As part of the preparation of a large cohort study in the entire German population, this study examined the feasibility of cat and dog owners collecting nasal and oral swabs of their animals at home as a method of assessing exposure to zoonoses. In veterinary clinics in Hannover, Germany, 100 pet owners were recruited. Nasal and oral swabs of pets were taken by a veterinarian at the clinic and owners took swabs at home. Swabs were analysed regarding bacterial growth and compared (owner vs. vet) using Cohen's kappa and McNemar's test. The return rate of kits was 92%, and 77% of owners thought it unnecessary to have veterinarian assistance to swab the mouth. McNemar's test results: oral swabs 78% agreement with Gram-positive bacterial growth, 87% agreement with Gram-negative bacterial growth; with similar results for nasal swabs. Although sample quality differed, this method allowed the receipt of swabs from pets in order to obtain information about colonization with zoonotic pathogens.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a critical public health problem that pervades hospitals and health systems worldwide. The ongoing AMR crisis is not only concerning for patient care but also healthcare delivery and quality. This article outlines key components of the origins of AMR in the United States and how it presents across the American healthcare system. Numerous factors contributed to the crisis, including agricultural antibiotic use, wasteful prescribing practices in health care, conflicting behaviours among patients and clinicians, patient demand and satisfaction, and payment and reimbursement models that incentivize inappropriate antibiotic use. To combat AMR, clinicians, healthcare professionals, and legislators must continue to promote and implement innovative solutions, including antibiotic stewardship programmes (ASPs), hand hygiene protocols, ample supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), standardized treatment guidelines for antibiotic prescribing, clinician and patient educational programmes, and health policy initiatives. With the rising prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacterial infections, AMR must become a greater priority to policymakers and healthcare stakeholders.

‘The opportunities of a pathologist at a large Eastern Hospital are many; but his time for research work is short, and his conveniences are few.’ So begins this landmark paper written by Alfred Whitmore and published in the journal in 1913 [1]. He goes on to demonstrate just how well that short time can be used by someone with the energy, intelligence and scientific rigour in order to make the most of those opportunities. I first read this paper 15 years ago and have re-read it many times since, usually reflecting on how remarkably little our knowledge of melioidosis has advanced since 1913. I notice something new each time I read it and, most importantly of all, each time it is an absolute pleasure to read. How many modern scientific papers leave one feeling the same way?

Intranasal vaccination with a single 0·5 ml dose of 107.0 EID 50 WRL 105 strain live influenza vaccine elicited four-fold or greater increases in circulating homotypic haemagglutinating inhibiting (HAT) antibody in 60 (64·5 %) of 93 volunteers, or in 58 (74·4%) of 78 volunteers with HAI antibody titres before vaccination of ≤ 1/20. In comparison, in a group of volunteers vaccinated 9 months previously re-vaccination elicited antibody responses in only 4 (6·9 %) of 58 volunteers, or in 3 (14·3%) of 21 volunteers with antibody titres before vaccination of ≤ 1/20.

Titres of vaccine-induced antibody and antibody resulting from earlier natural infection appeared to fall slowly and at equivalent rates over a 9 month period.

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological profile of HPV oropharyngeal infections in HIV-infected men who have sex with men. A total of 135 subjects were enrolled at the L. Sacco University Hospital (Milan, Italy) to evaluate their HPV oropharyngeal infection status at baseline and at a follow-up visit at least 12 months later. HPV DNA was detected from oropharyngeal swabs using an in-house nested PCR that amplifies a segment of the L1 gene. The PCR products were then sequenced and genotyped. A greater percentage of high-risk genotypes was identified compared to low-risk genotypes (13·7% vs. 6·9%, P < 0·05), and two uncommon alpha-HPV genotypes were detected, i.e. HPV-102 and HPV-114. HPV infection prevalence was 24·4% and the cumulative incidence was 24·1%. During the follow-up period, one case of HPV infection (HPV-33) persisted, while the overall rate of infection clearance was 58·3%. HPV oropharyngeal infection was widespread in the cohort examined, and most of the infections were transient and cleared within 12 months. These results may help to clarify the role of HPV in the oropharynx and may also improve our understanding of the need to implement preventive strategies in at-risk populations.

Adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) and transgender women (ATGW) enrolled as part of the PrEP1519 study between April 2019 and February 2021 in Salvador were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections.We performed real-time polymerase chain reaction using oropharyngeal, anal, and urethral swabs; assessed factors associated with NG and CT infections using multivariable Poisson regression analysis with robust variance; and estimated the prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). In total, 246 participants were included in the analyses (median age: 18.8; IQR: 18.2–19.4 years). The overall oropharyngeal, anal, and urethral prevalence rates of NG were 17.9%, 9.4%, 7.6%, and 1.9%, respectively. For CT, the overall, oropharyngeal, anal, and urethral prevalence rates were 5.9%, 1.2%, 2.4%, and 1.9%, respectively. A low level of education, clinical suspicion of STI (and coinfection with Mycoplasma hominis were associated with NG infection. The prevalence of NG and CT, especially extragenital infections, was high in AMSM and ATGW. These findings highlight the need for testing samples from multiple anatomical sites among adolescents at a higher risk of STI acquisition, implementation of school-based strategies, provision of sexual health education, and reduction in barriers to care.

Despite well-recognized heterogeneity in malaria transmission, key parameters such as the force of infection (FOI) are generally estimated ignoring the intrinsic variability in individual infection risks. Given the potential impact of heterogeneity on the estimation of the FOI, we estimate this quantity accounting for both observed and unobserved heterogeneity. We used cohort data of children aged 0·5–10 years evaluated for the presence of malaria parasites at three sites in Uganda. Assuming a Susceptible–Infected–Susceptible model, we show how the FOI relates to the point prevalence, enabling the estimation of the FOI by modelling the prevalence using a generalized linear mixed model. We derive bounds for varying parasite clearance distributions. The resulting FOI varies significantly with age and is estimated to be highest among children aged 5–10 years in areas of high and medium malaria transmission and highest in children aged below 1 year in a low transmission setting. Heterogeneity is greater between than within households and it increases with decreasing risk of malaria infection. This suggests that next to the individual's age, heterogeneity in malaria FOI may be attributed to household conditions. When estimating the FOI, accounting for both observed and unobserved heterogeneity in malaria acquisition is important for refining malaria spread models.

The fermentation of mannitol by coagulase-positive staphylococci has been studied. It was found difficult to obtain reproducible results by methods which could be conveniently used in a routine department.

A method of grading based on the fermentation of mannitol has been examined. Organisms of the supposedly most dangerous grade (Grade A) were isolated slightly more frequently from lesions than from carriers, but from all sources a high proportion of strains belonged to this grade.

It was not possible to correlate the grades to which staphylococci were assigned with their production of diffusible antigens.

In this hospital it seems that the proportion of strains assigned to Grade A has become very much higher than it was 15 years ago.

We thank Prof. R. Knox, Mr J. B. Blaikley, Dr W. H. H. Merivale, and Dr R. H. Gorrill for the help and advice they have given us in the course of this investigation and numerous members of the nursing staff of Guy's Hospital for their co-operation in checking records and answering questions.

During a survey in Jakarta, Indonesia, 158 cultures of Salmonella oranienburg, consisting of two phage types, were obtained from 150 hospitalized patients with diarrhoea. Phage type I, though found notably in young children, was found in all age groups while phage type II was found almost exclusively in young children aged 0–7 years. Phage type I may produce a more severe clinical picture affecting all age groups alike, while phage type II may result in hospitalization of only the very young, who are more susceptible to dehydration. Phage type I was significantly more resistant than phage type II to the individual antibiotics: tetracycline, chloramphenicol, kanamycin and neomycin. However, there was no difference in their respective antibiotic resistance patterns as measured by disk and MIC assay. All cultures were sensitive to gentamicin and trimethoprimsulphamethoxazole 1:19.

The overall incidence and serotype distribution of non-typhoid Salmonella (NTS) may vary between different geographical localities. To investigate possible regional differences and the effect of demographic factors, we studied 15 865 episodes of laboratory-confirmed NTS infection in Israel. Using Poisson models we found significant variation in the average annual incidence rate of NTS in 15 administrative sub-districts, which was inversely associated with the percent of rural residency (incidence rate ratio 0·75, 95% confidence interval 0·65–0·86, P < 0·001). Variation was also found in the relative incidence of the most prominent serotypes (Enteritidis, Virchow, Typhimurium, Hadar, Infantis), which was affected by rural residency, the percent of non-Jewish population in the sub-district, and the percent of population aged ⩾55 years in the sub-district. Rural residency had a major effect on the epidemiology of salmonellosis in Israel. Future research is required to understand whether decreased incidence in rural areas is an under-detection bias or reflects true differences in NTS illnesses.

It is well known that when milk is allowed to sour, the rise in acidity is not directly proportional to the increase in the number of acid-forming bacteria. There is a distinct phase in the process during which numerical increase of these organisms takes place, accompanied only by slight acid production, after which the acidity rises very rapidly to a maximum.

Stool specimens from 631 children with acute diarrhoea and from 277 healthy controls were tested for the presence of non-enteropathogenic, non-enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains which mediated mannose-resistant haemagglutination of human erythrocytes (MRHA + ). Fifty-nine (34·9%) of 169 isolated MRHA + strains but none of 210 MRHA - strains exhibited diffuse adherence (DA+) to HEp–2 cells. DA+ strains were found in 37 (5·9%) children with diarrhoea and in 22 (7·9%) controls. MRHA + /DA + strains in comparison to MRHA + /DA - strains significantly less frequently expressed P fimbriae (10·7 vs. 73·6%), haemolysin production (12·5 vs. 63·2%), and MRHA of other species erythrocytes (21·4 vs. 84%).

These data demonstrate that E. coli which exhibit the diffuse pattern of adherence to HEp–2 cells also cause MRHA of human erythrocytes. Since these strains were found with similar frequencies in children with and without diarrhoea it seems that DA is not a marker of enteropathogenicity of E. coli.

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria are a threat to public health as they can resist treatment and pass along genetic material that allows other bacteria to become drug-resistant. To assess foodborne AMR risk, the Codex Guidelines for Risk Analysis of Foodborne AMR provide a framework for risk profiles and risk assessments. Several elements of a risk profile may benefit from a scoping review (ScR). To contribute to a larger risk profile structured according to the Codex Guidelines, our objective was to conduct a ScR of the current state of knowledge on the distribution, frequency and concentrations of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in salmon and shrimp. Articles were identified via a comprehensive search of five bibliographic databases. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts for relevance and characterised full-text articles with screening forms developed a priori. Sixteen relevant studies were identified. This review found that there is a lack of Canadian data regarding ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in salmon and shrimp. However, ESBL- producing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and other Enterobacteriaceae have been isolated in multiple regions with a history of exporting seafood to Canada. The literature described herein will support future decision-making on this issue as research/surveillance and subsequent assessments are currently lacking.

The results obtained in these investigations were negative throughout, but perhaps are worth recording as tending to show that the formation of such ‘anti-bodies’ as cytolysins and precipitins is not a necessary reaction on the part of any living organism to the presence of foreign cells or substances.

1. A fresh emulsion of tubercle bacilli in salt solution when used as the antigen will give about 90 % of positive results in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, whilst in healthy persons the result is negative.

2. In cases suspected of pulmonary tuberculosis, the results of this test conform closely to those given by a combination of the opsonic index test with injections of tuberculin, and so may be of value in diagnosis.

3. Diseases other than tuberculosis have always been negative, but only a small number of such cases have been examined.

4. An emulsion of tubercle bacilli when used as an antigen must be freshly prepared immediately before use, and should be made from a young subculture.

5. Owing to the differences in complements, they should always be titrated in the presence of the antigen, and probably also in the presence of both antigen and normal serum.

6. Exercise does not seem to affect the result of the reaction in any way, but a course of tuberculin treatment leads to an increase in the complement-fixing bodies of the serum in some cases.

For years we have been vainly striving to find some method of treatment capable of preventing or cutting short the relapses so constantly present in Mediterranean fever. Though certain drugs have for a time seemed successful, their beneficial effects are usually uncertain and transient, so that the treatment of the disease has come to be almost entirely symptomatic. Many germicides have been tried; among these “cyllin” has lately been said to shorten the course of the fever. In my hands this has not been the case. Burney Yeo's chlorine and quinine mixture has here occasionally produced very satisfactory results when given with a rising temperature, apparently cutting short a wave of pyrexia, which from experience we had expected to last ten days or more; but its action is very uncertain.

The way in which rats and mice eat whole grains of wheat, barley, oats and maize has been studied.

Rats (Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus) hold grains with the long axis parallel to that of the body and eat the germ end of the grain in preference to the rest.

Mice (Mus musculus) hold grains with the long axis at right angles to that of the body and attack first the cheeks of all grains except maize, of which only the germ and scutellum are eaten.

It is suggested that texture is in the main responsible for the selection of a particular part of a grain.

In the first place cultures of the nitroso-bacterium were developed in inorganic solutions. These carried to a 5th dilution exhibited practically a pure culture of this species.

Secondly, cultures of the nitroso-bacterium were inoculated into solutions containing small quantities of organic matter. In these they were able to oxidise the ammonia present. It was found that a culture developing in the presence of small quantities of organic matter was better able to oxidise the ammonia in higher percentages of organic matter than a culture taken directly from an inorganic solution.

In growing this species on plates silica jelly has the disadvantage of being difficult to prepare. It was 18 months before I obtained a satisfactory plate. This jelly grows the nitroso-bacterium well, but other species can also develop colonies on it. Ammonia agar also grows the species, as shown by the oxidation of the ammonia, and the colonies assume a characteristic form.

As to beef broth agar and gelatine, these media grew colonies of a micro-organism similiar to the nitroso-bacterium from oxidised ammonia cultures. Pieces of these plates containing such colonies in pure culture frequently oxidised ammonia in solutions. On the other hand pieces of such plates showing no colonies never produced any oxidations of the ammonia. Furthermore the single colonies from silica and ammonia agar plates, which oxidised the ammonia in the media into which they were sub-cultured, grew well on beef broth agar and gelatine.

From the above results I have come to the following conclusions:

(1) That the nitroso-bacterium grows well on any ordinary medium.

(2) That the supposed parallel organism is no other than the nitroso-bacterium itself.

(3) That in the presence of large percentages of organic matter the nitroso-bacterium, although growing very profusely, loses for a time the power of converting ammonia into a nitrite.