth . Each strain required a different concentration of NADH for an optimum rate of growth.

Arch Exp Veterinarmed, 1977, 31(1), 129 - 37
{Contribution to the experimental haemophilus infection (haemophilus parahemolyticus, haemophilus parasuis) in specific pathogen-free piglets . 1 . microbiology, experimental arrangement, results}; Janetschke P et al.; Experimental infections were applied to specific pathogen free (SPF) piglets and store pigs, using five haemophilus (H.) parahaemolyticus and two H.-parasuis strains . Different germs counts and modes of application were chosen for each of the animals involved (intratracheal, intranasal, and subcutaneous routes).Clinical and pathologico-anatomic changes typical of haemorrhagic-necrotising pleuropneumonia were obtained from all germ counts and methods of application . Only one of the test animals could be successfully infected to exhibit manifestations of pneumonia or serositis when H . parasuis was used . The high pathogenicity of H . parahaemolyticus, as recorded from the above experiments, was in agreement with the growing incidence of that haemophilosis recordable for some time from pig stock.

Avian Dis, 1977 Jan-Mar, 21(1), 39 - 49
Production and properties of hemagglutinin of Haemophilus gallinarum; Iritani Y et al.; Production of hemagglutinin (HA) of Haemophilus gallinarum was compared in some media, and its properties were studied . HA was produced in Kato's media, brain heart infusion (BHI) broth containing beta-diphosphopyridine nucleotide, and chicken meat infusion (CMI) broth . The HA in CMI broth different according to the concentration of the chicken serum; no HA titer was found in 0.5% or more chicken serum, but HA was activated by storage in a refrigerator . Cells of H . gallinarum cultured for a long time had markedly decreased HA titer . A weak HA was produced in blood and Kato's agars, but no titer appeared in CMI and BHI agars . HA of H . gallinarum was heat-labile and inactivated by formalin, ethanol, methanol, and ethyl acetate . On the other hand, HA was resistant to chloroform, acetone, and some enzymes . Moreover, the HA titer of cell cultured in CMI broth was enhanced by hyaluronidase . H . gallinarum in Kato's and BHI broths were pleomorphic rods with or without a capsule, but were capsulated ovoid cells in CMI broth, according to electron microscopy.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1977, 9(1), 13 - 7
Serum immunoglobulin levels in the course of bacterial meningitis in children; Kouvalainen K et al.; Serum levels of 5 immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE) were determined at frequent intervals in the course of bacterial meningitis in children . 59 patients were examined; 27 with Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, 23 with meningococcal and 9 with pneumococcal meningitis . All 5 immunoglobulins increased during the 2-week course of bacterial meningitis . IgM was the immunoglobulin class responding most rapidly, regularly and intensively . IgG increased moderately . However, practically no rise of the IgG level was observed in children with H . influenzae meningitis . The elevation of the IgA and IgE levels possibly suggests that meningitis may also cause synthesis of IgA and IgE antibodies . The results of the study indicate that antibodies of all the 5 immunoglobulin classes are probably involved in the defense against the causative microbes in bacterial meningitis.

Arch Exp Veterinarmed, 1977, 31(3), 347 - 57
{Contribution to the experimental hemophilus infection (Haemophilus parahaemolyticus, Haemophilus parasuis) in SPF piglets . 2 . Comparative pathology and histology}; Martin J et al.; The pathologico-anatomic and even more the histological pattern of experimental Haemophilus parahaemolyticus pleuropneumonia in specific-pathogen-free piglets was found to be characteristic in the peracute, acute, and subacute-chronic stages of the disease . It is an infection which can be morphologically differentiated from other forms of pneumonia in swine primarily by three factors, localisation of the changes, inflammation, and a typical cell response . Changes following experimental Haemophilus parasuis infection were found to occur irregularly on serous skins and, in continuation, in the lung and joints . These were not characteristic and failed to exhibit morphological peculiarities.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1977, 9(3), 187 - 91
The latex agglutination test for the diagnosis of meningococcal and haemophilus influenzae meningitis; Leinonen M et al.; 103 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 55 patients with bacteriologically proven meningitis (caused mainly by Neisseria meningitidis group A and Haemophilus influenzae type b) and from 29 patients with unproved meningitis or other diseases were studied using the latex agglutination (LA) test to demonstrate bacterial antigen in CSF . The tests for N . meningitidis groups A and C and H . ineluenzae type b were found to be rapid, reliable and specific for the serological group of the organism . The demonstration of N . meningitidis group B antigen has not succeeded with the test . Negative results were obtained from culture-positive samples in 4 cases where the bacterial growth was scanty . On the other hand the LA test was clearly positive on 3 occasions in which meningococci did not grow in cultures because of initiated antibacterial therapy or delay before culturing . False-positive results were rare (2 cases) . The LA test was found to be at least as sensitive as counterimmunoelectrophoresis in demonstrating bacterial antigens in CSF.

Avian Dis, 1977 Jan-Mar, 21(1), 1 - 8
Serologic response to Haemophilus gallinarum in artifically infected and vaccinated chickens; Iritani Y et al.; Serologic responses to Haemophilus gallinarum (HG) were compared in chickens artifically inoculated with living HG and vaccinated with HG bacterin, using tube agglutination (AGG), hemagglutination-inhibition (HI), and agar-gel precipitation (AGP) tests . Infected and vaccinated chickens differed markedly, as did infection routes early after treatment . HI response was delayed and lower in chickens infected intranasally than in vaccinated chickens . Both AGG and AGP responses peaked sooner than HI . AGP response was earlier in infected chickens, but later in vaccinated chickens . A maximum of three lines were observed . All which appeared for vaccinated chickens were similar to those for inoculated ones . A residual line remaining for very long periods for inoculated and vaccinated chickens appeared near the side of well of the HG antigen . The duration of symptoms following HG infection had no correlation with HI, AGG, and AGP titers . From these results, the HI test seems not to be the only serological diagnosis of HG infection in the field.

Dev Biol Stand, 1977, 34, 117 - 25
Adverse reactions and endotoxin content of polysaccharide vaccines; Kuronen T et al.; Adverse reactions occurring when 1.5 million children and young adults were vaccinated with different lots of group A meningococcal and one lot of Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide vaccines were analyzed on the basis of records kept by local health personnel and 19,000 special questionnaires . The incidence of anaphylactic reactions was 0.8 per 100,000 injections . A pyrogen-like reaction--high fever appearing soon after injection and disappearing within six hours--was seen in 1.8% of children 3 months to 5 years old who received the meningococcal vaccine in the first vaccination project . This reaction was most common in children below three years . Its frequency varied with different vaccine lots and was found to be correlated with the endotoxin content of the vaccines estimated by either the limulus assay or by pyrogen test in rabbits . On the basis of these results we propose that capsular polysaccharide vaccines should pass the pyrogen test with a dose of one mug polysaccharide per kg of rabbit weight . With such vaccines, the incidence of high fever was reduced to 0.5% in children of the same age group.

Rev Cubana Med Trop, 1977 Jan-Apr, 29(1), 17 - 22
{Isolation of Haemophilus vaginalis in patients with leukorrhea}; Ortega Verdecia BP et al.; Strains of Haemophilus vaginalis were isolated from patients with leukorrhea . The characteristics of the microorganism that permit its laboratory diagnosis and results of the antibiotic-sensibility tests are described.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1977, 9(4), 293 - 6
Occurrence and transfer of ampicillin resistance associated with ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae isolated from a case at a day-care centre; Bysjo E et al.; A 1-year-old boy with recurrent otitis media had been repeatedly treated with antibiotics . A few days after withdrawal of administered ampicillin he again contracted otitis media and ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae was isolated . The strain was serologically untypable . No ampicillin-resistant H . influenzae was found in his family or at the day-care centre that he attended . The ability to produce the beta-lactamase elaborated from this strain could be transferred to ampicillin-sensitive strains of H . influenzae and Escherichia coli in frequencies of 0.7 X 10(-7) and 4.1 X 10(-4) respectively . The transcipients obtained were ampicillin-resistant and beta-lactamase producing . In the transcipients of E . coli, however, the marker for ampicillin resistance was quite unstable.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1977, 9(4), 285 - 8
An evaluation of two immunological methods in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis: the effect of ultrasonic treatment of the cerebrospinal fluid; Forre O et al.; Counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) and fluorescent antibody (FA) technique were evaluated in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis (groups A, B, C), Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b . FA was positive in 80% and CIE in 70% of the 59 cases of bacterial meningitis investigated . Ultrasonic treatment of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increased the efficacy of CIE from 50% to 70% . By FA it was possible to demonstrate bacterial antigen in CSF up to 3 days after the beginning of antibacterial therapy . Bacterial antigens could be demonstrated by the two immunological methods from 2 to 24 days when stored at 20 degrees C . At storage at 4 degrees C the antigens were demonstrable for 2 to 13 weeks by FA and for 2 to 10 weeks by CIE.

Arch Exp Veterinarmed, 1977, 31(1), 61 - 9
{Chemically defined and partially defined media for pasteurella multocida and pateurella hemolytica}; Flossmann KD et al.; Two culturing recipes were suggested for Pasteurella multocida and Pasteurella haemolytica, one partialy defined nutritive defined nutritive medium with 0.5 per cent yeast extract and one chemically defined medium . Both had been composed on the basis of studies into nutrient demand and into the effects of complex nutritive substrates . Both nutritive media are applicable also to culturing other bacterial species . (Among the strains tested so far were streptococci, staphylococci, Escherichia coli, pseudomonas, protest, Salmonella,, Shigella, and Haemophilus.)

J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Jan, 5(1), 81 - 5
Detection of Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens in body fluids, using specific antibody-coated staphylococci; Suksanong M et al.; Protein A-rich staphylococci coated with Haemophilus influenzae type b antiserum agglutinate specifically with homologous bacterial cells or with cell-free supernatant fluids of cultures of the organism . Antibody-coated staphylococci were used to detect soluble antigens in body fluids of patients infected with H . influenzae type b . Cerebrospinal fluid from 36 cases of meningitis caused by this orgainsm showed positive coagglutination tests in 86% of patients prior to initiation of therapy . Antigens could be detected in 46% of sterile cerebrospinal fluid specimens obtained from the same cases 1 to 10 days after therapy . Soluble antigens were also detectable in sera (58%) and urine specimens (67%) of patients with H . influenzae type b septicemia, when such specimens were tested within 10 days of onset of illness . No antigen could be detected in body fluids beyond 10 days . The coagglutination test was positive in 57% of all body fluids examined; contercurrent immunoelectrophoresis (CCIE) was positive in only 27% . All specimens positive by CCIE were also positive by coagglutination . No false-positive reactions were noted by either test in body fluids from controls . The coagglutination test is simple, specific, and more sensitive than the CCIE method and could be a valuable tool for detecting antigens in body fluids of patients with various infections.

J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Jan, 5(1), 46 - 50
Development of a lysis-filtration blood culture technique; Zierdt CH et al.; A lysed-blood culture system that quickly lyses patients' blood near neutrality and is relatively noninjurious to more delicate pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae and Bacteroides fragilis is reported . The lysing solution includes culture medium, 0.004 M sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, 0.04% Triton X-100,and 0.6% Rhozyme (a mixture of proteases) . Most of the pathogens tested multiplied in the lysing solution . The lysed blood normally is immediately filtered . The membrane is transferred to culture broth . The greatest advantage realized from this blood culture technique is separation of pathogens from antibiotics, bactericidal antibodies, complement, opsonins, and phagocytic systems . Another advantage is the concentration of organisms into a small volume of clear medium for faster growth and visualization of growth . It was observed that both gram-negative and -positive organisms were attracted during filtration to the filter material and were not removed from it by backwashing with buffer . Thus, filter membranes with porosities much larger than would nominally be expected to retain bacteria retained all or part of light and heavy Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus suspensions . Advantage may be taken of this phenomenon to use filters with larger pore sizes and avoid filter clogging by poorly lysed specimens . Porr lysis may result from addition of too much blood to the lysing solution, blood with elevated numbers of erythrocytes or leukocytes, or blood from some people whose blood is naturally more resistant to lysis.

Am J Hosp Pharm, 1977 Jan, 34(1), 57 - 67
Antimicrobial spectrum, pharmacology and therapeutic use of antibiotics . Part 2: penicillins; Barza M; The mechanism of action, resistance, antibacterial spectrum, clinical pharmacology, adverse effects, and therapeutic and prophylactic use of penicillins are reviewed . The choice of a penicillin is discussed . The only indication for the penicillinase-resistant penicillins is the suspected or demonstrated presence of Staphylococcus aureus . There are no important differences in therapeutic effect among oxacillin, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin or flucloxacillin by the oral route, or among oxacillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin or methicillin parenterally . Ampicillin is especially useful for infections due to Haemophilus influenzae and Escherchia coli and for serious disease due to enterococcus and Listeria monocytogenes . Carbenicillin and ticarcillin exhibit unique activity against gram-negative bacilli (except Klebsiella).

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Belg, 1977, 31(2), 160 - 8
{Increasing importance of Haemophilus influenzae in nose, ear and throat infections}; Van Cauwenberge P et al.; After the review of the morphology, the identification and the pathogenic properties of H . influenzae, its occurrence in the different ENT infections is discussed . H . influenzae is found in chronic tonsillitis in 64% of the cases, in the deeper tissue of the tonsils, while its occurrence in the throat swabs is rare . In acute otitis media H . Influenzae is present in 10 to 150% of the cases, while in rhinitis and sinusitis its increasing occurrence until 1974 is noted (28% of all sinusitis cases showed H . Influenzae in that year); since 1974 its occurrence is somewhat decreasing: 18% in 1976 . Susceptibility testing for antibiotics with the disc-method is unreliable; we have to use the tube or plate-dilution methods . The increasing occurrence of ampicilline resistant strains of H . influenzae is discussed.

Infection, 1977, 5(3), 140 - 3
Haemophilus influenzae in otitis media and sinusitis: serotypes and susceptibilty to ampicillin and amoxycillin in vitro; Jokipii AM et al.; In order to obtain Haemophilus influenzae, other than Type b, with highly probable human pathogeniticy strains were collected that had been isolated in abundant numbers from middle ear or maxillary sinus secretions of 157 patients with otitis media or sinusitis . The distribution of serotypes was as follows: nontypable 33.8%, Type b 26.1% Type a 19.1%, Type c 7.6%, Type e 5.7%, Type f 5.1%, and Type d 2.5% . The type distribution did not depend on the source of the strains . All strains were susceptible to ampicillin and amoxycillin in vitro; the broth dilution minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of both antibiotics varied only fourfold; typical MIC values were 0.125 microgram/ml and 0.25 microngram/ml, respectively . Susceptibility did not vary with the source or type of the strains nor with the presence or absence of concomitant penicillin therapy.

Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex, 1977 Jan-Feb, 34(1), 59 - 70
{Pleuropulmonary lesions due to Haemophilus influenzae}; Gonzalez N et al.; Empyema due to Hemophilus influenzae has been reported only rarely . This report describes the cases of ten children with empyema due to this organism . Diagnosis was made through growth of the organism in pure culture from pleural effusion . H . influenzae empyema may occur in older children as well as in infants and, in contrast to certain other infections with this organism, empyema due to H . influenzae may be more common than is generally suspected.

J Infect Dis, 1977 Jan, 135(1), 34 - 41
The role of encapsulation and host age in the clearance of Haemophilus influenzae bacteremia; Weller PF et al.; Nonimmune rats given intravenous inoculations of 10(8) encapsulated Haemophilus influenzae type b cleared the bacteria at an exponential rate for 10 min; thereafter, the bacteremia plateaued at approximately 10(6) organisms/ml of blood . With 10(8) unencapsulated organisms, the initial clearance rate was significantly faster (P less than 0.001) and was complete by 30 min . The rate of clearance of a mutant strain of H . influenzae type b containing 0.1% as much capsular polysaccharide as the wild type was significantly faster (P less than 0.01), and H . influenzae type b from which a portion of the capsule had been removed physically had an intermediate clearance pattern . The addition of 1-1,000 mug of capsular polysaccharide to an inoculum of 10(8) organisms did not alter the clearance of the capsular polysaccharide-deficient mutant . The quantity of bacteria cleared during the 30 min after inoculation increased with the age of the animal . The initial bacterial clearance rate, corrected for animal and organ weight, also increased with age . These data are consistent with the proposal that physically integrated capsular polymer increases the virulence of H . influenzae type b by rendering it resistant to clearance from the bloodstream and that there may be an age-related increase in phagocytic activity that is reflected in increased clearance.

Chemotherapy, 1977, 23 Suppl 1, 75 - 81
Fosfomycin treatment of Haemophilus influenzae infection in mice; Miller AK et al.; Haemophilus influenzae is an important pathogen in respiratory infections in children and often is implicated in otitis media . It is sensitive in vitro to a number of antibiotics, some of which are used clinically for the treatment of such infections . We have checked the in vitro sensitivity of a type b strain of H . influenzae . When tested in Levinthal's broth prepared with laked rabbit blood, the culture was most sensitive to tetracycline, ampicillin and penicillin and was somewhat less sensitive to cephalothin, fosfomycin, cephaloridine, and chloramphenicol . However, when this same strain was used to infect mice, fosfomycin was more active than ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, penicillin or the cephalosporins.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1977 Jan, 67(1), 100 - 3
Rapid ampicillin susceptibility testing for Haemophilus influenzae; Barkin RM et al.; Recent isolations of strains of Haemophilus influenzae resistant to ampicillin necessitate the development of a rapid, dependable, reproducible method of determining their antibiotic susceptibility . An agar-dilution method permitting susceptibility determinations on clinical specimens within 6-18 hours of specimen collection was designed . Chocolate agar biplates were made with one side having no additive and the other containing 2 mug/ml ampicillin . Seventy clinical specimens (cerebrospinal fluid, joint fluid, ear fluid, pleural fluid, blood culture broth) were streaked directly onto both sides of the plates when received in the laboratory and incubated at 35-37 C in 10% CO2 . Reliable, readable results were usually available within 6-18 hours of receipt of the specimen and correlated completely with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) determined by the agar-dilution plate method, although standard disk susceptibilities occasionally indicated false resistance . Susceptible strains (MIC less than 2 mug/ml) grew on the antibiotic-free side of the biplate only . The rapid determination of ampicillin susceptibility allows optimal antibiotic selection for the treatment of Haemophilus influenzae infections with early discontinuation of potentially toxic supplementary drugs.

J Bacteriol, 1977 Jan, 129(1), 22 - 9
Inhibition of transformation and transfection in Haemophilus influenzae Rd9 by lysogeny; Piekarowicz A et al.; Haemophilus influenzae Rd9 lysogenic for temperate bacteriophage N3 was found to be virtually nontransformable and nontransfectable . This inhibition of transformation and transfection was due partly to the decreased capacity of competent lysogenic cells for irreversible binding of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and partly to some events taking place after adsorption of the DNA . The unadsorbed DNA was not degraded by the competent lysogenic cells.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1977, 9(3), 241 - 2
Haemophilus parainfluenzae infection of the central nervous system . A report on two infants; Maller R et al.; Two cases of infection of the central nervous system (CNS) with Haemophilus parainfluenzae--a 12-month-old girl with meningitis and a 17-month-old girl with brain abscess--are reported . Both infants had long-standing upper respiratory infection before CNS disease . Both recovered after treatment.

Am J Vet Res, 1977 Jan, 38(1), 7 - 11
Cultural and biochemical criteria for the identification of haemophilus spp from swine; Biberstein EL et al.; Twenty-two Haemophilus cultures of types prevalent in swine and of different geographic origins were subjected to biochemical and cultural examinations . Three subgroups were identified: One was unrease-positive, produced porphyrin from delta-aminolevulinic acid, and grew on infusion mediums supplemented only with V factor; the 2nd was unrease-negative, porphyrin-positive, and grew only on serum-enriched mediums with added V factor; and the 3rd was unrease-negative, porphyrin-negative, and grew only on serum-enriched mediums with added V and X factors . The groups generally corresponded to Haemophilus parahaemolyticus, Haemophilus parasuis, and Haemophilus suis, respectively . By means of the unrease and porphyrin tests, it was possible to assign, presumptively, porcine haemophilus cultures to 1 of the 3 species . Other tests, such as beta-galactosidase, hemolysis, and fermentation of carbohydrates were of secondary value in differentiating between these species.

Clin Allergy, 1977 Jan, 7(1), 41 - 7
Antigens of Haemophilus influenzae; Clarke CW; Three antigenic preparations were obtained from a non-capsulated strain of Haemophilus influenzae by ultrasonic disintegration, hot phenol extraction and from a fluid culture . They were designated H . influenzae cytoplasmic antigen (H(1-5); H . influenzae cell wall antigen (HCW); and H . influenzae culture filtrate antigen (HCF) . Studies showed that H(1-5) antigen contained heat stable and heat labile components . The heat stable fraction stained positively for polysaccharide, had a positive limulus lysate test and there was immunological cross-reactivity between this and heat stable fractions of HCW and HCF . Limulus lysate assay indicated the presence of endotoxin in HCW and HCF preparations . Heat stable as well as heat labile antigens of H . influenzae should be given consideration in future studies regarding the pathogenicity of this organism in the lower respiratory tree . The specificity of the heat stable antigen of H . influenzae needs to be determined.

Digestion, 1977, 15(4), 309 - 21
Etiopathogenetic studies in a patient with Whipple's disease; Tytgat GN et al.; A patient is presented with Whipple's disease . Before treatment, Haemophilus influenzae type e, sensitive to tetracycline was cultured from multiple small intestinal biopsies . This isolated micro-organism was structurally similar to the one observed in the tissue . All further culture experiments during and after treatment proved negative except for one biopsy from which a tetracycline-resistant H . influenzae type-e mutant was isolated . The immunological disturbances, mainly characterized by cutaneous anergy, in absence of major humoral or in vitro lymphocytic impairment, regressed during treatment together with clinical remission of the disease . These findings are considered in favour of the secondary nature of the immunological abnormalities.

Acta Microbiol Pol, 1977, 26(2), 137 - 48
Degradation of transforming and transfecting DNA by the restriction endonucleases of type I and type II isolated from Haemophilus influenzae; Kauc L et al.; The restriction endonucleases of type I and II from Haemophilus influenzae were studied for their activity on transforming and transfecting DNA . Type I restriction enzyme from Haemophilus influenzae Rf, which requires adenosine 5'-triphosphate, reduced the size of unmodified bacterial DNA from 66x106 daltons to approximately 18x106 daltons and did not attack modified DNA . The action of this enzyme gives only a low level of inactivation of single and linked markers in the transforming DNA . In contrast the HP1c1 phage DNA was drastically inactivated by this enzyme . The endoR.Hind III degrades the ummodified bacterial DNA but the segments generated by this enzyme are still capable of being integrated in transformation . The enzyme has no activity on HP1c1 phage DNA.

MMW Munch Med Wochenschr, 1976 Dec 3, 118(49), 1595 - 6
{The importance of immune deficiency for the prognosis of purulent meningitis (author's transl)}; Weippl G et al.; Morbidity and mortality of suppurative bacterial meningitis show a very constant behavior over many decades . The introduction of antibiotics certainly lowered the lethality considerably, but since then it has remained fairly unchanged at about 15-20% . However, in the principal groups of pathogens--meningococci, pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae--antibiotic resistence plays no special role . The significance of disorders of defense against infections for the course of the disease has not yet been investigated . Of 92 children examined with purulent meningitis, 49 showed a selective antibody deficiency syndrome against bacterial antigens, 38 of 48 children investigated showed further disorders of bactericidal activity . The proportion of these disorders is particularly high in children with defective healing of a meningitis.

Am J Dis Child, 1976 Dec, 130(12), 1318 - 21
Haemophilus influenzae meningitis: an evolving therapeutic regimen; Barkin RM et al.; Ampicillin sodium has been the drug of choice in the treatment of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis . The development of ampicillin-resistant strains forces the clinician to focus on alternative therapies . We describe two patients in whom neutropenia was noted secondary to chloramphenicol administration, and streptomycin sulfate and sulfonamides were employed . An historical perspective summarizing the evolution of available therapeutic regimens is presented.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1976 Dec, 84B(6), 339 - 41
The haemolytic activity of Haemophilus species; Kilian M; The importance of the species of blood employed for detection of haemolysis in seventy-seven Haemophilus strains of human and porcine origin was studied . Significant differences in the visibility of haemolytic zones obtained on the different blood agar media were observed . In decreasing order, the suitability of the species of blood was: calf, sheep, human, rabbit, poultry and horse blood . On plates containing washed sheep or calf red cells the haemolysin of all 36 strains of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae acted synergistically with the beta-toxin of the Staphylococcus aureus strain used as "feeder strain", giving rise to a lytic phenomenon resembling the CAMP reaction.

J Infect Dis, 1976 Dec, 134(6), 552 - 61
Interactions between viruses and bacteria in patients with chronic bronchitis; Smith CB et al.; The possibility that viral infections of the respiratory tract might predispose to bacterial colonization or infection was studied in 120 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 30 control subjects; these individuals were observed for seven years . The ratio of the number of observed to the number of expected associations between viruses and bacteria was 2.43 (P = 0.037) for the pair influenza virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae and was 2.06 (P = 0.056) for influenza virus and Haemophilus influenzae . Consistently positive, but not significant, associations were detected between rhinovirus and herpes simplex virus infections and isolations of S . pneumoniae and H . influenzae . In contrast, isolations of the nonpathogenic Haemophilus parainfluenzae could not be related to prior viral infections . Significant rises in titer of antibody to H . influenzae were detected on 76 occasions, and 20 (26%) of these antibody rises were associated with viral or mycoplasmal infections during the preceding 120 days . The expected number of such associations was 8.34 (ratio of number observed to number expected, 2.40; P = 0.08) . These results suggest that viral infections of the respiratory tract in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are associated with increased colonization by potentially pathogenic bacteria and may also predispose to infections with H . influenzae.

J Infect Dis, 1976 Nov, 134(5), 495 - 9
Serologic responses of children with meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae type b; Norden CW et al.; The immunologic responses of 100 children hospitalized with meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae type b were measured by the bactericidal antibody assay (BAA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) for detection of antibody . Short-term (14-17 days after onset of illness) responses were detected by RIA alone in 20 children, by BAA alone in six, and by both tests in 23 . The more sensitive RIA detected 20 children who would have been labeled "immunologically unresponsive" had only BAA been used . The magnitude of the antibody response was clearly related to age . Of 26 children with no immediate antibody response, 11 still had no rise in titer of antibody when restudied two to 20 months later; the remaining 15 had subsequent increases in titer . Nine of 10 children who showed an immediate antibody response remained positive when additional blood smaples were taken two to 18 months later . Over half of the children initially unresponsive to H . influenzae type b meningitis subsequently developed specific antibodies . The remainder, who failed to acquire detectable antibodies at either the acute stage of illness or late in convalescence, deserve further investigation as to the nature of their immunologic hyporesponsiveness to H . influenzae type b meningitis.

J Clin Microbiol, 1976 Nov, 4(5), 413 - 7
Factors affecting pharyngeal Haemophilus influenzae type b colonization rates in children; Michaels RH et al.; Over 1,300 children were studied in an analysis of factors that might affect pharyngeal colonization with Haemophilus influenzae type b . Our semiquantitative methods for the culture of H . influenzae type b, consisting of inoculation of 0.001 ml of throat swab fluid on antiserum agar plates and division of the results into three grades of intensity, showed agreement as to intensity of colonization in over 80% of repeat throat cultures . Our data also suggest that throat swabs are more efficient than nasopharyngeal swabs for detecting colonization, particularly for older children . All 17 H . influenzae type b carriers found with either method were detected with throat swabs, but six had negative nasopharyngeal cultures; four of these six were lightly colonized older children . Furthermore, colony counts were apt to be higher on plates inoculated with throat swab fluids . The frequency of pharyngeal H . influenzae type b colonization in children visiting health department clinics and pediatricians' offices was low during the first 6 months of life (0.7%) but averaged 3 to 5% throughout the rest of childhood . Approximately two-thirds of the carriers were colonized at an intensity too low to be detected by standard laboratory techniques . No influence on colonization rates was found for sex, race, season, economic status, or common childhood infectious diseases such as coryza or otitis media.

Am J Dis Child, 1976 Nov, 130(11), 1211 - 4
Cellulitis due to Haemophilus influenzae type B . Antigenemia and antibody responses; Granoff DM et al.; The techniques of serum countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis, hemagglutinating (HA), and bactericidal (BC) antibody determinations were applied to seven patients with Haemophilus influenzae type B cellulitis . Capsular antigen was detected (greater than or equal to 10 ng/ml) in two patients at the time of admission and was found in two additional patients two days following hospitalization . Antibody responses in the patients with cellulitis were deficient, similar to those in children under 2 years of age with H influenzae type B meningitis . One of the patients with cellulitis had HA and BC antibody present in convalescent serum, and two additional patients demonstrated BC activity . The clinical presentations of our patients were typical except that violaceous discoloration of overlying skin was noted in only one of the seven . Two additional patients had atypical facial swelling that closely resembled angioneurotic edema and initially led to incorrect diagnosis . Countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis may be helpful in the diagnosis of patients with Haemophilus cellulitis, particularly if serial serum determinations are performed . Bacterial cultures obtained from blood and aspirates of the lesion appear to be more sensitive in determining the cause of H influenzae type B cellulitis.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Nov, 128(2), 549 - 56
Effect of adenosine 5'-triphosphate-dependent deoxyribonuclease deficiency on properties and transformation of Haemophilus influenzae strains; Kooistra J et al.; A transformation-deficient strain of Haemophilus influenzae, lacking adenosine 5'-triphosphate-dependent deoxyribonuclease activity, was isolated by selection for sensitivity to mitomycin . The mutant, designated JK57, possibily showed a moderate sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and treatment with methyl methane sulfonate . Contrary to the wild type, the mutant degraded chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to some extent . However, after UV irradiation to the mutant degraded considerably less DNA than the wild type and the TD24 mutant of H . influenzae, the latter being equivalent to a recA mutant of Escherichia coli . A TD2457 double mutant, constructed by transferring the TD24 mutation into the JK57 strain, was as sensitive to deleterious agents and as deficient in transformation as the TD24 single mutant; in the double mutant, however, after UV irradiation chromosomal DNA was degraded to the same extent as in the JK57 mutant . The number of transformants per unit of radioactive donor DNA taken up by JK57 recipient cells was approximately 10-fold smaller than in the wild type . Presynaptically, the fate of donor DNA in the adenosine 5'-triphosphate-dependent deoxyribonuclease-deficient mutants was not different from that in the wild type . In contrast to TD24 and the TD2457 double mutant, in the JK57 mutant, recombinant-type activities (molecules carrying both the donor and recipient markers) were formed almost as well as in the wild type . After integration into the JK57 recipient genome, the rate of replication of the donor marker was equal to that of the recipient marker during a number of generations, which suggests that the donor DNA is normally integrated into the JK57 chromosome . It is suggested that transformed JK57 cells pass with a high frequency into a type of cells that can replicate their chromosomes many times but have lost the ability to form visible colonies after plating.

J Clin Microbiol, 1976 Nov, 4(5), 405 - 7
Ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus paraphrophilus laryngo-epiglottitis; Jones RN et al.; A case of life-threatening laryngo-epiglottitis is reported, caused by ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus paraphrophilus . Clinicians and microbiologists should be aware of a beta-lactamase-mediated resistance among Haemophilus species other than H . influenzae.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1976 Nov, 32(5), 659 - 65
Autoflora in the upper respiratory tract of Apollo astronauts; Decelle JG et al.; The typical microbial inhabitants of the oral and nasal cavities of Apollo astronauts were identified before space flight and generally found to be similar to those previously reported for healthy male adults . Additional analyses of samples collected immediately after return of the Apollo 13, 14, 15, and 16 crew members to earth were performed to evaluate the effects of space travel on the microbial bioburden of the upper respiratory tract . In-flight cross-contamination and buildup of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus were noted, although significant increases in nonpathogenic species were absent . Other proposed alterations, such as dysbacteriosis (flooding of the mouth with a single species) and simplification of the autoflora, did not occur . Generally, the incidence and quantitation of each species after flight was within the preflight range, although the number of viable Haemophilus cells recovered from the mouth decreased significantly after space flight . Except for those minor alterations listed above, the aerobic and anaerobic bacterial components of the upper respiratory autoflora of Apollo astronauts was found to be stable after space flight of up to 295 h.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1976 Nov, 66(5), 922 - 6
Haemophilus paraphrophilus endocarditis in a prolapsed mitral valve; De Silva M et al.; A case of Haemophilus paraphrophilus endocarditis successfully treated with ampicillin is described . The patient, a 24-year-old woman, had a prolapsed mitral valve . The organism was initally misidentified as H . parainfluenzae, which it closely resembles . H . paraphrophilus is distinguished by its requirement of 10% CO2 for growth on NaCl-free medium and its inability to ferment xylose.

JAMA, 1976 Nov 1, 236(18), 2091 - 2
Pancreatic abscess with Haemophilus influenzae and Eikenella corrodens; Lutwick LI; An infected pancreatic pseudocyst was caused in part by Haemophilus influenzae and Eikenella corrodens . To my knowledge, neither organism has been isolated previously from pancreatic abscesses . I believe that the infecting bacteria originated in the oropharynx and descended through the duodenum.

Infect Immun, 1976 Oct, 14(4), 882 - 7
Participation of complement in the nonimmune host defense against experimental Haemophilus influenzae type b septicemia and meningitis; Crosson FJ Jr et al.; This study was undertaken to determine whether the terminal complement components (C3-9) are involved in the nonimmune host defense against Haemophilus influenzae type b septicemia and meningitis . Using cobra venom factor, infant rats were depleted of C3 and C5 . After intranasal challenge with H . influenzae type b, the complement-depleted rats developed a greater incidence and magnitude of bacteremia and a higher mortality rate . In contrast to the effects on bacteremia, complement depletion did not directly influence either the occurrence of meningitis or bacterial multiplication within the cerebrospinal fluid . These experiments provide evidence that the complement system may be an important mechanism of natural immunity to H . influenzae type b.

N Engl J Med, 1976 Oct 7, 295(15), 798 - 800
Septicemia and meningitis in children splenectomized for hodgkin's disease; Chilcote RR et al.; Retrospective evaluation of the occurrence of septicemia and meningitis in 200 children who had staging laparotomy iwth splenectomy for Hodgkin's disease revealed 20 episodes occurring in 18 children . Symptoms were usually fulminant; only 10 of these patients survived their episode . Infections occurred eight days to three years after splenectomy . Adolescents, as well as younger children, were affected; half were older than 10 years of age . Leukopenia was not a major factor in onset or survival since the average white-cell count was 12,000 in both survivors and children who died . Pneumonococcus accounted for 50 per cent, and streptococcus for 15 per cent of infections; there was one episode each of Haemophilus influenzae and meningococcus; in 25 per cent, no organism was isolated . Predominance of penicillin-sensitive organisms and high mortality suggest that penicillin prophylaxis and the protection offered by bacterial vaccines should be evaluated in children with Hodgkin's disease whose staging laparotomy includes splenectomy.

Infect Immun, 1976 Oct, 14(4), 1043 - 51
Experimental endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b; Myerowitz RL et al.; Experimental endogenous endophthalmitis was produced in infant rats by either intranasal or intraperitoneal inoculation with Haemophilus influenzae type b and 5 days of age . The ocular disease occurred in about 50% of bacteremic animals who survived to age 12 days and probably represents metastatic bacterial infection secondary to hematogenous seeding . The lesion was a highly destructive suppurative endophthalmitis that ultimately progressed to panophthalmitis and was followed by organization of the exudate and phthisis bulbi.

J Virol, 1976 Oct, 20(1), 319 - 23
Use of a restriction endonuclease in analyzing the genomes from two different strains of vaccinia virus; Gangemi JD et al.; A restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus influenzae (Hind III) specifically cleaved vaccinia DNA into 14 fragments . The molecular weights of these fragments were determined by gel electrophoresis and ranged from 0.5 x 10(6) to 30 x 10(6) . Hind III digestion of the DNA from the WR and CV-1 strains of vaccinia revealed a small molecular difference in one of the resulting fragments . The average molecular weight of the entire vaccinia genome was calculated to be 125 x 10(6).

Mutat Res, 1976 Oct, 37(1), 1 - 10
Mutation induction by MNNG in a bacteriophage of Haemophilus influenzae; Boling ME et al.; Three temperature-sensitive mutants of the Haemophilus influenzae phage HP1c1 were tested for reversion to wild type (ts leads to ts+) . Treatment with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) produced revertants at levels up to 0.1% of the total progeny phage from treated lysogens . Cells treated with MNNG after infection with whole ts phage produced progeny phage with similar reversion frequencies, but when the uninfected cells or the phage were treated alone no reversion was induced . Fixation of premutational lesions was shown to occur with no evidence for host-cell DNA synthesis, indicating that phage DNA synthesis may be responsible for fixation of mutation in phage DNA . Evidence is given which shows that prophage DNA replicating by the cells' replicating system after treatment and before induction, produces the same number of revertants per survivor as phage DNA which is replicated outside the host genome . Two of the phage mutants (ts1 and ts2) reverted at similar frequencies, while one of the mutants (ts3) exhibited a much lower induced reversion frequency.

Nucleic Acids Res, 1976 Oct, 3(10), 2827 - 44
The nucleotide sequence of a DNA fragment, 71 base pairs in length, near the origin of DNA replication of bacteriophage 0X174; Mansfeld AD et al.; Part of the nucleotide sequence of a restriction fragment covering the origin of phiX174 DNA replication 1 has been determined . The fragment A7c was obtained by digestion of phiX174 RF DNA by the restriction enzyme from Arthrobacter luteus, Alu 1 . It was further cleaved into two fragments, one large and one small, by the action of the restriction enzyme from Haemophilus aegyptius, Hae 111 . The nucleotide sequence of the small fragment has been determined by analysis of the transcription products obtained by the action of Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase on denaturated template under conditions of low salt . Transcripts longer than the template were found . The whole sequence of 71 nucleotide pairs could be derived from complementary oligonucleotides, obtained after digestion of the transcripts with T1 or pancreatic RNAase . The sequence suggests that at least 4 of the 5 amber mutants 2 that have been mapped on this fragment are identical . On account of this and other evidence a reading frame is proposed.

Infect Immun, 1976 Oct, 14(4), 1022 - 7
Initial colonization of teeth in monkeys as related to diet; Kilian M et al.; The initial phases of plaque development on nonretentive tooth surfaces were studied bacteriologically in Macaca irus monkeys fed by stomach tube and provided with various oral supplements . Except for the oral implantation of Streptococcus mutans in some of the animals, the oral flora was not changed prior to the studies . Dental plaque was allowed to develop on initially cleaned tooth surfaces for 3 to 5 h . Plaque samples were collected and cultured on a number of selective and nonselective agar media, and several hundred isolates from each sample were isolated and identified . The numerically predominant organisms in initial plaque were S . mutans, Streptococcus sanguis, and Actinomyces viscosus . Additional organisms regularly found, but usually in smaller numbers, were Streptococcus mitior and a group of fastidious gram-negative rods including Haemophilus species, Eikenella corrodens, and Actinobacillus actinomycetem-comitans . The colonization of S . mutans was dependent on sucrose and occurred at the expense of S . sanguis . In these experiments S . mutans accounted for 25 to 65% of the primary plaque formers . All other species encountered colonized the teeth irrespective of the diet . It is postulated that the early sucrose-dependent establishment of S . mutans directly on the enamel pellicle plays a key role in the development of a cariogenic plaque.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Oct, 128(1), 212 - 20
Restriction enzymes do not play a significant role in Haemophilus homospecific or heterospecific transformation; Stuy JH; Competent Haemophilus influenzae Rd recipients, either as phage HP1 restricting (r+) or nonrestricting (r-) nonlysogens or defective lysogens, were exposed to deoxyribonucleic acids from various wild-type phage HP1 lysogenic H . influenzae serotype strains (non-encapsulated derivatives of serotypes a,b, c, d, and e), to DNA from lysogenic Haemophilus parahaemolyticus, and to DNA from modified and nonmodified phage HP1 . Transformation of antibiotic resistance markers and of prophage markers in homospecific crosses was observed to be unaffected by the recipient restriction phenotype, whereas the transfection response was much reduced in r+ recipients . Heterospecific transformation of prophage markers was reduced by only 80 to 90%, whereas antibiotic resistance marker transformation was 1,000 to 10,000 times lower . Heterspecific transfection was at least 100 times lower than homospecific transfection in both r+ and r- recipients . The general conclusion is that neither class I nor class II restriction enzymes affect significantly the transformation efficiency in homospecific and heterospecific crosses . The efficiency of heterospecific transformation may depend mainly on the deoxyribonucleic acid homology in the genetic marker region.

Public Health Rep, 1976 Sep-Oct, 91(5), 464 - 8
Bacterial meningitis in Navojo Indians; Coulehan JL et al.; An analysis of 219 confirmed cases of bacterial meningitis among Navajo Indians during a 5-year period, July 1, 1968, through June 30, 1973, revealed that 56 percent were caused by Haemophilus influenzae, 26 percent by Neisseria meningitidis, 6 percent by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and 6 percent by other organisms . The annual incidence of H . influenzae meningitis (17.7 per 100,000 persons) and that of pneumococcal meningitis (8.0 per 100,000) were much higher than the rates for these diseases reported from other population groups . The annual incidence of meningococcal meningitis (2.0 per 100,000) was similar to that found elsewhere . There was an ususual concentration of cases during the first year of life; 78 percent of H . influenzae, 64 percent of pneumococcal, and 50 percent of meningococcal meningitis occurred during this time . However, bacterial meningitis during the first month of life was not frequent (0.29 per 1,000 live births) . Case fatality rates were similar to those reported for other population groups.

J Clin Pathol, 1976 Sep, 29(9), 812 - 4
Haemophilus aphrophilus endocarditis in pregnancy; Anand CM et al.; The clinical and microbiological features of a case of Haemophilus aphrophilus endocarditis in pregnancy are described . The complicating effect of pregnancy on treatment and the difficulties in identifying the organism in the laboratory are discussed.

Am J Dis Child, 1976 Sep, 130(9), 965 - 70
Otitis media of infancy and early childhood . A double-blind study of four treatment regimens; Howard JE et al.; A double-blind, randomized trial of four antimicrobial regimens was conducted in 383 infants and children with acute otitis media . The drugs used were penicillin V, amoxicillin trihydrate, erythromycin estolate, and erythromycin estolate with trisulfapyrimidines . Aspiration of middle ear fluid for culture was done before treatment and repeated during treatment if fluid persisted . Etiologic bacteria were most commonly pneumococci (31%) or Haemophilus sp (22%), and an additional 5% of patients had both organisms . Amoxicillin was the most effective in promoting initial response in pneumococcal infection . For Haemophilus infections, the cure rates with amoxicillin and the erythromycin-trisulfapyrimidines mixture were significantly better than with the other two regimens, and serous otitis did not occur during the follow-up period; however, new episodes of otitis were comparable in the four groups . Amoxicillin and the erythromycin estolate-trisulfapyrimidines combination appear to be somewhat more effective than penicillin V or erythromycin estolate.

JAMA, 1976 Aug 23, 236(8), 932 - 5
Residual effects of septic arthritis in infancy and childhood; Howard JB et al.; Septic arthritis affects weight-bearing joints in three fourths of cases . When the disease occurs in infancy, joint dysfunction may not be apparent until many months later . We located 49 children who had had 50 episodes of septic arthritis from 1 1/2 to 12 years earlier (mean, 4.3 years) . Thirteen patients (27%) had sequelae, and in eight (16%), there was impairment of ambulation . Residual damage was more common with hip and ankle involvement than with knee joint disease . Sequelae were equally common after Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus infection . Evaluation at the time of hosiptal discharge correctly identified only four of the 13 children with sequelae, and four others who were normal at follow-up had been thought to have permanent damage at discharge . Children with sequelae tended to have been sick longer before diagnosis, and drainage of pus was delayed.

Mol Gen Genet, 1976 Aug 10, 147(1), 111 - 4
Bacteriophage N3 of Haemophilus influenzae . I . Independence of vegetative recombination among Haemophilus influenzae bacteriophage on the host cell; Jablonska E et al.; Vegtative recombination of temperature-sensitive mutants of Haemophilus influezae bacteriophage N3 was measured in wild-type H . influenzae strain Rd9 and in recombination-defective mutants of the Rd strain . Recombinants are formed with low but equal frequency in wild-type cells and recombination-defective mutants of the Rd strain . It is concluded that this phage can carry information in its own genome for vegetative recombination . Lysogenization readily takes place in both strains.

Nucleic Acids Res, 1976 Aug, 3(8), 1947 - 60
Cleavage map of bacteriophage phiX174 RF DNA by restriction enzymes; Baas PD et al.; phiX RF DNA was cleaved by restriction enzymes from Haemophilus influenzae Rf (Hinf I) and Haemophilus haemolyticus (Hha . I) . Twenty one fragments of approximately 25 to 730 base pairs were produced by Hinf I and seventeen fragments of approximately 40 to 1560 base pairs by Hha I . The order of these fragments has been established by digestion on Haemophilus awgyptius (Hae III) and Arthrobacter luteus (Alu I) endonuclease fragments of phiX RF with Hinf I and Hha1 . By this method of reciprocal digestion a detailed cleavage map of phiX RF DNA was constructed, which includes also the previously determined Hind II, Hae III and Alu I cleavage maps of phiX 174 RF DNA (1, 2) . Moreover, 28 conditional lethal mutants of bacteriophage phiX174 were placed in this map using the genetic fragment assay (3).

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1976 Aug, 84(4), 201 - 4
Ampicllin sensitivity and biotypes of recent Danish isolates of Haemophilus influenzae; Bruun B et al.; Among 148 strains of Haemophilus influenzae isolated in 1975 from different localities in Denmark, none was found to be resistant to ampicillin . A majority of the strains belonged to biotypes I, II and III and the presence of a partial correlation between biotype and origin was confirmed.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Aug, 127(2), 848 - 54
Biological properties of a Haemophilus influenzae restriction enzyme, Hind I; Gromkova R et al.; A type I restriction enzyme from Haemophilus influenzae, Hind I, which requires adenosine 5' -triphosphate and 5-adenosyl methionine, was studied for its activity on transfecting and transforming deoxyribonculeic acid (DNA) . The enzyme reduced the size of unmodified bacteriophage S2 DNA from 37 X 10(6) daltons to approximately 10 X 10(6) daltons, but did not affect modified S2 DNA . Unmodified transforming DNA was attacked in vitro by Hind I; however, relatively low levels of inactivation were obtained for single markers, and linked transformants were inactivated as a function of the distance between markers . In contrast, unmodified bacterial DNA was not inactivated in vivo for either single or linked markers by the Hind I restriction system, probably because the segments generated by Hind I were still capable of being integrated in vivo . The lack of preferential inactivation of markers by the enzyme suggests that it makes random breaks in the DNA.

Age Ageing, 1976 Aug, 5(3), 181 - 7
Cephazolin treatment of pneumonia in the elderly; Castleton B et al.; Cephazolin, a semi-synthetic cephalosporin for parenteral use, was evaluated in 39 elderly hospital patients . Thirty-three of these patients were seriously ill at the start of treatment, suffering from pulmonary infections . In the other six patients, the drug was used post-operatively as a prophylactic, and it was effective in all cases in preventing any subsequent infection . Cephazolin was very effective in the treatment of 27 of the severely ill patients; the primary pathogen was eradicated and there was good clinical improvement . In two patients the primary pathogens were resistant to cephazolin, and the antibiotic therapy was changed after sensitivities were known . Of four patients with Haemophilus influenzae infection, clinical cure was obtained in two . Cephazolin therapy was discontinued in one woman because she developed a rash . However, there were no major toxic effects of therapy in terms of hepatic, renal or haematological function . No patient complained of pain when the intramuscular therapy was given . A dose of 1 g IM twice daily was shown to produce consistently high serum concentrations . Thus, in the elderly, the advantages of cephazolin are its lack of nephrotoxicity even when diuretic therapy is being administered concurrently, its lack of pain on intramuscular injection, and its sustained concentrations in the blood and urine so that it only requires to be given twice daily . In vitro studies showed that cephazolin is more active than cephaloridine against hospital pathogens.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {C}, 1976 Aug, 84(4), 290 - 8
IgA levels and carrier rate of Haemophilus influenzae and beta-haemolytic streptococci in children undergoing tonsillectomy; Ostergaard PA; Studies of IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE in serum and of IgG, IgA and IgM in saliva were performed in 52 children undergoing tonsillectomy . The results revealed that levels of IgA in serum and saliva in the patients were significantly reduced as compared with levels in age- and sex-related healthy controls (p less than 0.001 and less than 0.025 respectively) . Recovery of beta-haemolytic streptococci and Haemophilus influenzae from the removed tonsils was also well correlated with low IgA in serum (p less than 0.01) . A considerable lack of IgA fluorescing plasma cells in tonsillar tissue demonstrated in an earlier study of the same patients was consistent with carriage of beta-haemolytic streptococci and Haemophilus influenzae (p less than 0.01) . The significant decrease in serum- and saliva IgA was only found among the youngest patients in this study . The hypothesis is raised that the decreased level of saliva IgA influences the increased tendency at pathogenic bacteria to adhere to and colonize on the tonsil mucosa, and furthermore, the lack of IgA plasma cells in the tonsils supports the view that IgA prevents penetration of microorganisms through the epithelial surface, secondarily establishing an acute inflammation of the tonsils.

Am J Med, 1976 Aug, 61(2), 221 - 37
Idiopathic late-onset immunoglobulin deficiency . Clinical observations in 50 patients; Hermans PE et al.; Fifty patients with late-onset idiopathic immunoglobulin deficiency were studied and the frequency of various clinical associations and complications was observed . Men and women were equally affected, although the age at onset in men peaked in the third decade whereas it was more uniformly distributed in women . Sinobronchopulmonary infections were common and were caused by Haemophilus influenzae . Diplococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus: bronchiectasis occurred in 28 per cent . Thirty patients (60 per cent) had diarrhea, which was often associated with steatorrhea, giardiasis, achlorhydria, abnormal Schilling tests and morphologic abnormalities on small bowel biopsy specimens, including nodular lymphoid hyperplasia; three patients had pernicious anemia . In the 20 patients without diarrhea these abnormalities were not observed except for giardiasis in one patient and achlorhydria in two patients . Cholelithiasis occurred in both groups in about a third of the patients tested . A high degree of susceptibility to neoplasia was noted . Thyroid abnormalities, including primary hypothyroidism and Graves' disease, were observed in six patients . Additional occasional findings were vitiligo, keratoconjunctivitis sicca and arthritis . Splenomegaly occurred in 14 (28 per cent) patients . The percentage of B lymphocytes in the blood was determined in 10 patients; it was normal or slightly decreased in eight patients and low in two patients.

Thorax, 1976 Aug, 31(4), 419 - 24
Bacterial precipitins and their immunoglobulin class in atopic asthma, non-atopic asthma, and chronic bronchitis; Davies RJ et al.; In a study of groups of patients with atopic (extrinsic) asthma, non-atopic (intrinsic) asthma, and chronic bronchitis, no difference could be detected in the numbers having precipitating antibodies against species specific antigens from Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pneumoniae compared to suitably matched control subjects . Precipitating antibodies against species specific antigens from Haemophilus influenzae, demonstrated in this investigation by double diffusion in agar gel, were found much more frequently in patients with chronic mucopurulent or obstructive bronchitis (50%) than in either asthmatic subjects (6%) or normal controls (6%) (P = less than 0.0005) . While the precipitating antibody demonstrated in these patients against the extracts of Str . pneumoniae and Staph . aureus was in the IgG class alone, IgM and IgA antibody were detected against the species specific but not the non-species specific antigens of H . influenzae . These results underline the importance of H . influenzae as an infecting agent in chronic bronchitis and suggest that the finding of precipitins against the species specific H1 and H2 antigens of this bacterium denotes infection either concurrently or in the recent past . There is no evidence to suggest from this study that infection with Staph . aureus, Str . pneumoniae or H . influenzae is any more common in asthmatics as a group compared to controls or between patients with the non-atopic (intrinsic) and atopic (extrinsic) form of the disease.

J Otolaryngol, 1976 Aug, 5(4), 289 - 97
Bacteriology and antibiotics in acute suppurative otitis media; Thomsen VF et al.; One hundred and forty-seven patients with acute suppurative otitis media, were divided into three groups and treated with antibiotics (azidocillin, ampicillin, and cephalexin) . The therapeutic effect was assessed bacterioloically by swabbing from the aural discharge and from the nasopharynx on the first, second, third, and seventh day after initiation of treatment . In addition, the concentration of antibiotic in the aural discharge and in the nasopharynx was determined . As compared with other published materials, there was a common occurrence of Haemophilus influenzae and S . Aureus . Hemolytic streptococci are less common than prior to the advent of antibiotics . Pneumococci disappeared in all cases from the aural discharge in the course of the first three days . The effect upon Haemophilus was slower . In the nasopharynx the effect was questionable, and no effect was obtained upon other bacteria . The clinical course could not be correlated to the bacterial findings except that resistant bacteria were found in all cases with persisting discharge.

Mutat Res, 1976 Jul, 36(1), 39 - 48
Fixation and loss of hydrazine-induced premutational damage in Haemophilus influenzae; Kimball RF et al.; Premutational damage induced in Haemophilus influenzae by hydrazine appears to be fixed as final mutation only at replication as judged by the transformation assay . Fixation at replication is independent of the rec1 gene, unlike the case with nitrosocarbaryl . Prior to replication premutational damage induced by hydrazine disappears by an unknown process that is not dependent on the presence of a pyrimidine dimer excision system nor on the rec1 gene . Hydrazine does not produce detectable single-strand breaks or alkali-labile sites in the treated DNA nor gaps in DNA newly synthesized after treatment . In these respects it also differs from nitroso compounds . It is concluded that hydrazine acts to produce and altered base, possibly N(4)-aminocytosine, that produces mutations by mispairing at replication rather than by error-prone repair.

Mutat Res, 1976 Jul, 36(1), 29 - 38
Reversions of two proline-requiring auxotrophs of Haemophilus influenzae by n-methyl-n'-nitro-n-nitrosoguanidine and hydrazine; Kimball RF; New mutation detection systems are described for Haemophilus influenzae . They involve two independently isolated proline auxotrophs which appear to be mutants at different sites in a proline locus (proB) that is very closely linked to a locus (thd) for thymidine requirement . One of the mutants, proB1, appears to revert to prototrophy only by mutations at the locus . The other, proB2, reverts both by mutation at the locus and by unlinked suppressors . The latter account for about 90% of the reversions induced by MNNG and by HZ . The close linkage of proB to thd was used to distinguish between true revertants and suppressors by a transformation test . A comparison was made between the mutation induction kinetics of the different classes of revertants and mutations to novobiocin resistance with MNNG and HZ . The very different induction kinetics for these two mutagens previously reported for the novobiocin resistance system were also found for the proline systems . There were some differences between the detection systems, however, in the frequency of induced mutation relative to the spontaneous frequency and, in one case, in the form of the induction curve . It is concluded that the major features of the induction curves reflect the amount of damage done to DNA and so are general for all systems, but that there are some features which are locus-or site-specific.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Jul, 127(1), 545 - 54
Synthesis of envelope polypeptides by Haemophilus influenzae during development of competence for genetic transformation; Zoon KC et al.; Six polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 95,000, 90,000, 80,000, 67,000, 64,000, and 43,000 were found to be characteristic of the cell envelopes of competent Haemophilus influenzae, and were synthesized entirely during the period of competence development . Two polypeptides with apparent molecular weights of 58,500 and 40,500 were synthesized during growth as well as during competence development, but were only associated with the envelope fraction of cells that had developed competence . The kinetics of synthesis of the competence-related envelope polypeptides showed a lag period of approximately 20 min . The observation of this lag period raises the question as to whether some of these competence-related polypeptides might be involved in the process of deoxyribonucleic acid uptake, since the development of this property also exhibits a sigmoid time course during competence development.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Jul, 127(1), 523 - 35
Ultrastructural characterization of capsulated Haemophilus influenzae type b and two spontaneous nontypable mutants; Doern GV et al.; Capsulated Haemophilus influenzae type b and two spontaneous mutants (classes I and II variants) were characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy . When cells were treated with type b-specific antiserum prior to manipulations for electron microscopy, sectioned capsulated cells had electron-dense, fibrous capsular antigen-antibody complexes around them . In negatively stained preparations, the complexes appeared as electron-transparent zones surrounding cells . In contrast, only residual electron-dense, extracellular material was seen in sectioned, untreated, capsulated cells, and electron-dense "bridges" connected adjacent cells in negatively stained preparations . No extracellular capsular material was seen around the class I and II variants . Characteristic electron-translucent regions were always observed within the cytosol of the class I cells, both in thin sections and by negative staining . These areas were located adjacent to the cell envelope separating the plasma membrane from the dense cytoplasmic matrix . At times, electron-dense, thread-like material extended from the dense cytoplasmic matrix to the plasma membrane . No such regions were seen in the capsulated and class II cells . Class I cells fixed with methanol or suspended in NaCl or phosphate-buffered saline prior to treatment with fluorescein-tagged type b-specific antiserum (FTA reagent) exhibited, by immunofluorescence, patches of capsular antigen along their sides . However, when fixed with glutaraldehyde or OsO4 or suspended in tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane plus Ca2+ buffer prior to treatment with FTA reagent, no patches of capsular antigen were seen . Subsequent exposure of the latter cells to methanol followed by treatment with FTA reagent resulted in the reappearance of the patches of capsular antigen . Thus, in the class I variant the capsular antigen is unlikely to be surface located . Scanning electron microscopy revealed that class I and II variant cells within undisturbed colonies were regularly aligned side-by-side, whereas cells within colonies of the capsulated strain were randomly distributed.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Jul, 127(1), 327 - 33
Similarity in properties and mapping of three Rec mutants of Haemophilus influenzae; Kooistra J et al.; Three Rec- mutants of Haemophilus influenzae have been studied with respect to their transformability, ultraviolet and mitomycin C sensitivities, spontaneous and ultraviolet-induced deoxyribonucleic acid breakdown, inducibility of lysogens, and the linkage of the three mutations to a streptomycin resistance marker . The data indicate that the three mutations cause the same phenotypic changes, and that they are all on the same gene . Transformability of the mutants is different when two different media are used for competence development, although transformability with the two competence methods is not different in a Rec- strain that is mutant at another gene.

J Cell Sci, 1976 Jul, 21(2), 303 - 13
The actions of restriction endonucleases on lampbrush chromosomes; Gould DC et al.; Lampbrush chromosomes from oocytes of Notophthalmus viridescens were dispersed in media containing restriction endonucleases isolated from Haemophilus and E . coli . These endonucleases cleave duplex DNAs at specific palindromic sequences of nucleotides, and several sensitive sites occur per micron of DNA . The overwhelming majority of the lateral loops of lampbrush chromosomes are extensively fragmented by these endonucleases, but an occasional pair of loops is refractory . A notable example of loops showing this refractory property are the giant loops on chromosome II in the presence of Hae . These loops, whose DNA-containing axes are several hundred micra long, are sensitive to other nucleases such as EcoB, endonuclease I and pancreatic DNase I; their refractory behavior towards Hae therefore indicates that the sequence sensitive to this particular endonuclease is systematically absent . This anomalous property can be comprehended if it be assumed that the axial DNA of the giant loops consists of tandem repeats of a sequence which happens not to include the sensitive site.

Avian Dis, 1976 Jul-Sep, 20(3), 614 - 6
Enhancement of hemagglutinating activity of Haemophilus gallinarum by trypsin; Iritani Y et al.; It is shown that hemagglutination (HA) activity of Haemophilus gallinarum is enhanced by trypsin . HA activation was more effective at 37 C than at room temperature.

Avian Dis, 1976 Jul-Sep, 20(3), 556 - 62
Further observations on the use of a bivalent bacterin against Haemophilus gallinarum; Davis RB et al.; Chickens vaccinated with two doses of a bivalent Haemophilus gallinarum bacterin were protected against seven strains of the organism . Vaccinated and unvaccinated birds with antibody to Mycoplasma gallisepticum had increased HI titers when challenged with H . gallinarum . Birds positive for antibody to Mycoplasma gallisepticum which were not challenged showed no increase in HI titer.

Nord Vet Med, 1976 Jul-Aug, 28(7-8), 349 - 52
Pleuropneumonia caused by Haemophilus parahaemolyticus . An attempt to control the disease at two progeny testing stations by serological blood testing followed by removal of the seropositive animals and their litter mates; Nielsen R et al.; The complement fixation test was employed at two progeny testing stations in an attempt to avoid outbreaks of contagious pleuropneumonia, caused by Haemophilus parahaemolyticus . Pigs were isolated immediately after arrival at the testing stations and blood samples taken for serology . Test groups with seropositive animals were not admitted to the testing station . The sanitation scheme proved successful, in that acute outbreaks were avoided at both stations and the frequency of chronic pleuritis at slaughter fell from appr . 12 per cent to appr . 6 per cent (Station A) and from appr . 8 per cent to appr . 1 per cent (Station B) . Accordingly, the complement fixation test may be of value in diagnosing subclinical infections and thus in the control of Haemophilus parahaemolyticus pleuropneumonia.

Nord Vet Med, 1976 Jul-Aug, 28(7-8), 337 - 48
Pleuropneumonia of swine caused by Haemophilus parahaemolyticus . Studies on the protection obtained by vaccination; Nielsen R; Sixty-six pigs were vaccinated with formaldehyde-killed 24-hour or 6-hour culture of H . parahaemolyticus with Freund's incomplete adjuvant (1:1 or 3:1) or 15 per cent Alhydrogel . The vaccine was injected subcutaneously when the pigs were 9 weeks old . A booster injection was given 2 weeks later . Two weeks after the booster injection the pigs were challenged by intranasal inoculation of 10(10) organisms . The efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated by clinical observations and autopsy findings . Vaccines with Alhydrogel adjuvant: With 24-hour culture 25 per cent of the pigs were protected . With 6-hour culture the protection reached 67 per cent . Vaccines with Freund's incomplete adjuvant: With 24-hour culture 67 per cent of the vaccinates were protected . With 6-hour culture 90 per cent were protected . It is concluded that a 6-hour culture of H . parahaemolyticus is superior to an older culture in immunizing power . Vaccine with Freund's incomplete adjuvant caused severe local reaction with persistent granuloma formation . For that reason it is questionable whether this vaccine will be accepted for field use . H . parahaemolyticus could be found in the respiratory tract, also of animals that were protected by vaccination . Further studies on the significance and duration of the carrier state in this infection are required.

Q J Med, 1976 Jul, 45(179), 479 - 504
Cystic fibrosis in adolescents and adults; Mitchell-Heggs P et al.; Forty-five patients (25 male and 20 female) over 12 years of age with cystic fibrosis have been studied clinically, radiologically and physiologically . Their mean age at the first visit was 17 years; they were followed for a mean period of 4 years and attended at least every six months . The first symptom which developed before the age of five in 42 of the 45 patients was respiratory . Thirty-two of the 45 patients had severe lung disease (Group III) at the start of the study of the seven patients died during the study . Cough and sputum were almost universal, 23 had haemoptyses and eight pneumothoraces . Staphylococcus pyogenes, Haemophilus influenzae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the common pathogens isolated from sputum and the increasing prevalence of the latter was again confirmed . Acquisition of the mucoid strain of pseudomonas signified poor prognosis . Established infection was never eradicated . Forty-three patients had evidence of pancreatic insufficiency; in all but one patient the symptoms were mild and five patients abandoned dietary restriction and pancreatin without ill effect . Seven patients had symptoms of partial bowel obstruction (meconium ileus equivalent) but only one required surgical relief . The liver was enlarged in seven patients and the spleen was felt in three . Three patients had diabetes mellitus . The influence of cystic fibrosis on growth and development is reported--the growth spurt is late in the majority but growth failure is not confined to those with severe lung infection or malabsorption and in these circumstances remains unexplained . Mean weight was low in relation to height and puberty was delayed in both sexes.

Lancet, 1976 Jun 12, 1(7972), 1253 - 5
Haemophilus influenzae and haemophilus parainfluenzae in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Smith CB et al.; The importance of nonencapsulated strains of Haemophilus influenzae and H . parainfluenzae in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (C.O.P.D.) has been investigated in 150 patients observed at two-month intervals from 1968 to 1975 . H . influenzae was distinguished from H . parainfluenzae by demonstrating requirements for both X and V factors . H . influenzae was isolated more often from sputum cultures from patients with severe C.O.P.D . (13.8%) than from patients with mild disease (4.4%, P less than 0.01) . In contrast, H . parainfluenzae was isolated with equal frequency from sputums of patients with mild (40%) or severe (43%) disease . H . influenzae was present in the sputum more often during exacerbations of acute respiratory illness (15.4%) than during sympton-free periods (9.6%, P less than 0.01), while isolation rates of H . parainfluenzae did not increase during periods of illness (35% versus 39%) . Antigens specific for the H . influenzae species and for the H . parainfluenzae species were used in a complement-fixation test to detect antibody rises in sera collected from the patient population . Fourfold or greater rises in titre of antibodies to H . influenzae were detected on 76 occasions in 53 patients, and 46 of these rises were associated with acute respiratory illnesses . In contrast, no antibody rises were detected with the H . parainfluenzae antigen . These observations indicate that nonencapsulated strains of H . influenzae may have pathogenic potential in patients with C.O.P.D., whilst H . parainfluenzae should be considered as normal flora.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1976 Jun, 84(3), 132 - 8
The taxonomy of haemophili isolated from conjunctivae; Kilian M et al.; The paper provides a description of 112 Haemophilus strains isolated from cases of conjunctivitis in Egypt, Tunisia, Denmark, and the U.S.A., and aims at a clarification of the taxonomy of haemophili implicated in conjunctivitis . Although the study confirms the diversity of haemophili which can be isolated from inflamed conjunctivae, the vast majority of strains could be assigned to either biotype II or III of H . influenzae . Thirteen strains possessed all the characteristics of the Koch-Weeks bacillus . However, judged by the findings the recognition of the Koch-Weeks bacillus as a separate species does not seem tenable . It is suggested that this organism is considered a haemagglutinating variety of H . influenzae biotype III . The study indicates that the haemagglutinating ability per se, which can be found in strains of several taxa of Haemophilus, is associated with a special pathogenic potential.

Infect Immun, 1976 Jun, 13(6), 1733 - 42
Identification and quantitation of capsular antigen in capsulated and noncapsulated strains of Haemophilus influenzae type b by crossed-immunoelectrophoresis; Buckmire FL; Sonicated preparations of capsulated Haemophilus influenzae type b, two of its spontaneous mutants, one containing patches of capsules (class I variant) and the other noncapsulated (class II variant), and a noncapsulated strain of H . influenzae type d were analyzed by crossed-immunoelectrophoresis using unadsorbed antiserum to capsulated H . influenzae type b . Twenty common antigens were present in all four cultures . Two type b-specific antigens were also identified in the three H . influenzae type b cultures when antiserum adsorbed with H . influenzae type d sonicates (AdR) was used . One of these, the type b capsular antigen, cross-reacted with an antigen of Bacillus pumilus . Further adsorption of AdR with the B . pumilus sonicate reduced, but did not eliminate, the antibodies to the type b capsular antigen, although all antibodies to B . pumilus were removed . Sonication sheared the type b capsular antigen, resulting in an increase in its electrophoretic mobility in agarose gel . The capsular antigen from all three H . influenzae type b cultures had the same electrophoretic characteristics . Reproducible quantitation of sheared and unsheared capsular antigen was demonstrated by rocket immunoelectrophoresis . As little as 2.5 ng of polyribophosphate pentose was identified and measured . Capsulated H . influenzae type b contained 78 ng of polyribophosphate pentose per mug of cell protein; class I contained 20 ng and class II contained 4 ng . The small amount of type b capsular antigen present in the class II variant may account for its lack of detection in this organism before now.

J Virol, 1976 Jun, 18(3), 950 - 5
Prophage induction and inactivation by UV light; Barnhart BJ et al.; Analysis of the induction curves for UV light-irradiated Haemophilus influenzae lysogens and the distribution of pyrimidine dimers in a repair-deficient lysogen suggests that one dimer per prophage-size segment of the host bacterial chromosome is necessary as a preinduction event . The close correlations obtained prompted a renewed consideration of the possibility that direct prophage induction occurs when one dimer is stabilized within the prophage genome . The host excision-repair system apparently functions to reduce the probability of "stabilizing" within the prophage those dimers that are necessary for induction and inactivation . The presence of the inducible defective prophage in strain Rd depresses the inducibility of prophage HP1c1.

Trop Geogr Med, 1976 Jun, 28(2), 141 - 4
Counter immunoelectrophoresis technique in laboratory diagnosis of bacterial meningitis; Ogunbi O et al.; Fifty cerebrospinal fluid specimens were studied by counter-immunoelectrophoresis (CIE), Gram's staining and culture techniques . Out of 33 test cases of pneumococcal, meningococcal and Haemophilus influenzae meningitides, 31 cases, were CIE positive, 24 were detected by Gram's staining while 27 were positive by culture . The 17 cases which served as controls did not give false positive results . The CIE is recommeded as an adjunct to bacterial culture in laboratory diagnosis of bacterial meningitis especially in areas where there is poor control of drug usage by people with resultant self antibiotic medication which makes definite bacterial meningitis specimens "sterile" on culture.

N Z Med J, 1976 May 26, 83(564), 367 - 8
An adult with haemophilus meningitis: case report; Smith ER; An adult woman was found to have acute pyogenic meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae . Recent reports questioning the rarity of this form of adult meningitis are briefly reviewed.

J Virol, 1976 May, 18(2), 672 - 84
Multiple structures of adeno-associated virus DNA: analysis of terminally labeled molecules with endonuclease R-Hae III; Denhardt DT et al.; The double-stranded form of adeno-associated virus (AAV) DNA has about 20 sites sensitive to endonuclease R.Hae III from Haemophilus aegypitus; the fragments produced fall into about 13 size classes, 8 of which contain single fragments . The location of the Hae III-produced AAV fragments relative to the three EcoR1 fragments was determined . Using revised figures for the molecular weights of the Hae III cleavage products of phiX174 replicative form DNA, we calculated that AAV DNA contains about 4,000 nucleotides . After Hae III digestiion of duplex DNA terminally labeled with 32P using polynucleotide kinase, the majority of fragments containing a 5' 32P label were about 40 nucleotides in length, and fragments of similar size were generated from each end, suggesting that the Hae site closest to the end is within the terminal repetition . Two more-slowly-migrating cleavage products also bore 5' 32P end label . These three terminally labeled species were also generated from single-stranded AAV DNA by digestion with Hae III, and evidence that one may have a nonlinear ("rabbit-ear") structure is presented . The predominant 5' terminal base was identified as thymine for both the plus and minus strands of AAV . Single-stranded AAV molecules could not be efficiently covalently circularized by incubation with polynucleotide ligase or ligase plus T4 DNA polymerase.

Arch Ophthalmol, 1976 May, 94(5), 785 - 8
Acute orbital cellulitis; Watters EC et al.; A review of 104 patients with acute orbital cellulitis during the past decade showed that the frequency of hospital admissions for this disease has increased recently . Roentgenograms showed paranasal sinus in 77 of 91 patients . Haemophilus influenzae and Diplococcus pneumoniae were recovered from the blood of 20 and 6 patients, respectively . Four children had concomitant H influenzae meningitis . Bacteremia was demonstrated in 29% and more common in those with extensive orbital involvement, those not receiving antibiotics at the time of culture, and those less than 2 years old . Some of the 26 patients with less extensive involvement were bacteremic (17%), had leukocytosis, or roentgenographic evidence of sinusitis . Most children received large doses of ampicillin sodium and methicillin sodium intravenously until signs and symptoms had almost abated . With this regimen, there were no orbital, ocular, or other complications.

Eur J Biochem, 1976 May 1, 64(2), 405 - 9
Movement of histones in chromatin induced by shearing; Doenecke D et al.; Methylation of accessible DNA within chromatin by restriction modification methylases from Haemophilus influenzae was used to detect movement of histones along the DNA strand during chromatin manipulation . Methylation at different stages of chromatin preparation was followed by titration of the nucleoprotein with ploy(D-lysine), digestion of chromosomal proteins with pronase and analysis of the DNA-poly(D-lysine) complex in steep cesium chloride gradients . Comparison of the specific radioactivities in the peak fractions of the free DNA and the DNA-poly(D-lysine) complex, respectively, reveals that lateral movement of histones, relative to specific sites in the DNA marked by restriction methylases, occurs during manipulation and fragmentation of chromatin.

Hum Pathol, 1976 May, 7(3), 277 - 86
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing; Ryan KJ et al.; Considerable advances have been made in antimicrobial susceptibility testing . This review emphasizes the continued efforts toward standardization of methods for dilution and diffusion testing, particularly in the area of variation in medium performance, methods for detection of ampicillin resistant Haemophilus influenzae, and attempts to develop rapid automated systems for susceptibility testing . Susceptibility testing of anaerobes continues to be controversial from the standpoint of both the selection of methods and the application of susceptibility results to the clinical situation . It is expected that these and other problems in susceptibility testing will be solved by continued application of the investigative approaches that have brought us where we are today.

J Virol, 1976 May, 18(2), 793 - 8
Restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus gallinarum (HgaI) cleaves polyoma DNA at four locations; Shishido K et al.; A restriction endonuclease obtained from Haemophilus gallinarum (hgaI) cleaves polyoma DNA at four specific sites . Using the EcoRI, HindIII, and HpaII endonuclease restriction sites as reference, the four HgaI cleavage sites were mapped at 0.02, 0.14, 0.27, and 0.48 fractional lengths, clockwise, from the single EcoRI cleavage site.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1976 Apr, 113(4), 465 - 74
Role of infection in chronic bronchitis; Gump DW et al.; Twenty-five patients with chronic bronchitis were studied intensively from 1968 to 1972 . Viral, bacteriologic, mycologic, and mycoplasmal studies, both serologic and cultural, were carried out in an attempt to determine the role these agents play in exacerbations . All of the usual viral agents associated with exacerbations and 2 members of the coronavirus group, 229E and OC43, were detected . One third (33.6 per cent) of the 116 exacerbations observed could be related to viral infection or Mycoplasma pneumoniae (1 exacerbation) . Viral infection was also noted to occur during periods of remission but was more commonly associated with periods of exacerbation(P less than 0.001) . No interrelationship between viral and bacterial infection was apparent and neither Streptococcus pneumoniae nor Haemophilus influenzae was present more frequently in the sputum of patients in exacerbation . However, the number of S . pneumoniae organisms present in the sputum was significantly greater (P=0.04) during exacerbation than during remission and their presence was significatnly correlated with increases sputum purulence (P LESS THAN 0.01) . This was not true of H . influenzae . Ampicillin was effective in clearing the sputum of S . pneumoniae but not of H . influenzae; the reverse was true of tetracycline.

J Infect Dis, 1976 Apr, 133(4), 448 - 55
Host factors and antibody response Haemophilus influenza type b meningitis and epiglottitis; Whisnant JK et al.; Levels of antibody in serum after infection with Haemophilus influenza type b or challenge with polysaccharide vaccine are highly variable . Convalescent-phase serum antibody to the capsular polysaccharide of H . influenzae type b was measured in two groups of patients with pathophysiologically distinct diseases, meningitis and acute epiglottitis . Antibody response after H . influenzae meningitis was subnormal . Mean levels of antibody, the distribution of antibody levels by age, and erythrocyte and genetic marker lymphocyte antigens were studied; all results suggested that these two groups of patients were genetically and immunologically different from each other . Evidence suggested that the magnitude of the important host immunologic response was under host genetic control.

J Pediatr, 1976 Apr, 88(4 Pt . 1), 646 - 9
Otitis media caused by non-typable, ampicillin-resistant strains of Haemophilus influenzae; Shurin PA et al.; Strains of Haemophilus influenzae, which did not belong to any of the known capsular serotypes and which were resistant in vitro to ampicillin, have been isolated from middle ear exudates of two children with otitis media . These children failed to improve with ampicillin therapy, and the resistant organisms persisted at the site of infection . Patients infected with such ampicillin-resistant organisms require therapy with antimicrobial agents which are not susceptible to degradation by penicillinase.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1976 Apr, 65(4), 550 - 6
Incidence and etiology of septic meningitis in a metropolitan county hospital; Qadri SM et al.; From January 1, 1969 to December 31, 1974, 98,446 patients were admitted to Ben Taub General Hospital, one of the Harris County District Hospitals and a major teaching institution for Baylor College of Medicine . Spinal fluid specimens from 17,638 (17.9%) patients were cultured, and 787 (4.5%) cultures were positive for pathogenic microorganisms . Haemophilus influenzae, type B, was most frequently isolated (23.8%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (16.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (9%), Neisseria meningitidis (7.3%), and Enterococcus (7.3%) . Previous studies have indicated that more than 70% of all the septic meningeal infections are caused by H . influenzae, meningococcus and pneumococcus . At this hospital these organisms were isolated from 47% of the specimens studied, indicating a changing pattern in the etiology of purulent meningitis . Although pediatric patients constituted only 11.5% of the admissions, 58.4% of the pathogenic microorganisms were cultured from these patients.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1976 Apr, 24(4), 241 - 3
{Investigations on production of spheroplasts in different species of the genus Haemophilus isolated from pathological material of the respiratory tract (author's transl)}; Hansen W et al.; One hundred and fifty three strains belonging to 5 different species of the Genus haemophilus isolated from pathological material of the respiratory tract, have been submitted to the action of inductive agents . Under their influence, all those strains, and consequently all the species examined undergo morphological changes and give rise to spheroplasts . The present work demonstrates that this phenomenon not only belongs to Haemophilus influenzae but probably is a common characteristic of the Genus Haemophilus.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Apr, 126(1), 439 - 46
Molecular nature of two beta-lactamase-specifying plasmids isolated from Haemophilus influenzae type b; De Graaff J et al.; The molecular nature of two beta-lactamase-specifying plasmids isolated from two separate ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae type b strains was examined . A 30 X 10(6)-dalton (30-Mdal) plasmid (RSF007) had a copy number of approximately 3 per chromosomal equivalent and a mole fraction guanine plus cytosine content of 0.39 . By heteroduplex analysis the 30-Mdal plasmid was found to contain the entire ampicillin translocation DNA segment (TnA) found on R factors of enteric origin . A 3.0-Mdal plasmid (RSF0885) was found as a multicopy pool of approximately 28 copies per chromosomal equivalent, had a mole fraction guanine plus cytosine content of 0.40, and contained only about one-third of the transposable TnA sequence . RSF007 and RSF0885 appeared to be unrelated plasmids in that they share base sequence homology only within the confines of the TnA segment . The 3.0-Mdal Haemophilus plasmid was used to transform E . coli to ampicillin resistance but was found to be unstable in this host in the absence of antibiotic . The possibility that R-plasmids arose in Haemophilus by the translocation of TnA from a donor R-factor onto an indigenous H . influenzae plasmid is discussed.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Apr, 126(1), 31 - 7
Genetics and complementation of Haemophilus influenzae mutants deficient in adenosine 5'-triphosphate-dependent nuclease; Kooistra J et al.; Eight different mutations in Haemophilus influenzae leading to deficiency in adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent nuclease have been investigated in strains in which the mutations of the originally mutagenized strains have been transferred into the wild type . Sensitivity to mitomycin C and deoxycholate and complementation between extracts and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-dependent ATPase activity have been measured . Genetic crosses have provided information on the relative position of the mutations on the genome . There are three complementation groups, corresponding to three genetic groups . The strains most sensitive to mitomycin and deoxycholate, derived from mutants originally selected on the basis of sensitivity to mitomycin C or methyl methanesulfonate, are in one group . Apparently all these sensitive strains lack DNA-dependent ATPase activity, as does a strain intermediate in sensitivity to deoxycholate, which is the sole representative of another group . There are four strains that are relatively resistant to deoxycholate and mitomycin C, and all of these contain the ATPase activity . Three of these are in the same genetic and complementation group, whereas the other incongruously belongs in the same group as the sensitive strains . It is postulated that there are three cistrons in H . influenzae that code for the three known subunits of the ATP-dependent nuclease.

Ann Sclavo, 1976 Mar-Apr, 18(2), 189 - 93
{Systematic study of pharyngeal and nasal bacteria in children affected by relapsing diseases of respiratory organs (author's transl)}; Lusco G et al.; The research was conducted on 191 nasal and pharyngeal swabs from children aged between two and ten years, affected by relapsing diseases of their respiratory organs . The aim has been that of isolating those bacteria whose action cause the most frequent respiratory diseases . They are: Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus C+, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas and other Gram-negative bacteria . The isolated bacteria were submitted to sensitivity tests and to the normally used antibiotics . From this research follow the necessity to know which bacteria play the pathogenous role from patient's serological alterations.

J Gen Microbiol, 1976 Mar, 93(1), 9 - 62
A taxonomic study of the genus Haemophilus, with the proposal of a new species; Kilian M; A collection of 426 Haemophilus strains isolated from people with infectious diseases and from the normal flora of mucous membranes in humans and various animal species was studied in an attempt to revise and improve the taxonomy of the genus Haemophilus . The examinations included the determination of a number of biochemical and physiological properties, of which several had not previously been applied to the taxonomy of haemophili . The resulting data reavealed many hitherto unrecognized characters of taxonomic significance and several of the species can now be more accurately defined . The classification presented is supported by the DNA base composition of a large number of representative strains . A diagnostic key to the different taxa is presented . Haemophilus influenzae and H . parainfluenzae have been subdivided into a number of biotypes . It is possible to demonstrate a relationship between the individual biotypes of H . influenzae and the origin of the strains assigned to them . The results indicate that H . aegyptius, H . parahaemolyticus and H . paraphrohaemolyticus do not merit specific status . Four unnamed taxa of V-factor-dependent haemophili have been recognized . The name Haemophilus segnis is proposed for one of these taxa, which consists mainly of strains isolated from the human oral cavity . It is demonstrated that the name H . Ducreyi has been used for different groups of bacteria, and that only one of these groups can legitimately be assigned to the genus Haemophilus . Haemolytic V-factor-dependent strains from swine, previously included in H . parahaemolyticus, are significantly different from strains of human origin and should be named H . pleuropneumoniae . None of the strains from swine and fowls were haemin-dependent . The relationships of these strains to the species H . suis and H . gallinarum, and to H . parasuis and H . paragallinarum are discussed . Haemophilus piscium is shown not to belong to the genus Haemophilus . The taxonomic position of H . aphrophilus is uncertain and its possible relationship to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans requires further study . The positive correlation found between the ecology of the strains studied and their affiliation with the different taxa is discussed.

J Virol, 1976 Mar, 17(3), 1009 - 26
Proposed structure of two defective viral DNA oligomers produced in 3T3 cells transformed by the ts-a mutant of polyoma virus; Vogt M et al.; The various oligomeric viral DNA species produced at 32 C by two related syblines of ts-a-transformed mouse 3T3 cells were characterized . Results from the analysis of the cleavage products observed after digestion with restriction endonucleases from Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Escherichia coli RI, and Haemophilus suis are consistent with the assumption that in both sublines, the major oligomeric component is a dimer from which a segment of different length is deleted . The major oligomeric (27S) component in subline 1 was estimated to be 1.77 times the size of the viral monomer, and the major (25.5S) component in subline 15 was estimated to be 1.54 times the size of the viral monomer . These size estimates were confirmed by electron micrograph measurements . The larger oligomers produced by both sublines were found to be multiples of the major oligomeric component of each subline.

Am J Vet Res, 1976 Feb, 37(2), 219 - 22
Efficacy studies on Haemophilus gallinarum bacterin preparations; Davis RB et al.; Broth cultures inactivated and potentiated by selected methods were tested in chickens for efficacy against homologous and heterologous challenge inoculation, using 2 serotype A strains of Haemophilus gallinarum . Although the 2 strains were within the same serotype, they failed to cross protect . One dose of thimerosal-inactivated bacterin was protective against homologous challenge, but 2 doses of formalin-inactivated bacterin were required . A bivalent bacterin protected chickens well against 1 strain, but not the other, at the 1-dose level.

Med J Aust, 1976 Feb 7, 1(6), 151 - 3
Comparative effectiveness of tetracycline, minocycline and doxycycline in treatment of acute-on-chronic bronchitis . A study based on sputum levels; Ruhen RW et al.; After the administration of minocycline, doxycyline and tetracycline in recommended therapeutic doses to 11, 10 and 12 patients respectively, sputum levels of these antibiotics were determined . Only 20% of patients given doxcycline had a satisfactory sputum level and in the remainder levels were either low or absent . For patients receiving tetracycline and minocycline, 67% and 64% respectively had satisfactory sputum levels . Patients selected for this study had a history of chronic bronchitis and were producing copious amounts of purulent sputum . Minimum inhibitory concentrations of these three antibiotics were similar for 25 freshly isolated strains of Haemophilus influenzae, with minocycline being the most inhibitory and doxcycline the least inhibitory.

Infect Immun, 1976 Feb, 13(2), 581 - 9
Synthesis and release of polyribophosphate by Haemophilus influenzae type b in vitro; Anderson P et al.; Polyribophosphate, the capsular polysaccharide antigen of Haemophilus influenzae type b, can be assayed in crude bacterial extracts by a combination of immunoprecipitation, hot-acid extraction, and colorimetry . In vitro, the antigen is synthesized during growth and, in well-buffered media, in early stationary phase as well . It is shed from the cell throughout the course of synthesis, and at 37 C almost all the extractable antigen has been released spontaneously within several hours after synthesis . Various strains are similar in extent of synthesis and gross composition of the antigen; however, strains differ in the rate of release during exponential phase . The antigen is released as (or as part of) a very large structure, although under certain culture conditions much smaller antigenic units are found.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Feb, 125(2), 588 - 94
Single-stranded regions in transforming deoxyribonucleic acid after uptake by competent Haemophilus influenzae; Sedgwick B et al.; About 15% of donor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is single stranded immediately after uptake into competent Haemophilus influenzae wild-type cells, as judged by its sensitivity to S1 endonuclease . This amount decreases to 4 to 5% by 30 min after uptake . Mutants which are defective in the covalent association of recipient and donor DNA form little or no S1 endonuclease-sensitive donor . At 17 C donor DNA taken up by the wild type contains single-stranded regions although there is no observable association, either covalent or noncovalent . The single-stranded regions are at the ends of donor DNA molecules, as judged by the unchanged sedimentation velocity after S1 endonuclease digestion . The amount of single-stranded donor remains constant at 17 C for more than 60 min after uptake, suggesting that the decrease observed at 37 C is the result of association of single-stranded ends with single-stranded regions of recipient cell DNA . Three sequential steps necessary for the integration of donor DNA into recipient DNA are proposed: the synthesis of single-stranded regions in recipient DNA, the interaction of donor DNA with recipient DNA resulting in the production of single-stranded ends on donor DNA, and the stable pairing of homologous single-stranded regions.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1976 Feb, 73(2), 293 - 7
Novel properties of a restriction endonuclease isolated from Haemophilus parahaemolyticus; Kleid D et al.; The sequences in lambda DNA in and around six sites cut by Hph, a restriction enzyme isolated from Haemophilus parahaemolyticus, are compared . The enzyme produces a staggered cut around an AT or TA base pair, but the sequences immediately surroinding the cleavage sites bear no obvious relation to one another . Eight (in some cases nine) base pairs to one side of each cleavage site is the common sequence TCACC AGTGG . Two lines of evidence indicate that these bases constitute part or all of the Hph recognition site . First, mutations in this sequence prevent Hph cutting . Second, dimethylsulfate-mediated methylation of Gs and As in this site prevent cutting, whereas methylation of purines in the region between this sequence and the cleavage sites has no such effect . There is discernible 2-fold rotational symmetry neither in the common sequence nor around the cleavage sites.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1976 Feb, 29(2), 159 - 66
{Distribution and changes of antibiotic susceptibility of genus Haemophilus (author's transl)}; Kosakai N et al.; We studied on the distribution and changes of antibiotic susceptibility of H . influenzae, H . parainfluenzae and H . parahaemolyticus isolated from clinical materials, mainly from sputum and pharyngeal swabs . In this study we used 132 strains of H . influenzae, 89 strains of H . parainfluenzae and 43 strains of H . parahaemolyticus isolated during January and June of 1975, and estimated the susceptibility for the following eighteen antibiotics by the agar plate dilution method: ampicillin, amoxicillin, ciclacillin, sulbenicillin, carbenicillin, cephalothin, cefazolin, ceftezole, cephalexin, streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamicin, dibekacin, tetracycline, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, thiamphenicol and colistin . We compared these with previously reported results and observed the changes of antibiotic susceptibility . Ampicillin has the strongest antibiotic activity on three species of Haemophilus and the activity of four cephalosporins was weakest . Among three species H . parahaemolyticus was most susceptible and H . influenzae least susceptible to cephalosporins . Antibiotic activity of cyclacillin was rather weak . Other twelve antibiotics have good activity on Haemophilus . We could not find any ampicillin-resistant strain, but found five (3.8%) streptomycin-resistant, one (0.8%) kanamycin-resistant, eleven (8.3%) tetracycline-resistant, and seven (5.3%) chloramphenicol-resistant strains of H . influenzae . Six years ago we found five (9.6%) streptomycin-resistant and one (1.9%) tetracycline-resistant strains, but no resistant strain to other antibiotics . Tetracycline- and chloramphenicol-resistant strains are supposed to have a tendency to increase . There were very few strains which were resistant to more than two antibiotics among H . influenzae . We found a few strains resistant to tetracycline or chloramphenicol among H . parainfluenzae and H . parahaemolyticus, and one strain of H . parainfluenzae was less susceptible to ampicillin.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Feb, 125(2), 643 - 54
Lethal effect of mitomycin C on Haemophilus influenzae; Small GD et al.; The sensitivity of ultraviolet-sensitive strains to inactivation by mitomycin C (MC) is at the most only a factor of two greater than that of the wild type . The presence of inducible prophage has very little effect on the sensitivity . Genes which control excision of ultraviolet-induced pyrimidine dimers also control repair of MC-induced cross-links, as measured by resistance of denatured deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from treated cells to S1 nuclease digestion . However, endonucleolytic breaks in MC-damaged DNA, as judged by decreased single-strand molecular weight upon incubation of treated cells, are independent of these genes and probably are caused by monoadducts . After long periods of incubation there is a return to the molecular weight of untreated DNA . DNA degradation after MC treatment of various strains is not correlated with sensitivity to inactivation . Stationary-phase cells of all strains are more than twice as sensitive to MC as exponentially growing cells, and the sensitivity difference agrees with the measured difference in the number of cross-links after MC treatment of cells in the two growth stages . Evidence has been obtained that these phenomena result from differences in uptake of MC, which can be influenced by cyclic adenosine monophosphate . Small deviations in MC sensitivity from that of the wild type observed in mutants lacking the adenosine 5'-triphosphate-dependent nuclease are postulated to result from differences in MC uptake . These mutants, although no more ultraviolet sensitive than the wild type, are more sensitive to streptomycin, which also must be taken up by the cell to be effective.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Feb, 125(2), 616 - 25
Inactivation of carotenoid-producing and albino strains of Neurospora crassa by visible light, blacklight, and ultraviolet radiation; Blanc PL et al.; Suspensions of Neurospora crassa conidia were inactivated by blacklight (BL) radiation (300 to 425 nm) in the absence of exogenous photosensitizing compounds . Carotenoid-containing wild-type conidia were less sensitive to BL radiation than albino conidia, showing a dose enhancement factor (DEF) of 1.2 for dose levels resulting in less than 10% survival . The same strains were about equally sensitive to shortwave ultraviolet (UV) inactivation . The kinetics of BL inactivation are similar to those of photodynamic inactivation by visible light in the presence of a photosensitizing dye (methylene blue) . Only limited inactivation by visible light in the absence of exogenous photosensitizers was observed . BL and UV inactivations are probably caused by different mechanisms since wild-type conidia are only slightly more resistant to BL radiation (DEF = 1.2 at 1.0% survival) than are conidia from a UV-sensitive strain (upr-1, uvs-3) . The BL-induced lethal lesions are probably no cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers since BL-inactivated Haemophilus influenzae transforming deoxyribonucleic acid is not photoreactivated by N . crassa wild-type enzyme extracts, whereas UV-inactivated transforming deoxyribonucleic acid is photoreactivable with this treatment.

Lancet, 1976 Jan 3, 1(7949), 28 - 31
Acute bacterial meningitis in childhood . Incidence and mortality in a defined population; Goldacre MJ; Cases of acute bacterial (excluding tuberculous) meningitis and meningococcal infection, occurring in children under 10 years of age in the North-West Metropolitan region between 1969 and 1973 have been studied retrospectively by case-note review . The risk of having an acute meningococcal infection was estimated to be 1 in 1090, and that of having an attack of haemophilus meningitis to be 1 in 1500, but the age of 10 years . The case-fatality rates for meningococcal infection, haemophilus meningitis, and pneumococcal meningitis were 10.9%, 5.7%, and 16.4% respectively . Meningitis was not diagnosed in life in 26 of 94 fatal cases (28%).

Eur J Biochem, 1976 Jan 2, 61(1), 101 - 17
Cleavage map of the simian-virus-40 genome by the restriction endonuclease III of Haemopholus aegyptius; Yang RC et al.; Enzymic digestion of Simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA with Haemophilus aegyptius restriction endonuclease Hae III results in 10 major and eight minor fragments . These were resolved by electrophoresis on graduated polyacrylamide slab gels . All fragments have been characterized with respect to the size relative to the Haemophilus influenzae Rd fragments (Hind) . They were ordered on the SV40 DNA map by means of overlap analysis of the double cleavage products derived from sequential digestion of Hind fragments with Hae III endonuclease and Hae fragments with Hind II + III enzyme, as well as by other reciprocal cleavage experiments, including those involving Haemophilus para-influenzae fragments . In this way the 18 Hae III cleavage sites and the 13 Hind sites have been localized on the circular SV40 DNA map.

Ann Clin Lab Sci, 1976 Jan-Feb, 6(1), 104 - 9
Quantitative antibiotic susceptibility testing: Haemophilus influenzae type B; D'Agostino RL et al.; Twelve strains of Haemophilus influenzae were tested for susceptibility to gentamicin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol and cephalothin using two methods, agar dilution and microdilution (broth) . Although inocula and incubation conditions were standardized, significant differences in the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) were seen as a result of growth media . Method dependent differences were also observed for some antibiotics . Notwithstanding such variation, high level resistance of H . influenzae to ampicillin was readily detected by either broth or agar dilution tests.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1976, 42(4), 429 - 44
Energy metabolism of some representatives of the Haemophilus group; Hollander R; The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the carbohydrate catabolism and the constellation of the respiratory chain components of Haemophilus influenzae RAMC 18 Bensted, H . parainfluenzae 1 Fleming, H . parainfluenzae 429 Pittman and H . aegyptius 180a Pittman . These strains represent several physiological types with respect to respiratory quinones and glucose catabolism . On addition of glucose or lactate to the complex growth medium a remarkable increase in cell mass was observed . Depending on the growth rate, carbohydrate degradation varied with the strains examined so that at the end of the exponential growth phase only small amounts of the supplements could be demonstrated . All strains were found to possess functional enzymes of Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas-, Entner-Doudoroff-pathways, hexosemonophosphate shunt, tricarboxylic acid cycle and gluconeogenesis with an extremely high activity of malate dehydrogenase . The concentration of cytochromes varied according to culture conditions . The cytochromes a1, d, o and b + c were found to occur under aerobic conditions . In cells grown anaerobically in the presence of fumarate cytochromes a1 and d could not be demonstrated . Under aerobic conditions preparations of H . parainfluenzae 1 Fleming exhibited an alpha-maximum at 558 nm, whereas under anaerobic culture conditions with fumarate as terminal electron acceptor an alpha-maximum at 552 nm occurred, suggesting different roles of b and c type cytochromes in aerobic and anaerobic electron transport to fumarate, respectively.

Scand J Respir Dis, 1976, 57(3), 103 - 7
Haemophilus from the lower respiratory tract of patients with cystic fibrosis; Hoiby N et al.; Fifty-six non-haemolytic Haemophilus strains were isolated during current bacteriological examinations from material from the lower respiratory tract of 39 patients with cystic fibrosis during a 6-month period . Except for six strains which belonged to Haemophilus parainfluenzae, all strains were identified as Haemophilus influenzae . Biotype I of H . influenzae was the predominating taxon (38%) and was especially related to patients with recurrent or prolonged colonization . Only two strains were capsulated . An unexpectedly high percentage of the strains produced lysine decarboxylase . The significance of this property in the pathogenesis of the respiratory tract colonization is discussed.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1976, 8(3), 175 - 80
Hearing loss as a sequel to chloramphenicol and ampicillin treatment of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis; Svenungsson B et al.; 20 patients with Haemophilus influenzae meningitis who had been treated with chloramphenicol over the period 1959-1970 and 23 patients who had been treated with ampicillin over the period 1968-1974 were re-examined by hearing tests in 1975 . In all the cases the two agents had been given initially by the parenteral route, chloramphenicol in doses varying between 50 and 150 (averaging 101) mg/kg/day and ampicillin in doses varying between 125 and 350 (averaging 229) mg/kg/day . Five of the 20 patients in the chloramphenicol group were found to be deaf on one ear, whereas 1 of the 23 patients in the ampicillin group was completely deaf . A further 3 in the chloramphenicol group and 1 in the ampicillin group had slight sensorineural hearing loss on one ear . Only in 2 of the 6 deaf patients was the loss discovered during the time of hospital care . The present study has not provided any evidence supporting the recently reported observation (Gamstorp and Klockhoff, 1974) that the frequency of hearing loss might be higher after ampicillin than after chloramphenicol treatment for H . influenzae meningitis.

Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung, 1976, 23(1), 89 - 96
Reisolation and characterization of Haemophilus influenzae-murium; Csukas Z; Twenty-three Haemophilus influenzae-murium strains were isolated from the nasopharynx of healthy CFLP white mice . Microbiological characterization of the cultures confirmed the taxonomic position of the organisms which had become problematic due to the loss of the original isolates . The type strain proposed, EO1, is available from the Hungarian National Collection of Medical Bacteria, National Institute of Public Health, Budapest as 95001.

J Bacteriol, 1976 Jan, 125(1), 197 - 204
Physical size of the donor locus and transmission of Haemophilus influenzae ampicillin resistance genes by deoxyribonucleic acid-mediated transformation; Bendler JW 3rd; The properties of donor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from three clinical isolates and its ability to mediate the transformation of competent Rd strains to ampicillin resistance were examined . A quantitative technique for determining the resistance of individual Haemophilus influenzae cells to ampicillin was developed . When this technique was used, sensitive cells failed to tolerate levels of ampicillin greater than 0.1 to 0.2 mug/ml, whereas three resistant type b beta-lactamase-producing strains could form from the colonies in 1- to 3-mug/ml levels of the antibiotic . DNA extracted from the resistant strains elicited transformation of the auxotrophic genes in a multiply auxotrophic Rd strain . For two of the donors, transformation to ampicillin resistance occurred after the uptake of a single DNA molecule approximately 104-fold less frequently than transformation of auxotrophic loci and was not observed to occur at all with the third . The frequency of transformation to ampicillin resistance was two- to fivefold higher in strain BC200 (Okinaka and Barnhart, 1974), which was cured of a defective prophage . All three clinical ampicillin-resistant strains were poor recipients, but the presence of the ampicillin resistant genes in strain BC200 did not reduce its competence . Sucrose gradients of DNA from ampicillin-resistant transformants of BC200 and from the original ampicillin-resistant strains showed that: (i) all the DNA preparations had high molecular weights; (ii) donor activity for ampicillin resistance sedimented heterogeneously and in parallel with genome DNA up to the highest molecular weights observed (100 x 106 to 200 x 106); and (iii) genetic transformation of ampicillin resistance from strain BC200-amp90383 required the physical integrity of a linearly integrated segment of DNA having a molecular weight of about 25 x 106 to 30 x 106.

Scand J Infect Dis Suppl, 1976, (9), 72 - 7
Bacteriological findings in sinusitis (1963-1975); Van Cauwenberge P et al.; Two different studies were performed in order to determine the role of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in sinusitis . Aerobes: A retrospective study of 331 cases of all types of sinusitis (from 1963 till 1975) showed an increasing occurrence of Haemophilus influenzae during the last three years . Only in the acute sinusitis is Streptococcus pneumoniae more frequently found than Haemophilus influenzae, which exhibits the highest occurrence in chronic and undeterminable cases . We found cultures with pathogenic aerobes in 64% of the acute and 56% of the chronic cases of sinusitis . Anaerobes: A prospective study of 100 sinus secretions from 66 patients with paranasal sinusitis showed the great importance of anaerobes; they were present in 33% of samples, pure anaerobic cultures in 12% and mixed aerobic-anaerobic in 21% . Peptostreptococcus sp . showed the highest occurrence (15%) . Anaerobic sinusitis is more frequent in unilateral cases . The presence of anaerobes is not dependent on the patient's age or the duration of the sinusitis . In 76% the anaerobes disappeared after the initial antral irrigation.

Scand J Dent Res, 1976 Jan, 84(1), 16 - 9
Haemophili in developing dental plaque; Kilian M et al.; Evidence for a possible role played by oral haemophili in the development of dental plaque was sought by studying the occurrence of these bacteria in early dental plaque of smooth surfaces and occlusal fissures in six dental students . The mean number of haemophili per 10(3) anaerobes in early smooth surface plaque (18 h) and fissure plaque (7 d) was 95 and 22 respectively . Examination of 988 Haemophilus isolates revealed that H . parainfluenzae was the only species in samples of fissure plaque, whereas some samples from smooth surfaces, in addition to the predominating and ubiquitous H . parainfluenzae, yielded growth of the two species H . segnis and H . aphrophilus . It is concluded that haemophili are among the primary colonizers of smooth surfaces of teeth.

ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec, 1976, 38 Suppl 1, 25 - 31
{Meningitis and labyrinthitis in childhood}; Hof E; The Haemophilus influenzae meningitis is the most common cause of deafness following meningitis . Five of 22 children (23%) had this complication in spite of antibiotic treatment (ampicillin) . The question must be raised whether a different antibiotic treatment could avoid the inner-ear problems occurring in Haemophilus influenzae meningitis . Early decompression of the internal auditory canal has reversed deafness in one of four children.

Mikrobiyol Bul, 1976 Jan, 10(1), 3 - 15
{The bacterial flora of decubitus ulcers and the effects of ultraviolet light on this flora}; Atun IH; Decubitus ulcers, their treatment, the effect of UV light on bacterial flora of these ulcers, different effects of UV light according to the wave length, the UV lamp used in experiments, and the bacterial flora of wounds in different phases are explained . From 21 patients, with decubitus ulcers under UV treatment, 974 samples were collected before and after UV treatments . These samples were cultured on blood agar plates by the isolation method in 5 steps . After 24 hours incubation, the colonies were counted at each step and then identified . It has seen that bacterial flora decreased gradually from 1 MED, up to 6 MED of UV exposure . (MED = Minimal eritemal dose = about 1 minute) From 6 MED up to 20 MED the rate of decrease remained almost at the same level as in 6 MED . The number of colonies at each step before and after UV exposures were compared with each other . Only the averages of first steps in every MED, their standard errors and (P) values are shown in table III . The ulcers showed higher granulation tissue and faster healing parallel to the effect of UV light on bacteria . In cultures from 974 samples, pseudomonas was most commonly found, followed by diphtheroides, hemolytic staphylococci, non-hemolytic staphylococci, Gram (--) micrococci, proteus, mima (only in two patients), candida, saprophytic staphylococci, neisseria, haemophilus, and aerobic spore-forming bacilli.

Scand J Infect Dis, 1976, 8(3), 169 - 74
Vaccination against meningococcal group A disease in Finland 1974-75; Peltola H et al.; Meningococcal group A polysaccharide vaccine was used in children 3 months to 5 years of age in the winter 1974-75 during an epidemic caused by sulphanamide-resistant group A meningococci . In 3 provinces, the vaccine was offered on a double-blind basis, using Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccaride vaccine as control . Approximately 100 000 children were vaccinated with either one of the vaccines . In the Kymi province, approximately 22 000 children representing 90% of the child population of this age received the meningococcus vacine . Infants below 18 months received a booster dose of vaccine 3 months after the first dose . The meningococcus vaccine caused local symptoms in 71%, mild systemic reactions in 37%, and high fever (38.5 degrees C or more) in 1.8% The haemophilus vaccine produced fewer side effects . No clinical infections caused by group A meningococci were reported in the first 6 months after vaccination among those who had received the meningococcal vaccine . At the same time, group A cases continued to appear in other age groups and other areas of the country.

Arzneimittelforschung, 1976, 26(3), 424 - 6
{Azidocillin: activity in vitro, pharmacokinetics and therapeutic results in whooping cough}; Simon C et al.; In vitro activities of acidocillin and ampicillin were compared in 20 strains of Haemophilus influenzae, 50 strains of Enterococci and 4 strains of Bordetella pertussis by serial dilution test . There were no significant differences between both antibiotics . On Staphylococcus aureus (100 strains) and Streptococcus group A (25 strains) acidocillin was effective at the same degree as phenoxymethylpenicillin . After oral administration of 0.75 g acidocillin (1 h after a standard breakfast) serum peaks in 10 healthy adults were 6.1 +/- 0.51 mug/ml (after 1 1/2 h) which decreased to 0.5 +/- 0.10 mug/ml (after 4 h) and to 0.045 +/- 0.02 mug/ml (after 6 h) . Urine-recovery in 9 h after oral administration of 0.75 g was found as of 58%, after i.v . administration of the same dose 78% (absorption rate nearly 74%) . Therapy of whooping cough in 12 children with acidocillin (60 mg/kg/die) led to the disappearance of Bordetella pertussis from nasal swabs (only one failure caused by the child's frequent vomiting).

Acta Microbiol Pol, 1976, 25(4), 307 - 12
Host specificity of DNA in Haemophilus influenzae: DNA restriction enzyme from H . influenzae Rf232; Piekarowicz A et al.; A restriction endonuclease has been partially purified from Haemophilus influenzae Rf232 containing the genetically determined system of restriction and modification of DNA . The enzyme requires ATP for the degradation of transfecting phage DNA.

Acta Microbiol Pol, 1976, 25(3), 175 - 86
Bacteriophage N3 of Haemophilus influenzae . II . Infection of transformable cells by bacteriophage DNA; Jablonska E et al.; Transfection of H . influenzae with N3 bacteriophage DNA shows a dependence on concentration of DNA and a sigmoidal shape of uptake of DNA . The efficiency of transfection is decreased in the two types of recombination-defective strains of H . influenzae; rec1- and rec2- . The fact that N3 bacteriophage can code for its own recombination system but transfection is dependent on host recombation system allows the conclusion that the primary recombination during transfection with N3 phage DNA is mediated exclusively by the bacterial recombination system.

Mol Gen Genet, 1975 Dec 30, 143(1), 25 - 33
Restriction and modification in B . subtilis . Nucleotide sequence recognised by restriction endonuclease R . Bsu R from strain R; Bron S et al.; Restriction endonuclease R from Bacillus subtilis strain R cleaves nonmodified SPP 1 DNA in approximately 80, and lambda DNA in about 200 different sites . DNA digests with this endonuclease and with endonuclease Hae III from Haemophilus aegyptius show identical fragmentation patterns on gel electrophoresis, indicating that the two enzymes recognise the same nucleotide sequence . The polynucleotide kinase reaction was used in conjunction with two-dimensional ionophoretic nucleotide mapping methods to identify the 5'-nucleotide sequences at the sites of cleavage by the B . subtilis restriction endonuclease . The results show that the recognition sequence is (see article) where arrows indicate the points of strand scission . Each of the four possible nucleotides can occur in the positions flanking the recognition site.

J Infect Dis, 1975 Dec, 132(6), 685 - 8
The immune response to acute otitis media in children . II . Serum and middle ear fluid antibody in otitis media due to Haemophilus influenza; Sloyer JL Jr et al.; The antibody response in serum and middle ear fluid was studied in 40 children less than two years of age who had otitis media due to Haemophilus influenzae . Specific antibody in serum was determined by either a bacteriocidal test or an indirect fluorescent antibody test, and in the middle ear fluid by the latter test . For both assays the infecting bacterium of the patient was used . Half of the acute sera and three-fourths of the convalescent sera had antibody of at least one of the IgG, IgM, or IgA classes; IgG occurred most often . Fourteen patients had significant increases in specific antibody in the convalescent serum . Middle ear fluids from 22 to 29 patients had specific antibody . IgG and IgA antibodies occurred with equal frequency, but IgA antibody was found more often in middle ear fluids when IgA antibody was absent from serum . Thus it appears that infants with otitis media respond systemically and locally with specific antibody to H . influenzae.

Int J Clin Pharmacol Biopharm, 1975 Dec, 12(4), 433 - 6
In vitro bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of 7 cephalosporin antibiotics on Haemophilus influenzae; Yourassowsky E et al.; A total of 30 recently isolated strains of Haemophilus influenzae were tested for in vitro susceptibility to seven cephalosporins . In order of bacteriostatic effectiveness, the in vitro activity of the antibiotics studied was: cephapirin (median MIC = 0.78 mcg/ml), cephalothin (median MIC = 1.56 mcg/ml), cefazolin (median MIC: 1.56 mcg/ml), cephaloridine (median MIC = 3.12 mcg/ml), cefoxitin (median MIC = 3.12 mcg/ml), cephradine (median MIC = 12.5 mcg/ml) and cephalexin (median MIC = 25 mcg/ml) . The bactericidal effectiveness of the seven compounds was studied against one of these strains . No drug was able to kill the selected strain in less than 6 hrs, even at 100 mcg per ml . Cefoxitin exhibited the best bactericidal effects, closely followed by cefazolin and cephapirin.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1975 Nov, 72(11), 4496 - 500
Specific cleavage analysis of mammalian mitochondrial DNA; Potter SS et al.; Mitochondrial DNA from several mammalian species has been digested with a site-specific restriction endonuclease (HaeIII) from Haemophilus aegyptius . A quantitative analysis of the resulting specific fragments indicates that the mtDNA of any individual mammal is predominantly a single molecular clone . Gel analysis of specific cleavage products has proven quite sensitive in detecting differences in mtDNA: mtDNAs from the more distantly related mammals studied (e.g., donkey and dog) are found to have few bands in common and very closely related mammals (e.g., donkey and horse) share only about 50% of their bands . This procedure has detected several intraspecies mtDNA differences . Six distinct human patterns have been found, with one pattern usually differing from another in two or three bands . mtDNAs from different organs of single individuals have also been analyzed, and no differences have been found.

Lancet, 1975 Nov 8, 2(7941), 893 - 6
Haemophilus influenzae type B resistant to tetracycline isolated from children with meningitis; Hansman D; During a three-year-period, 1971-73 inclusive, haemophili isolated from 96 children with severe infections, of whom 73 had meningitis and 19 acute epiglottitis, were serotyped and tested for sensitivity to antibacterial drugs . All strains were identified as Haemophilus influezae type b, and were sensitive to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and trimethoprim . However, 3 isolates--from a boy aged 11 months and a girl aged 1 year with meningitis, and a girl aged 2 years with epiglottitis--were highly resistant to tetracycline, with a median minimal inhibitory concentration of 50 mug tetracycline hydrochloride per ml (resistance ratio greater than or equal to 50) . Resistance was also demonstrated to doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and rolitetracycline and, in one strain, to minocycline . No evidence was obtained that the resistant organisms were capable of inactivating tetracyclines.

Monatsschr Kinderheilkd, 1975 Nov, 123(11), 740 - 4
{Course and treatment of osteomyelitis in childhood (author's transl)}; Simon C et al.; In the years 1955-1972 132 children with osteomyelitis were treated in the Pediatric, Surgical and Orthopedic Department of the university of Kiel . There was no increase in the incidence of osteomyelitis during this period . Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis was diagnosed in 111 children, chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis in 11 children, traumatic and postoperative osteomyelitis in 10 children . Secondary chronic osteomyelitis occurred in 1 patient . Mainly staphylococci (in 90%) were the pathogenic bacteria, whereas haemophilus, pseudomonas, streptococci group A, E . coli and mixed infections occurred less frequently . In 17 of 111 patients with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis there were no roentgenological changes . Bacteriological investigations of blood and pus, and the antistaphylolysin reaction (repeated in the course of the disease) were helpful to establish the diagnosis in many cases . 107 of 111 patients with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis were cured (8 patients with defects) . 4 children died in septic shock or because of complications (meningitis, pleural empyema, pneumonia) . Bactericidal antibiotics in high dosage (penicillins, gentamicin) were superior to bacteriostatic antibiotics . Additional surgical treatment was necessary in 49 of 111 patients with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis . Recommendations for antibiotic therapy of osteomyelitis are given.

Isr J Med Sci, 1975 Nov, 11(11), 1121 - 3
Ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia and empyema in an infant; Rubinstein E et al.; Ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae type b was isolated from the pleural fluid of a 15-month-old infant with pneumonia and empyema . The patient was cured when chloramphenicol treatment was substituted for ampicillin.

JAMA, 1975 Oct 13, 234(2), 171 - 3
Cephalexin monohydrate suspension . Treatment of otitis media; McLinn SE et al.; Cephalexin monohydrate suspension was used in the treatment of 97 children with otitis media . Pretreatment middle-ear exudate specimens in pure or mixed culture yielded Diplococcus pneumoniae in 47 cases, Haemophilus influenzae in 26, Neisseria catarrhalis in 20, group A beta-hemolytic streptococci in 13, and Staphylococcus aureus in one . The usual dosage was 100 mg/kg/day given orally in divided doses for 10 to 12 days . After 48 hours of treatment, follow-up cultures showed that therapy had been successful in 90 children; 81 remained clinically and bacteriologically free of disease for at least three weeks following therapy . Of the seven children for whom therapy failed, H influenzae persisted in five and D pneumoniae in two . Acceptance of the drug was entirely satisfactory with no important side effects encountered.

N Engl J Med, 1975 Oct 9, 293(15), 735 - 9
Sinusitis of the maxillary antrum; Evans FO Jr et al.; Twenty-four adults with clinical evidence of sinusitis were studied by 65 needle punctures of the maxillary antrum . Fourteen of 15 sinuses with normal transillumination and 19 of 26 that were dull had normal aspirates, whereas 24 of 24 that were opaque had abnormal aspirates (P less than 0.001) . Marked mucosal thickening as determined radiologically (Water's view) was associated with abnormal aspirates whereas lesser mucosal thickening was not (P less than 0.001) . In acute sinusitis, there was a strong correlation between high aspirate leukocyte counts (greater than 1000 per cubic millimeter) and infection as manifested by bacterial titers of greater than 10(5) per milliliter or the isolation of virus fungus (P greater than 0.001) . Anterior-nasal-swab cultures correlated poorly with direct aspirate culters . Organisms frequently recovered from the sinus included Haemophilus influenzae, Strepto coccus pneumoniae, and anaerobic bacteria . Rhinovirus was recovered twice . Antibiotics were usedful in patients with acute sinusitis if the organism was sensitive in vitro (P less than 0.001).

Mutat Res, 1975 Oct, 30(1), 9 - 20
Tests for the mutagenic actions of a number of chemicals on Haemophilus influenzae with special emphasis on hydrazine; Kimball RF et al.; A number of chemicals have been tested for their ability to produce novobiocin-resistant mutants in Haemophilus influenzae . Of these, hydrazine (HZ) proved unique because it induced a fairly high incidence of mutation without killing significant numbers of cells at concentrations ranging over nearly four orders of magnitude . Moreover, its dose-effect curve increased very slowly initially and reached a relatively low maximum . It is suggested that HZ may be acting as both a mutagen and an antimutagen in this system . HZ has sometimes been characterized as primarily an inactivating agent rather than as a mutagen . Obviously, quite the opposite is true for H . influenzae . Moreover, a survey of the literature shows that HZ has been used effectively to produce mutations in phage, bacteria, higher plants and Drosophila . There is reason to suspect that it produces mainly single locus mutations rather than chromosomal aberrations, but the amount of information on this point is still very small . The effectiveness of a mutagen can be markedly affected by the criterion of effectiveness used . If a high incidence of mutation with reasonably high cell survival is the criterion, then mutagens that are relatively nontoxic would probably be considered highly effective . In this case, the maximum mutation rate that can be achieved in practice may be controlled either by toxicity or by maxima like the one found for HZ . If, on the other hand, the important criteria are the concentration and exposure time needed to produce a detectable increase in mutation, then some quite toxic mutagens would be considered quite effective even though the maximum mutation that can be produced in practice is low . The first criterion is the one to use in choosing mutagens for detailed analysis of the mutation process, but the second set of criteria may be more suitable for generalizing to other organisms, for example from microorganisms to man, since toxic effects can be quite different in different cell types.

J Hyg (Lond), 1975 Oct, 75(2), 315 - 32
An investigation of the family background of acute Haemophilus infections of children; Turk DC; Nose and throat swabs, for culture of Haemophilus influenza type b, and blood samples, for measurement of antibodies specific for that serotype, were collected from members of 28 families from which children had been admitted to hospital with acute H . influenzae type b infections (mainly meningitis or epiglottitis) . The patients with meningitis were younger than those with epiglottitis and had more siblings, with a marked predominance of sisters . Investigations within a few days of admission of the affected children to hospital detected carriers of H . influenzae type b (19 altogether) in 13 of the 28 families, including 9 of the 13 families with 3 or more children . Members with raised antibody titres for H . influenzae type b (suggesting the presence of the organism for at least a few weeks) were found in 17 of the 25 families from which blood samples were obtained, including all 11 families with 3 or more children . Most of the patients probably acquired their infections from within their own families, and siblings under 11 years old were of predominant importance both as carriers and as potential sources of the patients' infections . Persistence of the organism within families for up to 6 months was demonstrated . Possible reasons for the difference in age-incidence between haemophilus meningitis and epiglottitis and for the occurrence of the former in babies with older sisters are suggested, and also a possible connection between the results of this survey and the likely value of immunization against H . influenzae type b.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Oct, 124(1), 176 - 81
Mechanism of gap-filling during postreplication repair of ultraviolet damage in Haemophilus influenzae; Small GD; Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), pulse labeled after ultraviolet irradiation of excision-defective mutants of Haemophilus influenzae, is of lower single strand molecular weight than that of unirradiated cells but approaches the size of DNA from unirradiated cells upon further incubation in growth medium . This gap-filling process is controlled by the rec-1 gene . Gap-filling occurs normally in a temperature-sensitive DNA synthesis mutant at the restrictive temperature showing that normal semiconservative DNA synthesis is not necessary for gap-filling . To test for recombinational events after irradiation, the DNA synthesized after irradiation was radioactively labeled for a short time in medium containing 5-bromodeoxyuridine followed by incubation for various times in non-radioactive, 5-bromodeoxyuridine-containing medium . The DNA was denatured and analyzed isopycnically . The labeled DNA was initially "heavy," but later shifted toward lighter densities . This shift occurred in the temperature-sensitive DNA synthesis mutant at the restrictive temperature and in the recombination-defective mutant rec-2, but was not seen in the rec-1 mutant . The density shift can be interpreted as evidence that rather extensive exchanges occurred between parental DNA and the DNA made after irradiation . These results suggest that such exchanges are important for gap-filling in H . influenzae.

J Infect Dis, 1975 Sep, 132(3), 276 - 81
Transfer of ampicillin resistance between strains of Haemophilus influenzae type B; Thorne GM et al.; Haemophilus influenzae type B, strain W-2, is highly resistant to ampicillin (MIC, 12.5 mug/ml) . The ampicillin resistance of strain W-2 was transferred to an antibiotic-sensitive strain TF-2 (RifR, SmR) during mixed incubation on membrane filters at 36 C(transfeer frequency, 4.6 times 10(-5) per donor) . Resistance was also transferred from the primary recipient to a secondary one (TF-3, EryR, NovR) . The transfer frequency between these derivative strains was 10(-4) after incubation for 30 min . Resistance in strain W-2 remained even after growth in the presence of ethidium bromide or at an elevated temperature, although ampicillin resistance was lost from 13%-25% of transcipient cells after growth in broth . Strain W-2 and transcipients of ampicillin resistance had equivalent levels of beta-lactamase activity, while sensitive segregants and recipient strains demonstrated little or no enzyme activity . Transfer of ampicillin resistance between strains of H . influenzae is probably mediated by conjugation since transfer (1) requires cell-to-cell contact, (2) remains unchanged in the presence of DNase I, and (3) occurs in the absence of demonstrable bacteriophage.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1975 Sep, 64(3), 389 - 98
Mucormycosis in a transplant recipient; Hammer GS et al.; Mucormycosis classically occurs in patients who have uncontrolled diabetes who develop rhinocerebral disease . A fatal case of rhinocerebral infection caused by Rhizopus arrhizus in a 53-year-old man who had received a renal homograft three years previously is reported . Only five similar cases have been documented, all since 1970 . Although direct smears of the purulent nasal exudate revealed the presence of numerous Gram-negative bacilli, later identified as Haemophilus influenzae, the diagnosis of mucormycosis was made by demonstrating the typical broad, nonseptate branched hyphae in the necrotic tissue obtained by surgical debridement of the paranasal sinuses . Culture of this material revealed growth of mold-like fungus which, upon direct microscopic examination, showed sporangiophores bearing spherical sporangia arising directly from a cluster of root-like structures of rhizoids . Despite the immediate institution of therapy with amphotericin B postoperatively, the patient died 48 hours later . Subsequently, the Rhizopus isolated was shown to be resistant to both amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine . The present case and two others stress the importance of an aggressive diagnostic approach to patients suspected of having mucormycosis, because the usual microbiologic technics are frequently, inexplicably, unsuccessful, and possibly even misleading in this disease.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Sep, 123(3), 1208 - 17
Minicell production and bacteriophage superinducibility of thymidine-requiring strains of Haemophilus influenzae; Sedgwick B et al.; Aminopterin- or trimethoprin-resistant thymidine-requiring strains of Haemophilus influenzae produce minicells, and the ratio of minicells to cells increases during the stationary phase of growth . Strain LB11, isolated after mutagenesis of a thymidine-requiring strain (Rd thd), produces more minicells than the parent strain . The mutations involved in high frequency minicell production have been transferred into the wild type (strain Rd) by transformation . The thymidine requirement in the resulting strain, MCl, is essential for minicell production, since spontaneous revertants of MCl to prototrophy do not produce minicells . The ratio of minicells to cells was increased more than 10(3)-fold by differential centrifugation . The minicells contain little or no deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) . Phage HPlcl apparently cannot attach to minicells . Competent cells of LB11 and its thymidine-requiring parent strain produce defective phage as a result of exposure to transforming DNA, whereas only LB11 produces many defective phage in response to the competence regime alone . Competent HP1c1 and S2 lysogens of MC1 and Rd thd are also superinducible by transforming DNA, but competent LB11 lysogens produced about the same amount of HP1c1 or S2 phage with or without exposure to transforming DNA possibly because of competition between the induced defective phage and Hp1c1 or S2 phage.

Eur J Biochem, 1975 Sep 1, 57(1), 55 - 68
Investigation of the repetitive sequences in calf DNA by cleavage with restriction nucleases; Philippsen P et al.; Calf thymus DNA was digested with the restriction nucleases from Escherichia coli carrying resistance transfer factor I, Haemophilus influenzae Rd and Bacillus subtilis X5 (EcoRI, Hind II, and Bsu, respectively) and submitted to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . About 10% of the DNA migrated as discrete fragments in 8, 16, and 30 bands, respectively, superimposed upon a continuous distribution of various size DNA fragments . The fragments within the bands are repeated 2000 to 160000 times in the haploid genome . Their sizes range from about 10 to a few thousand nucleotide pairs . About 5% of the DNA in EcorRI and Hind II digests migrated in a band at the position of undigested DNA, probably due to the resistance of long stretches of DNA against these nucleases . Calf DNA fragments obtained with EcoRI and Hind II were isolated by preparative gel electrophoresis . DNA from the bands showed the behaviour of repetitive DNA in renaturation experiments . An EcoRI fragment 1300-nucleotide-pairs long, which represents 6% of the calf genome and occurs 130000 times, is tandemly repeated (derived from the satellite of 1.714 g/cm3, see below) . Another EcoRI fragment of 970 nucleotide paris, which represents 0.5% of the calf genome and is derived from the DNA of 1.710 g/cm3 seems to be structurally related to the foregoing fragment since it shows a similar Hind II and Bsu cleavage pattern . It alternates with a 1550-nucleotide-pairs-long EcoRI fragment . In another series of experiments total calf DNA was separated into main-band and satellite fractions by density-gradient centrifugation and chromatography in the presence of a base-specific dye . Purified fractions were characterized by analytical ultracentrifugation and by Hind II and EcorRI digestions . From the cleavage patterns of purified fractions an assignment of the bands found with total calf DNA to satellite fractions was possible . Most fragments were derived from the components of density 1.709 and 1.710 g/cm3 . The 1.714-g/cm3 satellite was cleaved into a 1300-nucleotide-pairs-ling EcorRI fragment and two Hind II fragments of 1100 and 180 nucleotide pairs . The satellites of 1.723 g/cm3 and 1.705 g/cm3 were not cleaved by either Hind II or EcoRI DNAase . On digestion of main band DNA with Bsu a 160-nucleotide-pairs-long fragment was obtained which was also observed, at a frequency of about 160000, in the Bsu digest of EcoRI fractions from total calf DNA.

J Virol, 1975 Sep, 16(3), 720 - 4
Denaturation map of polyoma DNA; Lescure B et al.; A denaturation map of polyoma DNA cleaved by Eco R1 to form linear molecules was established by electron microscopy . Partial denaturation, under the same conditions, of fragments obtained by Haemophilus influenzae restriction enzymes allowed us to align the denaturation map with the already established physical map of polyoma DNA (Griffin et al., 1974).

J Virol, 1975 Sep, 16(3), 662 - 73
Adenovirus transcription . II . RNA sequences complementary to simian virus 40 and adenovirus 2DNA in AD2+ND1- and AD2+ND3-infected cells; Flint SJ et al.; The genomes of the two nondefective adenovirus 2/simian virus 40 (Ad2/SV 40) hybrid viruses, nondefective Ad2/SV 40 hybrid virus 1 (Ad2+ND1) and nondefective hybrid virus 3 (Ad2+ND3), WERE FORMED BY A DELETION OF ABOUT 5% OF Ad2 DNA and insertion of part of the SV40 genome . We have compared the cytoplasmic RNA synthesized during both the early and late stages of lytic infection of human cells by these hybrid viruses to that expressed in Ad2-infected and SV40-infected cells . Separated strands of the six fragments of 32P-labeled Ad2 DNA produced by cleavage with the restriction endonuclease EcoRI (isolated from Escherichia coli) and the four fragments of 32P-labeled SV40 DNA produced by cleavage with both a restriction nuclease isolated from Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Hpa1, and EcoRI were prepared by electrophoresis of denatured DNA in agarose gels . The fraction of each fragment strand expressed as cytoplasmic RNA was determined by annealing fragmented 32P-labeled strands to an excess of cellular RNA extracted from infected cells . The segment of Ad2 DNA deleted from both hybrid virus genomes is transcribed into cytoplasmic mRNA during the early phase of Ad2 infection . Hence, we suggest that Ad2 codes for at least one "early" gene product which is nonessential for virus growth in cell culture . In both early Ad2+ND1 and Ad2+ND3-infected cells, 1,000 bases of Ad2 DNA adjacent to the integrated SV40 sequences are expressed as cytoplasmic RNA but are not similarly expressed in early Ad2-infected cells . The 3' termini of this early hybrid virus RNA maps in the vicinity of 0.18 on the conventional SV40 map and probably terminates at the same position as early lytic SV40 cytoplasmic RNA . Therefore, the base sequence in this region of SV40 DNA specifies the 3' termini of early messenger RNA present in both hybrid virus and SV40-infected cells.

Mol Gen Genet, 1975 Aug 5, 139(2), 157 - 66
An Haemophilus influenzae mutant which inhibits the growth of HP1c1 phage; Jablonska E et al.; A strain of Haemophilus influenzae, called hpm- inhibits the growth of phage HP1c1 but not S2 . This inhibition is overcome by HP1c1ph mutants . Phage HP1c1 adsorbs normally to hpm- cells but only a small fraction of infected cells produce phage with a normal burst size or become lysogenic . When hpm- strains lysogenic for HP1c1 are induced, 100 percent of the cells yield phage . There is no degradation of phage DNA after infection of hpm- cells and HP1c1 can normally grow when its DNA is introduced into hpm- by transfection . The most probable explanation is that in hpm- cells the penetration of phage DNA is blocked . The hpm- property behaves as as unstable mutation.

J Med Microbiol, 1975 Aug, 8(3), 437 - 41
R-factor mediated beta-lactamase production by Haemophilus influenzae; Sykes RB et al.; Production of beta-lactamase by 15 strains of Haemophilus influenzae has been investigated . All the strains produce a constitutive beta-lactamase, which readily hydrolyses penicillin G, ampicillin, and cephaloridine . The beta-lactamase produced by these strains is indistinguishable from the type-IIIa enzyme commonly found in strains of Escherichia coli . The beta-lactamase gene has been transferred from the enzyme-producing strains of Haemophilus to strains of H . parainfluenzae and a strain of E . coli.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Aug, 123(2), 666 - 77
Constitution of the cell envelope of Haemophilus influenzae in relation to competence for genetic transformation; Zoon KC et al.; Cell envelopes of Haemophilus influenzae have been prepared by breakage in a French pressure cell followed by differential centrifugation . The envelope fraction may be resolved into an inner-membrane (light) and an outer-membrane (heavy) fraction on density gradients . Envelopes from competent cells possess elevated levels of lipopolysaccharide with a composition different from that of log-phase cell envelopes . Three apparently new polypeptides have been observed in envelopes from competent cells by gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate; additional quantitative alterations in the profiles of membrane polypeptides also company the development of the capacity to transport deoxyribonucleic acid . Most of the polypeptide changes are confined to the outer membrane; one new polypeptide is associated with the inner cytoplasmic membrane of competent cells . Protein synthesis during competence developement is rquired for the change in lipopolysaccharides and in the envelope polypeptides to occur.

Infect Immun, 1975 Aug, 12(2), 404 - 10
Plasmid-linked ampicillin resistance in haempohilus influenza type b; Elwell LP et al.; Four ampicillin-resistant, beta-lactamase-producing strains of Haempohilus influenzae type b were examined for the presence of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) . Three resistant strains contained a 30 x 10-6-dalton (30Mdal) plasmid and one resitant strain contained a 3-Mdal plasmid . The ampicillin-sensitive Haemophilus strains examined did not contain plasmid DNA . Transformation of a sensitive H . influenzae strain to ampicillin resistance with isolated plasmid DNA preparations revealed that the structural gene for beta-lactamase resided on both plasmid species . DNA-DNA hybridization studies showed that the 30-Mdal Haemophilus plasmid contained the ampicillin translocation DNA segment (TnA) found on some R-factors of enteric origin of the H . influenzae plasmids.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1975 Aug, 28(4), 567 - 80
{Chemotherapy of purulent meningitis in children (author's transl)}; Kobayashi Y; Purulent meningitis in patients admitted to the pediatric department of Kyoto University Hospital and affiliated institutions from 1951 through 1973 were studied with emphasis on the kinds of the causative organisms and the susceptibility of these organisms to antibiotics . The findings in this study have served to help select antibiotics most likely to be effective against this disease . The overall incidence of purulent meningitis was 0.68% . This figure decreased little throughout the period . As for the frequency of causative organisms, Neisseria meningitidis led the list, and Diplococcus pneumoniae ranked just behind . Haemophilus influenzae was rare . The frequency of N . meningitidis, however, decreased sharply in spite of the essentially unchanged overall incidence of this disease . The probable reason for the poor prognosis of this disease in spite of the remarkable strides in chemotherapy is the decreased frequency of N . meningitidis and the inversely increased organisms that are resistant to usual chemotherapy . The therapeutic effectiveness of cefazolin against this disease was studied in 15 children including eight newborns and four infants . The daily per kg bodyweight dose was 50 mg or less in four, 50 approximately 100 mg in five, and more than 100 mg in the remaining six . The route of administration was either intramuscular or intravenous . No deaths occurred . The rate of effectiveness was as high as 80% . Residual symptoms were recorded in six and, in as many as five of them, the cause was a-tributable to the delayed detection of the disease . Neither side effects nor aberrent laboratory findings attributable to large doses of cefazolin were recorded . Diffusibility of cefazolin into the CSF was studied in nine subjects . The CSF concentration of this antibiotic was shown to be somewhat lower than that of ampicillin or cephaloridine and to account on an average for 13% of the mean peak serum level . This relatively low diffusibility will be offset by its high serum concentration and safe large-dose therapy . These findings have clearly shown that the therapeutic effectiveness of cefazolin is as high as that of ampicillin, and that this excellent effectiveness holds true even when the causative organism happens to be Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, etc . that are resistant to ampicillin . The authors have furthermore scrutinized much literature on the frequency of the causative organisms, emergence of resistant strains, and the diffusibility of antibiotics into the CSF, and arrived at the conclusion that cefazolin is a promising antibiotic of choice for the treatment of purulent meningitis in newborn . The daily dose is preferably 150 mg/kg or more given in three divided intravenous doses . Meanwhile ampicillin proved to be useful as the antibiotic of choice for the treatment of purulent meningitis in infants and children.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1975 Aug, 28(8), 590 - 3
Comparative inhibitory activity of BL-S640 and two other cephalosporins; Yourassowsky E et al.; In vitro antibacterial activity of BL-S640 was compared to that of cephalothin and cephalexin against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria isolated from clinical specimens . BL-S640 demonstrated the best activity on nearly all microbial species studied, except for Haemophilus influenzae and Diplococcus pneumoniae against which cephalothin was slightly more active.

Am J Vet Res, 1975 Aug, 36(08), 1123 - 8
Haemophilus somnus complex: antigenicity and specificity of fractions of Haemophilus somnus; Miller RJ et al.; Five Haemophilus somnus type 8025 preparations (whole cell, sonicate, crude polysaccharide, purified polysaccharide, and protein) were produced for studies of their antigenicity in rabbits . Bacterial agglutination and passive hemagglutination tests were used to assess the level of antibody produced in rabbits inoculated with the different antigenic preparations . Cross-reactions were seen between the antiserums against the H sumnus 8025 antigens and a variety of related and unrelated bovine pathogens . The strongest cross-reaction occurred between antiserums against H somnus 8025 whole cell and crude polysaccharide antigens and Haemophilus agni and Actinobacillus lignieresii cell suspensions.

Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1975 Jul 12, 105(28-29), 911 - 4
{Proceedings: Long-term therapy with antibiotics in chronic bronchitis}; Hoigne R et al.; Longterm therapy of chronic bacterial bronchitis assumes two forms: (a) therapy of acute exacerbations, and (b) continuous longterm prophylaxis, chiefly during the 4-7 winter months . Longterm prophylaxis should be confined exclusively to patients with two or more severe annual exacerbations . The commonest pathogens, Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococci, are usually sensitive to ampicillin and amoxycillin, cotrimoxazole (Bactrim or Eusaprim) and tetracyclines.

J Biol Chem, 1975 Jul 10, 250(13), 4926 - 30
Capsular polymer of Haemophilus influenzae, type b . I . Structural characterization of the capsular polymer of strain Eagan; Crisel RM et al.; The capsular type-specific antigen of Haemophilus influenzae, type b, has been reported to have a unit structure composed of D-ribose and phosphate . Recently, the presence of ribitol was found in preparations of type b capsular antigen . Our analytical results show equimolar proportions of ribose, ribitol, and phosphate . Periodate oxidation studies, paper chromatography of acidic and alkaline hydrolysates, and NMR spectral data indicate the structure of the capular antigen of H . influenzae b, strain Eagan to be a polyribosylribitol phosphate polymer.

J Infect Dis, 1975 Jul, 132(1), 69 - 74
Effect of previous infection on antibody response of children to vaccination with capsular polysaccharide of Haemophilus influenzae Type b; Norden CW et al.; Children who had recovered from meningitis, orbital cellulitis, or epiglottitis caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b were immunized with capsular polysaccharide vaccine derived from that bacterium; some healthy siblings and adults who had not had H . influenzae infections were also vaccinated . Of 10 children who had had H . influenzae meningitis previously, only one had an antibody response to the vaccine . One child with prior H . influenzae orbital cellulitis also failed to respond . None of the children had detectable H . influenzae polysaccharide antigen in their bloodstream at the time of immunization . Two children who had had H . influenzae epiglottitis and six of seven controls without histories of H . influenzae infections responded immunologically to the vaccine . One of eight vaccinees under two years of age showed a response, and eight of 12 over two years responded well (P = 0.02) . All four nonresponders over the age of two years had had H; influenzae meningitis or cellulitis . Children who had had H . influenzae meningitis responded less well to the polysaccharide vaccine than did other recipients of the vaccine; this difference could not be explained solely on the basis of age;

Am J Dis Child, 1975 Jul, 129(7), 802 - 7
Partial antibiotic therapy in Haemophilus infuenzae meningitis . Its effect on cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities; Davis SD et al.; To examine the influence of partial antibiotic therapy on laboratory findings in Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, 272 untreated cases and 202 partially treated, culture-positive cases from 1953 through 1971 were reviewed . There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to several cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) values . Both the untreated and partially treated groups had a similar proportion of cases with negative Gram stain and CSF glucose level over 40 mg/100 ml or a predominance of CSF mononuclear cells . Eight patients had received ampicillin sodium, chloramphenicol, or tetracycline for two days or more . The CSF findings of these patients resembled those of the untreated group . The data support the conclusion that antibiotics in the usual outpatient dosages seldom interfere with the diagnosis of H influenzae meningitis.

J Bacteriol, 1975 Jul, 123(1), 287 - 93
Methylase activities from Haemophilus influenzae that protect Haemophilus parainfluenzae transforming deoxyribonucleic acid from inactivation by Haemophilus influenzae endonuclease R; Roszczyk E et al.; Specific methylases that have the properties of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) modification enzymes have been isolated from Haemophilus influenzae strain Rd . Two activities ((Methylase IIa and methylase III) were found to protect transforming DNA of H . parainfluenzae from the action of H . influenzae restriction enzymes . To determine the specificty of the protection, a procedure based on biological activity was developed for the separation and purification of the restriction endonucleases from H . influenzae strain Rd . Two endonuclease R activities presumably corresponding to Hind II and Hind III (P . H . Roy and H . O . Smith, 1973; H . O . Smith and K . W . Wilcox, 1970) were characterized by differences in their chromatographic properties, ability to attack T7 DNA, and inactivation of the transforming activity of different markers of H . parainfluenzae DNA . One endonuclease R enzyme (Hind II) attacked T7 DNA and was found to inactivate the dalacin resistance marker (smaller than 0.01% activity remaining) with only a slight effect on the streptomycin resistance marker (83% activity remaining) . Methylase IIa treatment protected 40% of the dalacin resistance marker of H . parainfluenzae DNA from inactivation by Hind II . The other restriction activity (Hind III) was inert towards T7 DNA and inactivated the streptomycin resistance marker of H . parainfluenzae DNA (smaller than 0.01% activity remaining) without any effect on the dalacin resistance marker . The methylation of H . parainfluenzae DNA accomplished by methylase III protected 60% of the transforming activity of the streptomycin resistance marker of H . parainfluenzae DNA from the action of Hind III.

J Dent Res, 1975 Jul-Aug, 54(4), 737 - 9
Occurrence of haemophili in dental plaque and their association with neuraminidase activity; Tuyau JE et al.; The mean concentration of haemophili in 31 specimens of plaque was 1.23 times 10(6) per milligram or approximately 4.4% of the viable bacteria present . Occurrence of different species was similar to saliva with Haemophilus parainfluenzae constituting 87.8% . Most haemophili produced neuraminidase and appeared to be primarily responsible for the small amounts of this enzyme in plaque.

Am Rev Respir Dis, 1975 Jul, 112(1), 131 - 3
Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection followed by Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia and bacteremia; Stadel BV et al.; A 31-year-old, previously healthy woman contracted Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, proved by isolation and serologic titer rise . She was inadequately treated, and before complete recovery, she became ill with Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia and bacteremia.

Nord Vet Med, 1975 Jun, 27(6), 319 - 28
Colostral transfer of immunity to Haemophilus parahaemolyticus in pigs; Nielsen R; Complement fixating antibodies for Haemophilus parahaemolyticus were shown to be transferred from immune sows to their offspring . Colostrum-fed 4-day-old piglets from immune sows resisted intranasal inoculation whereas their littermates, fed on cows' milk, were fully susceptible to the infection . Piglets inoculated later in the suckling period (3 to 8 weeks after birth) when their serumtiters had declined to very low levels, showed some degree of resistance, but the infection was not eliminated from the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract . In chronically infected breeding herds piglets are usually affected during the later part of the suckling period and clinical symptoms are often vague . Though a positive titer is indicative of resistance the results presented above show that protection is usually not complete . Further studies are required to ascertain whether the results obtained here are applicable in a rational control.

Am J Dis Child, 1975 Jun, 129(6), 730 - 3
Infectious arthritis in the neonate caused by Haemophilus influenzae; Granoff DM et al.; Two newborns had hematogenous pyarthrosis due to Haemophilus influenzae . One infant had signs of sepsis and dactylitis involving several fingers and toes . She also developed a soft tissue abscess, meningitis, and a septic hip, and was found to be infected with a nontypable organism . In the second infant, a shoulder traumatized at birth became infected with a type b strain . In both cases, the patients were successfully treated, but delays occurred in selecting the optimal therapeutic agent because of failure to appreciate that Haemophilus may cause systemic infection in the newborn . In the first infant the source of the infection was identified as the mother's endocervical canal . This patient is also of interest because in contrast to previous reports of Haemophilus infection in the newborn, bactericidal activity was present in the maternal serum.

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