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SUMMARY The aetiological agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM) has been investigated bacteriologically in a wide range of cultural and conventional biochemical tests, in the electron microscope, for DNA base composition (36.1 per cent GC), for susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents and antigenically by means of tube and slide agglutination tests. The organism is a fastidious, Gramnegative, non acid-fast coccobacillus which in biochemical tests is very unreactive. In conventional tests, only the oxidase, catalase and phosphatase tests were positive. Dependance on neither X nor V factors could be demonstrated, but some stimulation of growth by X factor was observed. The organism could not be identified with any known species and even allocation to an appropriate genus was difficult. Rather than create a new genus of only one species defined mainly on negative characters, we propose the organism as a new species of the genus Haemophilus: H. equigenitalis, type strain NCTC 11184 (61717/77). RESUME L'agent etiologique de la metrite equine contagieuse 1977 (CEM) a ete l'objet de nombreuses etudes biochimiques; on l'a etudie au microscope electronique: on a determine sa composition en ADN (36,1 % GC), on a precise sa sensibilitea de nombreux agents anti-microbiens, on a apprecie son comportement antigenique par des tests d'agglutination en tube et sur lame. L'organisme est un cocco bacille Gram negatif difficile a isoler et dont le comportement biochimique est peu evocateur. Pour les epreuves habituelles seuls les tests a la catalase, a l'oxydase et a la phosphatase ont ete positifs. On n'a pu etablir sa dependance pour les facteurs X et V bien qu'une certaine stimulation de la croissance par le facteur X aie pu etre constatee. Cet organisme n'a pu etre identifiea aucune espece connue et meme son classement dans un genre precis s'est revele difficile. Plutot que de creer un genre nouveau pour cette espece isolee definie surtout par des caracteres negatifs nous proposons que cette bacterie soit designee comme une espece nouvelle, Haemophilus equigenitalis, type souche NCTC 11184 (61717/77). ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Der aetiologisch fur die ansteckende Stutenmetritis (CEM; contagiose, equine Metritis) verantwortliche Keim wurde bakteriologisch mit einer Vielzahl kultureller und biochemischer Tests untersucht; daneben wurde er elektronenmikroskopisch studiert, seine DNS-Zusam-mensetzung eruiert (36.1% GC), seine Empfindlichkeit gegenuber verschiedenen antimikrobiellen Stoffen getestet und seine antigenetischen Eigenschaften in verschiedenen Agglutinationstests abgeklart. Der Keim ist ein anspruchsvoller, gramnegativer und biochemisch sehr wenig reaktiver Coccobacillus. Unter den ublichen Tests fielen nur Oxydase, Katalase und Phosphatase positiv aus. Weder von X- noch V-Faktoren besteht eine Abhangigkeit, obschon eine gewisse Wachstumsstimulation durch den X-Faktor zu beobachten war. Der Organismus konnte mit keiner bekannten Spezies identifiziert werden und sogar seine Zuteilung zu einem Genus erwies sich als schwierig. Anstatt eine neue Gattung mit nur einer Art, die vor allem durch negative Eigenschaften charakterisiert ist, zu schaffen, schlagen die Autoren die Klassierung des Keimes als neue Art (H. equigenitalis, Referenzstamm NCTC 11184 (61717/77)) des Genus Haemophilus vor.

The value of adding beta-lactamase to bottles of blood-culture medium before their distribution to wards was investigated. Significantly more bottles containing beta-lactamase were culture-positive than those without (p less than 0.002). In another series, when the enzyme was added to both bottles in each set there was no significant difference in isolation rates between the two bottles. The groups of organisms which were isolated more readily when beta-lactamase was present were staphylococci and streptococci. Storage of beta-lactamase (Genzyme broad-spectrum mixture) in blood-culture medium at room temperature resulted in rapid loss of cephalosporinase activity, whereas little decline in penicillinase activity was noted over a period of 118 days.

Summary— Deterioration of the upper urinary tract is exceptional in children on clean intermittent catheterisation for neuropathic incontinence and is found only in those with pre-existing renal damage. This report describes a bacteriological study of 24 children, of whom 10 had renal damage and 14 did not have renal damage before clean intermittent catheterisation began. Boric acid was added as a preservative to samples of urine in preference to the use of dip-slides because it preserves pus cells as well as bacteria. The incidence of bacteriuria in the two groups was similar (78% of samples from those with, and 72% of samples from those without, pre-existing renal damage). The groups differed in that the urine of children in the group with pre-exising renal damage yielded organisms other than Escherichia coli more than twice as often as did the urine of those children without renal damage. Moreover, the children with pre-existing renal damage were more likely to have fever with urinary tract infection and some of them showed frequent changes of organisms in the urine. Whatever organism was present, however, children in the group with renal damage more often had heavy pyuria.

Two field trials of A 2 live influenza vaccine (Iksha) are described; the clinical reactions and antibody response in three earlier trials are compared.The antibody response in the last two trials was unsatisfactory and was inferior to that observed in the earlier investigations. This reduction in response was probably due to an alteration in the virus during further passage.

Obviously there is need for a reliable means of automating complement-fixation tests. This paper offers an account of experience with an AutoAnalyzer adapted for this purpose. Results of syphilis screening tests done by the AutoAnalyzer compared with those of tests performed manually showed satisfactory agreement, the automated method being slightly less specific in our hands. There were no false negative results with the AutoAnalyzer if both Maltaner and Reiter protein antigens were used. The current design of the AutoAnalyzer contains three major shortcomings if it is to be used for large numbers of complement-fixation tests. First and foremost is the relatively slow sampling rate compatible with adequate sample discrimination. Second is the necessity for frequently replenishing the machine with samples. Third is the need for adjusting or cleaning the flow-cell during use.

Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs and tracheal washings taken from Thoroughbred horses in training at three of four separate stables that were sampled during investigations into respiratory disease. The growth of Strep pneumoniae in culture was enhanced by an environment enriched with carbon dioxide. In one stable, five of 15 horses that were sampled repeatedly were found to carry the organism for at least four months. There was an apparent association between lower respiratory tract inflammatory disease and heavy growths (10(6) to 10(8) colony forming units/ml) predominantly of Strep pneumoniae or of that organism together with large numbers of Strep zooepidemicus obtained from tracheal washings. Twelve strains of Strep pneumoniae isolated from three stables were all of capsule Type 3. Only one strain, which was of capsule Type 9, was isolated from nose and throat swabs taken from 32 staff working in one of the stables and suggested an absence of cross infection between horses and their handlers in this instance.

A comparison has been made of a fluorescent antibody technique with a cultural method for the detection of Sh. sonnei in faeces. The two methods were in agreement in 73% of the 394 specimens examined; 57 (14.5%) speciments were positive by culture only; 52 (13.2%) specimens gave positive results by fluorescence microscopy which were not confirmed by culture. Most of the latter are thought to be `false positive9 results. The value and usefulness of fluorescence microscopy in the diagnosis of Sonne dysentery is discussed.