- Volume 11, Issue 2, 1978

Two strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum serotype V that had produced urethritis in human volunteers were, after a number of subcultures in artificial media, introduced intra-urethrally into three chimpanzees. One strain given to two chimpanzees rapidly multiplied 1000-fold whereas there was less evidence that organisms of another strain multiplied in a third animal. Over a 14-day period the ureaplasmas persisted in all animals, did not spread to the throat and did not produce an inflammatory response. After this time they were eliminated by tetracycline therapy.

Isolation procedures involving the direct plating of specimens and the use of selective, non-selective, transport and enrichment media were compared in respect of their value for the recovery of Bacteroides melaninogenicus from the gingival sulcus. A selective medium containing kanamycin and vancomycin enhanced the recovery rate of B. melaninogenicus. VMGII transport medium was convenient to use and gave as good a recovery rate as that obtained with plates directly inoculated in the clinic.

The organisms cultured from the vaginal swabs of 383 women over 50 years old with vaginal discharge were compared with those from 148 normal women of similar age attending a cytology clinic. The only significant difference was that yeasts were found in 20% and 6% of the two groups of women, respectively. It is therefore concluded that in post-menopausal women with vaginal discharge, the main microbiological requirement is for the diagnosis and treatment of yeast infection.

Thirty-two H2S-positive strains of Escherichia coli, isolated from the caecal contents or mesenteric lymph nodes or both of 60 apparently healthy pigs, were characterised. Eighteen different serotypes and 18 different fermentative types were found. During conjugation with E. coli K12, four strains transferred their Hys plasmids linked to Raf, and another transferred Hys associated with the Tc determinant. All Hys-Raf plasmids belong to incompatibility group FI, whilst Tc-Hys is an Fi− plasmid.

Cryptococcus neoformans was found in the crops of four (1.3%) of 319 pigeons in the Charity Bird Hospital and the University Campus, Delhi. It was demonstrated repeatedly at the Bird Hospital in old pigeon excreta as well as in the air. The findings substantiate the current view that the pigeon itself is not a reservoir of C. neoformans although it may serve as a carrier of the fungus.