Monitoring of selected bacteria and fungi in sand and sea water along the Tel Aviv coast.

Monitoring sand and sea water of the Mediterranean Tel Aviv beaches during 1989-1991 for bacterial quality showed varying data and no correlation between standard bacteria parameters (SBP) and potential pathogenic bacteria (PPB). An exceptional feature was observed in 1989 when faecal coliforms including Escherichia coli and faecal Streptococcus were less in sand than in sea water. These results may be attributed to the low turbulent activity of the sea in 1989, particularly in summer, compared with the next two years. In 1990 the number of SBP and PPB was always higher in sand than in sea water. The most frequent micro-organisms isolated from sand were E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Intensive engineering work and the construction of a chlorinator for sewage probably caused a dramatic drop in the number of SBP and PPB in sea water and sand during 1990-1991 on some beaches. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from sand, and may be considered a possible hazard factor for enteritis in the population bathing at these beaches.

Improved medium for storage and transportation of thermophilic campylobacters.

A medium for storage and transportation of thermophilic campylobacter cultures was developed. The medium contains brucella broth with 0.16% or 0.3% agar, 5% human blood, a growth supplement which enhances aerotolerance and an antibiotic supplement. Using this medium all cultures tested were recovered after 48 days at 4 degrees C, 56 days at 37 degrees C and 32 days at room temperature. Some of the cultures even remained viable for up to three months at 4 degrees C and 56 days at room temperature. The blackening of the medium by H2S positive cultures offers an indication as to the biotype.

Serogroups of thermophilic campylobacters from humans and from non-human sources, Israel 1982-1985.

The distribution of serogroups of thermophilic campylobacters isolated in Israel from human patients (2421 isolates), chicken (942), turkeys (158), cattle (398), wild birds (234) and other sources, was studied. Among the human isolates, 74 ROG-serogroups were identified. The six most commonly isolated of these (1, 18; 11; 12; 8,23; 4 and 5,39) were found frequently in chickens. Only four common serogroups in man were also common in cattle, three in turkeys and two in wild birds. Two common serogroups in man (1,18 and 5,39) were prevalent all over the country, while others were regionally distributed. When the prevalence of different serogroups in Israel was compared to that in Canada, some groups were common to both countries and others were common in only one or the other. Campylobacter jejuni accounted for 86.7% to 92.1% of the isolates from man, chickens, turkeys, cattle and most of the wild birds. C. coli was found in 34.4% of isolates from cattle egrets and in 76.5% of those from pigs.

Incidence of Campylobacter spp. in broiler flocks monitored from hatching to slaughter.

The incidence of Campylobacter jejuni/coli was examined in five flocks of broilers monitored from hatch to slaughter, in feed and water and in litter samples. A total of 1440 samples from 720 broilers was examined. Campylobacter spp. were not isolated from broiler chicks at 1 day of age and were only isolated from one broiler chick in one flock at 1 week of age. In three flocks Campylobacter spp. were isolated from all chicks sampled at 4 weeks of age. In the fourth flock all chicks sampled were negative until 8 weeks of age when all were positive. The fifth flock remained negative throughout the 8 weeks of its life. Campylobacter spp. were not found in 20 samples of food and water. Of 20 litter samples they were found in only two. Eleven broiler flocks were examined only at slaughter. Twenty-four caecal samples were examined from each flock. In three flocks no Campylobacter spp. were isolated, in one flock one broiler chick was positive and in seven flocks from 58% to 100% of sampled broilers were positive. A total of 146 isolates was typed; 123 were C. jejuni and 23 C. coli, these belonged to 46 serotypes. In some flocks several serotypes were identified, some of them were not found again on further examinations of the same flocks during the growing period.

Incidence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli Serogroups in a Chicken Processing Factory.

Chicken carcasses and water samples were tested for contamination with Campylobacter jejuni or Campylobacter coli at a water-immersion stage in a kosher poultry processing factory. Among the wide variety of serogroups found on carcasses and water samples, only serogroups #2, #11 and #12 ranked among those most frequently isolated in Israel from humans.

Enrichment medium for isolation of Campylobacter jejuni-Campylobacter coli.

A broth enrichment medium for the improvement of isolation of Campylobacter jejuni-Campylobacter coli from stool samples and other specimens is presented. Of 1,228 samples examined in parallel, positive results were obtained from 81 by direct inoculation of selective media and from 112 after enrichment. Thus, an increase of 27.7% in the isolation rate was obtained by using the enrichment medium. The same medium without antibiotics allows the preservation of isolates of C. jejuni-C. coli for at least 2 months at 4 degrees C.

A Campylobacter enteritis outbreak in a military base in Israel.

An outbreak of gastroenteritis due to Campylobacter jejuni occurred during a 2-day period in June 1982 in a military base in Israel. Of 22 patients with acute gastroenteritis examined at the unit's medical clinic, 17 were available for complete clinical evaluation. Stool cultures were taken from them as well as from 23 asymptomatic soldiers including food handlers. In 6 of the 17 patients with enteritis (35%) Campylobacter jejuni serotype 11 was isolated, while the stool cultures of all the asymptomatic soldiers were negative. A temporary food handler was the most probable source of the infection. He had suffered from symptoms of acute gastroenteritis prior to the outbreak but had not reported them, and was found to harbor the same Campylobacter serotype as the other patients.

Waterborne outbreak of Campylobacter enteritis.

A report is given on an outbreak of enteritis which occurred in July 1982 in a kibbutz near Jerusalem. About 150 of the 512 inhabitants were affected. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from ten out of 42 stool samples examined toward the end of the outbreak. No other enteric pathogen was found. Strong circumstantial evidence indicated an association between the outbreak and the use of water from an unprotected reservoir, but no bacteriological confirmation was obtained.

Extended scheme for serotyping Campylobacter jejuni: results obtained in Israel from 1980 to 1981.

The serotyping scheme for Campylobacter jejuni previously developed in the National Center for Campylobacter, Jerusalem, was extended by the use of 20 new sera and modified by the absorption of the sera, when necessary, with homologous boiled cultures or heterologous live cultures. The extended scheme is based on slide agglutination of live suspensions and is performed in two stages: pretesting with four pooled sera and final testing with monovalent sera. So far, 34 serotypes have been recognized. Among 442 isolates of C. jejuni, 86.4% could be typed with this scheme. Of the 382 cultures typed, 90% reacted with one single serum, and the remainder showed a complex antigenic structure. The frequent serotypes identified were: 11 (12.9%), 12 (8.2%), 18 (6.3%), and 3 (6.1%). When epidemiological data were available, the results of the serotyping corresponded with the epidemiological evidence.

Susceptibility of clinical isolates of Campylobacter jejuni to sixteen antimicrobial agents.

The activities of 16 antimicrobial agents against 103 clinical isolates of Campylobacter jejuni were tested. All the strains were susceptible to kanamycin and gentamicin. Chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, and clindamycin were active against most of the strains. More than one-third of the strains were resistant to the tetracyclines and 12.5% were resistant to erythromycin.

Improved method for cholera diagnosis.

The use of the oxidase test is proposed to discover sparse colonies of cholera vibrios on a plate of Pril nutrient agar seeded directly with the suspected stool sample or after enrichment. This method also enables the detection of other oxidase-positive potential pathogens, such as non-agglutinating vibrios, Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas spp., and other nonfermentative organisms.