Seasonal distribution of enteroviruses and adenoviruses in domestic sewage.

A seasonal distribution of enteroviruses and adenoviruses in raw sewage effluents of Athens, Greece, was observed over a 15-month surveillance period. All 36 samples tested were positive for both virus groups. Adenovirus concentration levels ranged from 70 to 3200 cytopathic units per litre of sample, whereas the corresponding values for enteroviruses were 90-900 cytopathic units per litre. Peak values for adenoviruses were recorded during the months of April and June 1983, whereas for enteroviruses the peak was recorded in September 1983. All three types of poliovirus were present. Coxsackievirus types B-1, B-2, B-4, and B-5 and echovirus type 7 were also isolated. Adenovirus types 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 15 were detected as well.

Leishmaniasis in Greece I. Isolation and identification of the parasite causing human and canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Three human and 19 canine leishmanial stocks were typed according to their excreted factor serotype and the electrophoretic mobility of their MDH, GPI, G6PDH and 6PGDH and shown to be identical with regard to these characters and, thus with Leishmania donovani infantum. This verifies the opinion of earlier researchers, who suggested that the parasites which cause human and canine visceral leishmaniasis in Greece are the same organism and that dogs are the reservoir for the human infection. The complexities raised by the co-existence of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in Greece caused by L. tropica (formerly L. t. minor) are stressed. A comparison was made of the clinical symptomatology, serological diagnosis by IFA and ELISA tests and parasitological diagnosis of the human cases and canine infections.

Leishmaniasis in Greece II. Isolation and identification of the parasite causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in man.

The serological and biochemical identity of four Greek leishmanial strains isolated from cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis was determined. All four strains were identical and shown to be Leishmania tropica (formerly L. t. minor). The cases are described; two came from the Greek mainland and two from Greek islands, one of the latter being a case of leishmaniasis recidivans. The significance of the results is discussed, in particular the co-existence in Greece of strains of L. tropica and L. donovani infantum.

A controlled field trial of live Salmonella typhi strain Ty 21a oral vaccine against typhoid: three-year results.

A controlled field trial of Salmonella typhi strain Ty 21a oral vaccine against typhoid was carried out in Alexandria, Egypt, from March 1978 to March 1981. A total of 32,388 children was included in the study. The children were divided in two comparable groups, one given three doses of vaccine and the other three doses of placebo. Each dose of vaccine contained 1-8 X 10(9) live Ty 21a bacteria. The population was monitored, and each suspected case of typhoid was investigated bacteriologically and serologically. The effectiveness of the vaccine was assessed by analyzing the number of confirmed cases of typhoid fever in the two groups. The incidence of typhoid fever was 4.9 cases per 10,000 children per year in the control group and 0.2 cases per 10,000 children per year in the vaccine group. The results indicate that, in the dose schedule used, the Ty 21a mutant strain, which is stable and safe, is protective for a period of at least three years.

Are viral studies indicated in juvenile-onset diabetes?

Recent observations have shown that insulin-dependent diabetes (JOD) may be the result of autoimmunity causing more or less rapid pancreatic isle cell destruction. This autoimmune process may be initiated in individuals who are genetically vulnerable to specific virus action. Several viruses have been implicated as causing JOD. Rubella and mumps viruses were the first viruses to be proved diabetogenic. A few years ago Coxsackie B viruses were added to the list. A prospective study of all new diabetics was undertaken in order to clarify the association of viral illness with JOD. 45 new insulin-dependent diabetics were studied (complement fixation, neutralizing antibodies or hemagglutination inhibition) within 3 days following admission. Screening for viral illnesses included the study for antibodies to the following: psittacosis, mycoplasma, Q fever, mumps, measles, herpes, CMV, rubella and chickenpox. Control bloods matched for sex, age, season and year with patients were obtained from individuals screened for viral illnesses during the same period. 18 JOD patients had antibodies against various Coxsackie B viruses. 4 patients had elevated rubella antibody titers.

Improved isolation of Salmonellae from naturally contaminated meat products by using Rappaport-Vassiliadis enrichment broth.

A total of 454 specimens of meat products were examined for salmonellae by using five procedures of enrichment. The use of a selective motility medium, inoculated from enrichment in Muller-Kauffmann broth, resulted in an increase in the number of positive specimens. However, simple enrichment in Rappaport-Vassiliadis broth, after preenrichment, was more sensitive and specific for recovering salmonellae than the selective motility medium-Muller-Kauffmann broth method.

Isolation of Salmonella with the use of 100 ml of the R10 modification of Rappaport's enrichment medium.

One hundred and eighty samples of pork sausages were examined after pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water (P medium), for the presence of salmonellas. From each pre-enrichment four enrichments were made: (1) o.1 ml of P medium was inoculated into 10 ml of Rappaport's medium formula R 10 (R 10/43 degrees C), /2) 1 ml of the P medium was added to 100 ml of R10 broth (R10/100 ml/43 degrees C), (3) 1 ml of P medium was inoculated into 10 ml of Muller-Kauffmann tetrathionate broth (MK medium) prepared in accordance with the International Standards Organization document ISO 3565 (MK/43 degrees C) and (4) 10 ml of P medium were added to 100 ml of MK broth (MK/100 ml/43 degrees C). All the enrichments were incubated at 43 degrees C for 48 h. Forty-six and 47 samples were found positive with the first two enrichment methods (R10/43 degrees C and R10/100 ml/43 degrees C), while only 16 samples were found positive with the method MK/43 degrees C, and 27 with the methods MK/100ml/43 degrees C. The superiority of either one of the two R10 procedures over either one of the two MK methods is statistically highly significant (paired Chi2; P less than 0.001 in all four comparisons). The superiority of procedures MK/100 ml/43 degrees C over the method MK/43 degrees C is also statistically significant (P less than 0.005). Both R10/43 degrees C and R10/100 ml/43 degrees C procedures had a much stronger inhibitory effect on the competing organisms (lactose- and sucrose negative) than the two MK methods.

TerELISA: the ELISA test performed in Terasaki plates.

The use of Terasaki (10 microliter samples) and microtitration (100 microliter samples) plates as the solid phase in enzyme immunoassays was compared. Various antigens were used for coating the plates and antibodies present in human sera were evaluated using the same anti-human Ig antibody labelled with either beta -galactosidase, alkaline phosphatase, peroxidase or glucose oxidase. The results obtained, either by scoring with the naked eye or by absorbance reading with appropriate densitometers, showed that both plates were equally suitable and that the 4 enzymes were equally effective in detecting the same lowest quantity of antibody. A comparative evaluation using either Terasaki or microtitration plates for the quantitation of human anti-Echinococcus granulosus antibody ii 50 sera demonstrated that there was a good correlation between the two procedures (r = 0.8097). Finally, the use of glucose oxidase as the enzyme marked allowed a clear-cut distinction to be made between positive and negative samples with the naked eye alone.

Salmonella isolation with Rappaport's enrichment medium of different compositions.

One hundred samples of feces of normal pigs were examined for the presence of salmonellae. The feces were pre-enriched for 18 h in peptone water and then, 0.1 ml of the pre-enrichment medium was inoculated in 10 ml of the original Rappaport medium (R30), and two modifications (R25 and R10) of this medium. Two of the broths (R30 and R25) were incubated at 37 degrees C (R30/37 degrees C and R25/37 degrees C) while the R10 medium was incubated at 43 degrees C (R10/43 degrees C). In addition 100 ml of R10 medium (R10/100 ml/43 degrees C) and 100 ml of the standardized Muller Kauffmann's tetrathionate broth (MK/100 ml/43 degrees C) (Edel and Kampelmacher, 1969) were inoculated with 1 ml and 10 ml, respectively, of the pre-enrichment medium, and incubated at 43 degrees C. With the method R10/100 ml/43 degrees C, 37 samples were found positive while with the method MK/100 ml/43 degrees C only 22 positive samples were detected (P less than 0.001). With the Rappaport media in 10 ml volumes, the modification R10 yielded 26 positive samples, while the R30 and R25 broths yielded only 15 and 19 positive samples. All Rappaport procedures had a much stronger inhibition of the competing organisms, particularly those giving Salmonella-like colonies (lactose and sucrose negative), than the MK/100 ml/43 degrees C method, a fact of considerable importance in everyday's practice.

A controlled field trial of liver oral typhoid vaccine Ty21a.

A controlled field trial of a live oral typhoid vaccine was carried out in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1978-79. A total of 32 388 children were included in the study. They were divided in two comparable groups, one given 3 doses of the vaccine and the other 3 doses of the placebo. Each active dose contained 1 x 10(9)-8 x 10(9) live Ty21a bacteria. From March 1978 to March 1979, the population studied was followed up and suspected typhoid cases were investigated bacteriologically and serologically. The effectiveness of the vaccine was assessed by analysis of the incidence of typhoid fever in the two groups. The results of the follow-up indicate that, in the dosage schedule used, the Ty21a mutant strain, found previously to be stable and safe, is protective against typhoid fever for at least one year.

[Antimeningococcal antibodies in healthy mothers and their newborn (author's transl)]. / Anticorps antiméningococciques chez la mère et le nouveau-né.

Blood specimen from 180 healthy mothers and their newborn were obtained during the delivery for the evaluation of placental transfer of anti-A, anti-B and anti-C antimeningococcal antibodies. The detection of titration of antibodies were performed by passive haemagglutination. Anti-A antibodies were found in 22%, anti-B in 64%, and anti-C in 30% of the mothers. In the newborns the corresponding proportions were 4.5%, 50% and 28%. For anti-A and anti-B antibodies a moderate positive correlation was found between the titre in mothers and their newborn. For anti-A antibodies, titres were generally low among both mothers and newborn and passive transfer was found in only 20%. For anti-B antibodies, titres were higher among both mothers and their newborn. Titre in newborn was as a rule lower than the corresponding titre of mother. Placental transfer of anti-B antibodies was high (78%). Finally, a strong positive correlation between the titre of mothers and their newborn was found for anti-C antibodies. Titres were usually similar in mothers and newborns and the placental transfer of anti-C antibodies was practically free (93%).

[Sero-epidemiological characteristics of the MENINGOCOCCAL carrier state in Greece (author's transl)]. / Caractéristiques séro-épidémiologiques chez les porteurs sains de méningocoques en Grèce.

Nasopharyngeal swabs for the isolation and identification of meningococci, and blood specimens for the detection of antimeningococcal A, B and C antibodies were obtained from 341 Army and Navy recruits in the spring and autumn 1977. Samples were taken twice, at the arrival at the training camp and after 25 days. The main findings are as follows. 1) About 1/3 of the inductees at the arrival at the training camp were carriers of meningococci. Strains of serogroup B were more prevalent, followed by non-typable strains and strains of group C. After 25 days of residence in the camp the prevalence of carriers of meningococci has increased by 42%, and about half of the recruits were carriers. The prevalence of serogroup C has increased by 86%, of the non-typable strains by 48% and of serogroup B by 36%. 2) At the induction, 73% of the recruits had anti-B antibodies, whereas the corresponding figure was 33% for anti-A and 24% for anti-C. After 25 days in the camp the prevalence of anti-B antibodies was 83%, of anti-A 36% and of anti-C 47%. 3). At the induction the prevalence of meningococci B was higher among those who had no anti-B antibodies. Furthermore, the probability of a recruit who was not carrier of meningococcus B at the induction to become a carrier of meningococcus B at the second sampling was higher when he had no anti-B antibodies at the induction. Similar associations were not evident for serogroups A and C probably on account of the much smaller numbers in these groups. 4) The carrier state is associated with an increase of the titre of the corresponding antibodies.

Antibody response to anti-A/New Jersey/76 vaccines.

Experimental inactivated influenza vaccines prepared with strain X 53, derived from A/New Jersey/76 virus were injected to several groups of subjects. Different compositions of vaccine were used and the subjects were selected from different age groups. Antibody responses were measured 15 days after vaccination; it was then possible to evaluate the conversion rates, the percentages of subjects showing a protective level of antibodies and the average level of antibodies. The results show that a very small dose of antigen, probably acting as a booster, gives very good results in the older age group. On the other hand, young adults (below 23) react to a much lower degree to the vaccine. The results are discussed in relation to the age distribution of preexisting antibodies in the experimental groups and in the general population in France.

Effects of vaccination on an influenza epidemic in a geriatric hospital.

During winter 75/76 (from February 1 to March 31) we got the opportunity to follow the incidence of an influenza epidemic that occurred in the geriatric hospital of Ivry. Its population was, on the average, 83 years old. 958 persons were involved in this study: 523 out of them had been vaccinated with Pasteur bivalent Mutagrip A + B vaccine. The epidemic had a double origin: it was due to a virus A/Victoria and to a virus B/Hong Kong. A significant difference was noted between the vaccinated group and the nonvaccinated one. Serological (CF and HI) and virological investigations (virus isolation) were performed on 110 subjects. The clinical course followed by the disease was mild for the vaccinated and severe for the nonvaccinated. Mortality rate was 0.19% in the former against 3.90% in the latter. It has been thus possible to observe an "immunological fence" since it appears that when 79% of a given unit has been vaccinated, influenza incidence has been as much as three times reduced.

Immuno BCG Pasteur F vaccine.

Immuno BCG Pasteur-F (fresh) vaccine is prepared from young cultures, 7-8 days old. Suspended in Dubos' modified medium it may be preserved for 3 months at 4 degrees C or for many years at--70 degrees C. Tests with the vaccine for colony-forming units during storage, biological controls in animals and allergy in children have demonstrated its good stability.