Yoghurt: an unlikely source of Campylobacter jejuni/coli.

Knowledge of the relative insensitivity of Campylobacter jejuni to moderately acid environments prompted us to study its survival in different batches of yoghurt of pH range 4.2-5.3 and the role of organic or inorganic acid in the die-off of this pathogen.

Some biological characteristics of Escherichia coli strains isolated from acute diarrhoeal diseases of infants.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the methods of biological characterization of Escherichia coli strains, in order to use them as screening tests in clinical microbiological laboratories. In two thirds of the 45 E. coli, isolated from acute intestinal infection of infants, different factors of virulence were found.

Xylose lysine deoxycholate agar for the isolation of Salmonella and Shigella from clinical specimens.

Xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD) agar was more efficient for the detection of Shigella sonnei than Salmonella-Shigella (SS) agar and Drigalski agar, XLD was slightly more efficient for the detection of Salmonellae by direct plating than SS agar. Xylose lysine deoxycholate agar is proposed as the second selective plating medium for Shigellae isolation. It is also a useful second selecting plating medium for the isolation of Salmonellae serotypes, which form non-characteristic colonies on Bismuth-Sulfite agar.

Septicaemia and meningitis with campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis.

Two cases of infection with Campylobacter fetus subspecies intestinalis are reported. In a 46-year-old farmer the development of septicaemic campylobacteriosis with acute gastroenterocolitis was favoured by malnutrition due to chronic alcoholism. After treatment with erythromycin the patient recovered completely.