Listeria monocytogenes infections in Canada.

Between 1951 and January 1972 listeriosis was diagnosed bacteriologically in 101 Canadian patients. This study adds 80 cases to the 21 reported from Metropolitan Toronto by Sepp and Roy in 1963. The Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Ottawa, collated epidemiological and clinical data.

Cutaneous infections due to Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae was grown from skin lesions of 44 indigent patients seen at the emergency or out-patient departments of this hospital, 43 of them within the last 16 months of the study period. In all cases staphylococci or hemolytic streptococci were also present in the wounds. An increase in the incidence of clinical diphtheria occurred in the few months preceding and overlapping the period of recognition of the cutaneous infections.

The infection hazard of contaminated nebulizers.

Ineffectual disinfection of inhalation equipment between therapy sessions of different patients has been reported to produce serious outbreaks of infection. The role of properly disinfected equipment that becomes colonized during use was assessed. In the Vancouver General Hospital gram-negative bacilli in the nebulizer water were demonstrated in 10.

Incidence of phenylketonuria in British Columbia, 1950-1971.

The incidence of PKU in British Columbia in the 1950-1971 period is 1/18,750 which corresponds to that found in two other Canadian studies.(2, 3) Evidence is presented which shows a trend toward a decline in incidence; however, this is not statistically significant. There is a preponderance of male cases in all age groups.