Results are presented on tests carried out over the past 5 years to measure the antibody titre of various rabbit populations to a soluble antigen of myxoma virus. In an unexpectedly high percentage of immune rabbits the antibody fell below measurable titres, and later rose to measurable titres without the advent of an observable epizootic of myxomatosis. The re-stimulation of the immune response is discussed in terms of re-infection and virus reactivation.

Two statistical analyses are suggested to compare the success rates in isolating and identifying pathogenic organisms from specimens achieved by different laboratories participating in a quality control scheme. An example is given in which the analyses are applied to 25 laboratories that received 30 simulated specimens.

A technique for carrying out the anti-globulin test with Salm. typhi O suspension in described; this technique has been used to examine a number of human sera. The degree of amplification of agglutinin titre and the final titres obtained were appreciably greater in the sera of individuals with a history of Salm. typhi infection, some of whom were carriers, than in the sera of normal individuals.

A mineral oil adjuvant failed to enhance or to prolong the somewhat shortlived immunity induced in baboons by trachoma/inclusion conjunctivitis (TRIC) vaccines, and was of little or no value in increasing or prolonging the formation of group complement-fixing (CF) antibody. Vaccines prepared with protamine sulphate or with calcium phosphate were no more immunogenic than the untreated parent suspensions.

Cross tests with aqueous vaccines revealed antigenic differences in the TRIC agents examined, in terms of their ability to protect against conjunctival challenge. Strain MRC–1/OT differed from MRC–17 and from MRC–4, and MRC–187 from MRC–4f.

The four Gambian trachoma agents tested were much less effective than the MRC–4 strain of inclusion conjunctivitis in inducing group CF antibody in baboons. The titre of circulating antibody bore no relation to the state of immunity to conjunctival challenge.

In three baboons given mineral oil adjuvant vaccine and in one given aqueous vaccine the conjunctival responses to subsequent challenge were significantly enhanced. This reaction may be an expression of a hypersensitive state induced by relatively ineffective vaccines; like immunity, it is unrelated to the titre of CF antibody in the serum.

The incidence of Salmonella in tortoises and frogs captured in Istanbul was studied. From 31 out of 40 tortoises (77·5%) and from 16 out of 311 frogs (5·1%) salmonella strains belonging to 18 and 14 serotypes respectively were isolated.

Experimental data suggest a role for the microflora in the disease expression of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In active SLE anti-ds-DNA antibodies are supposed to be pathogenic by forming immune complexes with DNA. Bacteria might induce the production of anti-ds-DNA antibodies. To explore the relation between the host and his microflora in SLE in comparison with healthy controls we studied the prevalence of systemic antibodies to faecal bacteria that were discriminated by their morphology by indirect immunofluorescence.

IgM titres against their own faecal microflora were found to be lower both in active and inactive SLE when compared to healthy individuals. IgG-class antibacterial antibodies were increased in inactive SLE but decreased in active SLE compared to inactive SLE and healthy controls, although plasma levels of total IgG were almost doubled in active SLE. The lower IgG antibacterial antibody titres in active SLE might possibly result from sequestration of these IgG antibodies in immune complexes, indicating a possible role for antibacterial antibodies in exacerbations of SLE.

The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term survival and risk factors associated with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patient survival in Central China. Between December 2006 and June 2011, incident and retreatment adult MDR-TB patients were enrolled in the present study. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors affecting survival. The total follow-up period was 270 person-years (PY) for 356 MDR-TB cases in Wuhan. Of the 356 cases, 103 patients died, yielding an average case fatality rate of 381.2 per 1000 TB patients per year. Using adjusted Cox regression analysis, older age (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) >3.0 starting from 30 years) and low education level (primary and middle school; aHR 1.67 (95% CI 1.01–2.77)) were independently associated with lower survival. Diabetes mellitus profoundly affected the survival of MDR-TB patients (aHR 1.95 (95% CI 1.30–2.93)). Our data demonstrate that coexistent diabetes significantly and negatively impacted MDR-TB patient survival. In addition, MDR-TB patients aged 60 years or older exhibited a greater risk of mortality during follow-up. Our findings emphasise that MDR-TB patients with comorbidities that increase their risk of death require additional medical interventions to reduce mortality.

The transitory leucopenia in the peripheral blood of rabbits following injection of B. typhosus toxic substances is due to the temporary accumulation of neutrophils in the reticulo-endothelial organs. We deduce from this that the phenomenon of leucopenia in the typhoid fever of man is due to the constant liberation of B. typhosus toxic substances in the circulation during the course of the disease.

We conducted a case-control study involving 150 genotype 3 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients and 150 healthy controls to investigate the association of polymorphisms in the interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene with chronic HCV infection and the association of these polymorphic variants with the combination of pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin therapy response. Our data revealed that the GG genotype of IL-10 –1082A/G exhibited significant association with genotype 3 chronic HCV infection compared to controls. Treatment response data also showed a significant increase in risk for the GG genotype of IL-10 –1082A/G in response-relapse patients or non-responder patients compared to sustained virological response patients. Further, a significant increase in risk was also revealed for the CC genotype of IL-10 –592A/C in response-relapse patients or non-responder patients compared to sustained virological response patients, suggesting a role of the GG genotype of IL-10 –1082A/G and CC genotype of IL-10 –592A/C in the treatment outcome of combined Peg-IFN/ribavirin therapy.

The spring of 2009 witnessed the emergence of a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus resulting in the first influenza pandemic since 1968. In autumn of 2010, the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza strain re-emerged. We performed a retrospective time-series analysis of all patients with laboratory-confirmed H1N1 influenza who presented to our institution during 2009. Cases of influenza were assembled into 3-day aggregates and forecasting models of H1N1 influenza incidence were created. Forecasting estimates of H1N1 incidence for the 2010–2011 season were compared to actual values for our institution to assess model performance. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals calculated around our model's forecasts were accurate to ±3·6 cases per 3-day period for our institution. Our results suggest that time-series models may be useful tools in forecasting the incidence of H1N1 influenza, helping institutions to optimize distribution of resources based on the changing burden of illness.

The isolation of Fusobacterium necrophorum present in small numbers in heavily contaminated material such as faeces or soil is hampered by the lack of an efficient selective medium and by the high minimum infective dose of the organism. A sensitive method for the detection and isolation of faecal strains of F. necrophorum type A was based on the subcutaneous injection of faeces, suspended (5% w/v) in broth culture of Actinomyces (Corynebacterium) pyogenes or Staphylococcus aureus to increase fusobacterial infectivity, into mice pretreated with clostridial antitoxins. When necrobacillosis developed F. necrophorum was identified microscopically in tissue from the advancing edge of the lesion and isolated on a partly selective medium.

The enhancement of fusobacterial infectivity produced by A. pyogenes and by S. aureus was high, but the latter was slightly the more efficient, enabling as few as 80 F. necrophorum organisms/g of faeces to be detected.

Use of the method showed that 3 of 16 wallabies had F. necrophorum in their faeces at the time of examination. Numerous epidemiological applications are suggested.

A strain of Mycoplasma californicum successfully infected an experimentally inoculated ovine mammary gland causing a severe mastitis. The condition lasted for about 25 days, and resulted in atrophy and loss of milk production in the gland. Four experimentally infected ewes, treated over a 3-day period with various regimes of the antibiotics oxytetracycline or tylosin during the acute stage of infection, successfully eliminated the infection. Two others similarly treated with combined intramammary and intramuscular tiamulin or with intramammary Bay Vp2674, did not eliminate the infection; but another ewe treated with intramuscular as well as intramammary Bay Vp2674, did resolve the infection. The two ewes that were unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics at the acute stage did respond to tylosin or oxytetracycline at a later stage of infection. Measurement of antibiotic concentrations demonstrated that the persistence of inhibitory levels in the milk varied between the antibiotics and were influenced by the extent of parenteral treatment.

1. One hundred and seventeen rats have been examined, and thirty-two or 27·3% were found to harbour virulent Leptospira.

2. The correlation of carrier conditions with the presence of immune bodies in the serum showed:

(a) Leptospira-positive, sero-reaction negative, four or 3·4%.

(b) Leptospira-positive, sero-reaction positive, twenty-eight or 23·8%.

(c) Leptospira-negative, sero-reaction positive, twenty-one or 17·9%.

(d) Leptospira negative, sero-reaction negative, sixty-four or 54·7%.

3. The titres of the immune bodies in their sera have been determined. A positive reaction in the lower dilutions of the serum does not necessarily indicate that the rat is a carrier of virulent Leptospira.

4. There is evidence to show that there is a greater incidence of carriers amongst fully grown animals than in the young rodents.

5. Rodents which have been killed prior to examination in the laboratory are unsuitable for the determination of the presence of Leptospira.

A pooled sample analysis strategy for novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)) is proposed for a large population in this paper. The population to be tested is divided into divisions based on earlier observed detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 first. Samples collected are then grouped in appropriate pooled size. The number of tests per person in that population is expressed as a function of two variables: the observed detection rate and the pooled size or number of samples grouped. The minimum number of tests per person can be further shown to be a function of only one of these two variables, because these two parameters are found to be related at this minimum. A management scheme on grouping the samples is proposed in order to reduce the number of tests, to save time, which is of utmost importance in fighting an epidemic. The proposed testing scheme will be useful for supporting the government in making decisions to handle regular routine detection tests for identifying asymptomatic patients and implementing health code system in large population of millions of citizens. Another important point is to use smaller number of test kits, allowing more resources to speed up the mass screening tests, particularly in places not so rich.

A total of 91 food and environmental samples were examined for the presence of salmonollao using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay kit (EIA) and a conventional culture technique. A 78% agreement was obtained, but re-examination of culture-negative, EIA-positive samples gave agreement of 86%. The problem of comparing EIA and culture results is discussed. A partially selective pre-enrichment broth was tested in 37 samples and gave better EIA ratios. Artificially contaminated cooked foods gave 100% agreement.

The aim of this study was to examine the population structure, transmission and spatial relationship between genotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Campylobacter jejuni, on 20 dairy farms in a defined catchment. Pooled faecal samples (n = 72) obtained from 288 calves were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) for E. coli serotypes O26, O103, O111, O145 and O157. The number of samples positive for E. coli O26 (30/72) was high compared to E. coli O103 (7/72), O145 (3/72), O157 (2/72) and O111 (0/72). Eighteen E. coli O26 and 53 C. jejuni isolates were recovered from samples by bacterial culture. E. coli O26 and C. jejuni isolates were genotyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing, respectively. All E. coli O26 isolates could be divided into four clusters and the results indicated that E. coli O26 isolates recovered from calves on the same farm were more similar than isolates recovered from different farms in the catchment. There were 11 different sequence types of C. jejuni isolated from the cattle and 22 from water. An analysis of the population structure of C. jejuni isolated from cattle provided evidence of clustering of genotypes within farms, and among groups of farms separated by road boundaries.

A report is made of a total of 438 simultaneous blood serum and milk ring tests, and an attempt made to evaluate the milk ring test as a diagnostic aid in individual animals.

The ring test has been used to test the bulk milk from some 370 herds providing the greater part of the raw milk supply for Edinburgh.

The incidence of viable Br. abortus in raw milk samples taken in the Edinburgh area has been studied together with the ring test reaction of such samples.

The survey has shown that:

(1) The ring test is correct in some 93 % of cases in detecting cows whose blood serum will be found positive to the brucella agglutination test.

(2) The ring test, if carefully carried out, is a simple time-saving and accurate screening test for detecting herds possibly infected with brucella.

(3) A high proportion of herd milks (53 %) giving a positive reaction to the ring test is disclosed, and the probable effect of vaccination with strain 19 in giving rise to this figure is noted.

(4) The relatively high incidence (at least 10·5%) of Br. abortus in Edinburgh milk supplies is noted.

Thanks are tendered to Dr Bruhn of the Veterinary School, and Dr Bendtsen, Veterinary State Serum Institute, both of Copenhagen and to Dr Stableforth of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Laboratory at Weybridge, for providing samples of stained antigen. Thanks are also due to the Bacteriology Department, Edinburgh University, for providing material from guinea-pigs and for relevant information; to J. Norval, Esq., M.R.C.V.S., for permission to obtain samples from the slaughterhouse, and also to the dairies and farmers who granted facilities for taking samples and to Miss Elma Chapman for assistance in the laboratory studies and in taking samples.

This report presents the parasitological, bacteriological, mycological and physicochemical data obtained from both surface water and beach sand of a lake used for water sports. These show that the lake is contaminated in both winter and spring by water which overflows from the River Maine, and is self-purified by a mechanism of ‘lagunage’. In summer signs of pollution are at their lowest level although use of the complex is at its peak. Conversely, the amoebic flora, which is independent of the usual criteria of pollution, predominates in summer, and serves as a marker for the need for increased surveillance. The sand of the beaches does not appear to show any infectious hazard. Environmental pressure will doubtless change these data over a period of time, and it is planned to monitor this.

The efficacy of three anticoagulant rodenticides for use against the Indian field mouse, Mus booduga, was evaluated in the laboratory. The poisons, namely warfarin, bromadiolone and brodifacoum, were all found to be toxic enough at the concentrations normally used against other commensal and field rodents. With brodifacoum (0·00125%), bromadiolone (0·005%) and warfarin (0·025%), 83% of the animals died respectively after 1, 1 and 6 days' feeding. It is suggested that brodifacoum and bromadiolone might be more economical than warfarin for use in practical rodent control.