Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T11:00:14.697Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Studies on the microbial flora in the air of submarines and the nasopharyngeal flora of the crew

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J. E. W. Morris  and
R. J. Fallon
J. E. W. Morris
Affiliation:
Submarine Medicine Section, Institute of Naval Medicine, Alverstoke
R. J. Fallon
Affiliation:
Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Airborne bacteria surveys in nuclear submarines show that the total microbial load was maintained at satisfactorily low levels during prolonged patrols despite factors which were expected to increase this form of pollution.

The isolation rates of Staphylococcus aureus and Neisseria meningitidis from nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs respectively, together with the serum antibody titres to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, before and after patrols suggested that the transmission of these organisms between individuals was not much increased by patrol conditions. The finding of higher numbers of airborne gram-negative rods and bodily contamination by enterobacteria is frequently reported in submersibles but does not appear to cause major outbreaks of illness in nuclear submarine crews.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 71 , Issue 4 , December 1973 , pp. 761 - 770
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

References

REFERENCES

Bourdillon, R. B. (1945). Memorandum to Air Hygiene Committee of the Royal Naval Personnel Research Committee, Medical Research Council.Google Scholar
Bourdillon, R. B., Lidwell, O. M. & Thomas, J. C. (1941). A slit sampler for collecting and counting airborne bacteria. Journal of Hygiene 41, 197.Google Scholar
Bradstreet, C. M. P. & Taylor, C. E. D. (1962). Technique of complement-fixation test applicable to the diagnosis of viral diseases. Monthly Bulletin of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service 21, 96.Google Scholar
Cowan, S. T. & Steel, K. J. (1965). Manual for the Identification of Medical Bacteria. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Darlow, H. M. & Bale, W. R. (1959). Infective hazards of water closets. Lancet i, 1196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Darlow, H. M., Bale, W. R. & Carter, G. B. (1961). Infection of mice by the respiratory route with Salmonella typhimurium. Journal of Hygiene 59, 303.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, R. F., Valentine, O. & Feindler, K. (1970). Use of the Ben Franklin as a Submersible Space Station Analog, vol. iv, Grumman Aerospace Corporation, New York.Google Scholar
Ebersole, J. H. (1960). The new dimensions of submarine medicine. New England Journal of Medicine 262, 599.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellis, F. P. & Raymond, W. F. (1945). The bacterial content of the air of HM Ships under wartime conditions. Royal Naval Personnel Research Committee Report RNP.45/220, Medical Research Council.Google Scholar
Grist, N. R., Ross, C. A. C., Bell, E. J. & Stott, E. J. (1966). Diagnostic Methods in Clinical Virology. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.Google Scholar
Harding, L. & Williams, R. E. O. (1969). Selection of Staphylococcus aureus in cultures from air samples. Journal of Hygiene 67, 35.Google Scholar
Kenny, G. E. & Grayston, J. T. (1965). Eaton Pleuropneumonia-like Organism (Mycoplasma pneumoniae) complement-fixing antigen: extraction with organic solvents. Journal of Immunology 95, 19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, R. J. W. (1970). Preventive medicine in the nuclear submarine programme. Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 56, 176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miles, A. A. & Misra, S. S. (1938). The estimation of the bactericidal power of the blood. Journal of Hygiene 38, 732.Google Scholar
Newsom, S. W. B. (1972). Microbiology of hospital toilets. Lancet ii, 700.Google Scholar
Reid, D. D., Lidwell, O. M. & Williams, R. E. O. (1956). Counts of airborne bacteria as indices of air hygiene. Journal of Hygiene 54, 524.Google Scholar
Riley, R. L. (1957). Aerial dissemination of pulmonary tuberculosis. American Review of Tuberculosis 76, 931.Google Scholar
Taylor-Robinson, D., Purcell, R. H., Wong, D. C. & Chanock, R. M. (1966). A colour test for the measurement of antibody to certain mycoplasma species based on the inhibition of acid production. Journal of Hygiene 64, 91.Google Scholar
Watkins, H. M. S., Mazzarella, M. A., Meyers, C. E., Hresko, J. P., Wolochow, H., Chatigny, M. A. & Morgan, F. M. (1970). In: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Aerobiology. Ed. Silver, I. H. pp. 9–40. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Williams, R. E. O. & Hirch, A. (1950). The detection of streptococci in air. Journal of Hygiene 48, 504.Google ScholarPubMed
Williams, R. E. O., Lidwell, O. M. & Hirch, A. (1956). The bacterial flora of the air of occupied rooms. Journal of Hygiene 54, 512.Google Scholar
Wilson, G. S. & Miles, A. A. (1964). In: Topley and Wilson's Principles of Bacteriology and Immunity, 5th Edition pp. 2483–2496. London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar