Asymptomatic foodhandlers as the source of nosocomial salmonellosis.

A nosocomial outbreak of salmonellosis affected 22 patients and seven staff on 14 wards in two hospitals with shared catering facilities. The outbreak was characterized by a low level intermittent infection with Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 over a 19-day period. The epidemiology did not suggest a common source for the outbreak and there was little evidence for person-to-person spread.

Development of cutaneous microflora in premature neonates.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (C-NS) are a frequent cause of bacteraemia in premature neonates. It is likely that the strains of C-NS causing bacterial sepsis in premature neonates have their origin on the patient's skin surface. We have studied the quantitative development of the skin microflora at eight sites on premature neonates.

Swab-wash method for quantitation of cutaneous microflora.

We describe a comparison of the scrub-wash method of Williamson and Kligman and a swab-wash method for the enumeration of cutaneous microflora. The swab-wash method provides a less traumatic alternative to the scrub-wash method and can be used to sample the cutaneous microflora of premature neonates.

Pattern of antibiotic and heavy-metal ion resistance in recent hospital isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.

Two hundred and one strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from in-patients and out-patients were examined for sensitivity to antibiotics, heavy-metal ions and ethidium bromide and for phage-typing pattern. Heavy-metal ion resistance was less frequent than reported in previous studies and was as frequent in penicillinase non-producing as producing strains. 'Methicillin-resistant' strains were resistance to ethidium bromide and mercury.

'Methicillin-resistant' Staphylococcus aureus in a regional neonatology unit.

In December 1985 a neonate was transferred to a Yorkshire Regional Neonatology Unit (RNU) from a neighbouring hospital and was subsequently found to be colonized with a 'methicillin-resistant' strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Spread of the MRSA was controlled by routine cross-infection methods. The RNU was not closed to new admissions, the economic cost of control measures was small and no neonatal death was attributable to MRSA infection.