The pH-stability of three strains of rinderpest virus, propagated in tissue cultures, was investigated at 4°C. in veronal-acetate buffers (Michaelis) of pH 3·0–10·7.

An attenuated laboratory strain, in its 95th culture passage (RBOK), showed maximal stability in the pH range 7·2–8·0, the half-life being about 3·7 days. It was relatively stable from pH 4·0 to 10·2, the half-life at the extremes of this range being over 2 hr. At pH 3·0 the infectivity declined very rapidly, the half-life period being 24·0 sec.

One virulent strain (RGK/1) showed a significantly lower resistance than strain RBOK at pH 3/0, probably also at pH 5·0. The inactivation rates for these two strains were, however, not greatly different at pH 10·7. The other virulent strain (RBT/1) was even less stable than RGK/1 at pH 4·0 or 5·0 but of a comparable stability at pH 9·0 and 10·2.

These findings are discussed in comparison with published data on the related viruses of measles and canine distemper. The importance of strain differences in studies of this kind is stressed.

We are grateful to Mr C. S. Rampton, A.I.M.L.T., and Mr L. W. Rowe, F.I.M.L.T., for help in the preparation of the diagrams. This paper is published with the permission of Mr H. R. Binns, C.M.G., O.B.E., Director, E.A.V.R.O.

The mechanisms that cause susceptibility to invasive meningococcal disease are largely unknown, but are likely to have important genetic and immunological components. We postulated that susceptibility to meningococcal disease might be associated with altered risks of development of other clinical disease. We studied cancer and immune-mediated disease in people who have been hospitalized with meningococcal disease. In cohorts of people who had invasive meningococcal disease, compared with reference cohorts, the rate ratio for cancer in an Oxford dataset studied from 1963 to 1998 was 0·88 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·42–1·61] and in an all-England dataset studied from 1999 to 2005 it was 1·02 (95% CI 0·80–1·27). The respective rate ratios for immune-mediated disease were 1·49 (95% CI 0·81–2·50) and 0·69 (95% CI 0·53–0·89). Susceptibility to meningococcal disease was not associated with an altered risk of cancer. Occurrence of immune-mediated disease was, if anything, low in the large all-England cohort of people who had meningococcal disease.

Ribotyping performed with six restriction endonucleases was used to study the molecular epidemiology of shigellosis in Asturias, Spain. The series included Shigella sonnei from 34 sporadic cases, 3 outbreaks and 3 reference strains, and S. flexneri from 13 sporadic cases and 1 reference strain. The S. sonnei strains were grouped into 5 ribotypes with Sal I, 4 with Hind III and Pvu II, 3 with Bgl II and EcoR I and 2 with Hinc II (Discriminatory Index (DI) between 0·54 and 0·14); the S. flexneri into 5 ribotypes with Sal I, Hinc II and Hind III, and 4 with the other enzymes (DI = 0·71–0·63). The combination of results for 2 or more enzymes facilitated an additional discrimination, the highest values in S. sonnei were for the 6 enzymes (16 types, DI = 0·91) and in S. flexneri for some combinations of 3 or more enzymes (7 types, DI = 0·81). Ribotypes with the 6 enzymes defined 16 clonal lines in S. sonnei and 7 in S. flexneri, which showed a different degree of genetic heterogeneity, and all the lines of each species falling into a different cluster. No line appeared as clearly endemic in the bowels of Asturian people.

The aim of this study was determine the prevalence of Mycoplasma hominis, M. genitalium, M. fermentans, M. pirum, M. penetrans and Ureaplasma urealyticum in HIV-infected patients. Culture and PCR were used to detect six species of Mycoplasma in first-void urine of HIV-1 infected men. A total of 497 HIV/AIDS patients (age range 5–75 years, mean 37 years) were screened in the study. All presented positive for at least one kind of mycoplasma, especially U. urealyticum and M. hominis. Six mycoplasmas were significant in the homosexual contact and heterosexual contact groups. The distribution of M. hominis, M. penetrans, and M. pirum were significantly different in this four-transmission category. CD4+ cell count levels were lower in the AIDS-associated Mycoplasma-positive group than in the Mycoplasma-negative group (P<0·01). This study indicates that U. urealyticum, M. hominis and M. fermentans are prevalent in HIV-1-infected male patients. This may be an indication of whether mycoplasmas are co-factors in the progression of HIV disease.

In previous papers Professor Symmers and myself have called attention to the presence of agglutinins for the typhoid bacillus, the colon bacillus, and a bacillus of the alcaligenes class in the blood serum of patients suffering from cerebro-spinal fever from whose lumbar puncture fluid and in some cases from whose blood the Micrococcus intracellularis meningitidis (Weichselbaum) had been cultivated.

The documented vaccine coverage rate of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination is almost 99% in Korea, but measles cases are constantly being reported. This study evaluated the vaccine coverage, timeliness, and barriers to immunization of measles vaccination in preschool children in Korea. We assessed 452 children aged 15–23 months and 300 children aged 4–6 years in September 2007. Questionnaires were administered in order to estimate measles vaccination rate, its timeliness and barriers to vaccine uptake. Being unaware of the necessity for vaccination and its schedule, child being sick during the recommended vaccination period, and recommended vaccination period not being over were significant preventive factors to timely vaccination (P<0·05). Children with working mothers, single parents, those not being cared for by their parents, and those younger among siblings were at a higher risk of not being vaccinated on time. In order to increase timely vaccination, accurate information should be delivered and a systematic approach should be targeted to high-risk groups.

Neonatal listeriosis is rare and detecting more than one case together would be unlikely without a causal link. Thirty-five instances of neonatal listeriosis where cross-infection occurred in the UK and Ireland were reviewed together with 29 other similar episodes reported elsewhere. All instances comprised an infant who was ill at or within one day of delivery and who had direct or indirect contact with a second infant, or in the minority, two or more infants, who then usually developed meningitis 6 to 12 days later. In most instances, the infants were nursed on the same day in obstetric units or new-born nurseries and consequently, staff and equipment were common: hence, the likely route of transmission was via direct or indirect neonate to neonate contact. In one instance, a stethoscope was used on both infants nursed in different parts of the same hospital. In a further incident, the mother of the early-onset infant cuddled a baby from an adjacent bed who developed meningitis 12 days later. The largest outbreak occurred in Costa Rica where nine neonatal listeriosis cases resulted after bathing in mineral-oil shortly after birth which had been contaminated from the early-onset index case.

Rabies in cattle is a viral disease with mandatory notification in Brazil, transmitted by Desmodus rotundus, which causes an invariably fatal acute encephalitis. To understand the dynamics of this disease in Tocantins state, Brazil, an analysis of the time series of rabies cases in cattle between 2006 and 2019 was carried out to describe the pattern of its occurrence, aiming to subsidise the Official Veterinary Service (OVS) with relevant information to enable the improvement of control actions provided for in the guidelines of the National Program for the Control of Rabies in Herbivores (NPCRH). The statistical analyses of the time series under study were performed using the R Studio software, version 1.1.463, in which the existence of trend, cyclicality and seasonality of rabies cases in cattle was assessed. These analyses showed that this disease is endemic in Tocantins state, with epidemic outbreaks that can occur every 3 or 4 years, without a seasonality pattern. The autoregressive integrated by moving average (ARIMA(4,1,4)) model predicted the approximate occurrence of 38 rabies cases in cattle in 2022 and all monthly records of this disease remained within the predicted confidence interval (95% CI) in 2020 and 2021, demonstrating it has a good predictive capacity and allowing OVS to intervene in the present processes to achieve better control of this disease.

In March 2008, the Health Protection Agency in England conducted a retrospective case-control study to investigate the cause of 179 cases of the newly recognized, fully antimicrobial-sensitive Salmonella Typhimurium PT U320. Forty-three symptomatic laboratory-confirmed case-patients and 84 asymptomatic location-matched controls were interviewed by telephone about exposures in the 3 days prior to illness or interview. Multivariate logistic analysis indicated consumption of pre-packaged egg sandwiches (odds ratio 3·29, 95% confidence interval 1·19–9·09) was independently associated with illness. Eight of the 15 case-patients who consumed egg sandwiches did so from retail chain A (53·3%) whereas none of the eight controls consumed similar sandwiches (χ2=7·20, P⩽0·01). A review of the pre-packaged egg sandwich ingredients suggested this outbreak was probably caused by exposure to an ingredient common to pre-packaged sandwiches and prepared salads but we established a definitive epidemiological link with only the former. Short shelf-life, product diversity and investigation lag hinder epidemiological investigations of such popular products, providing continued challenges for food safety enforcement of freshly prepared produce.

National policies for chemoprophylaxis after single cases of meningococcal disease in day-care or nursery settings vary across Europe. We carried out a multi-national retrospective study to compare the effectiveness of different policies. Countries were divided into those recommending chemoprophylaxis only to close contacts (policy A, close) and those recommending chemoprophylaxis for all children in the same nursery (policy B, mass). Country-specific relative risk (RR) of a cluster was defined as the ratio of the number of clusters observed to the number of clusters expected by chance. In total, 37 clusters were identified between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2002. After adjusting for marked heterogeneity in RR by country, the ratio of RR between countries suggested possible benefit from mass prophylaxis (RR ratio 3·8, 95% CI 0·7–22·0), although the difference was not statistically significant (P=0·22). The costs of this approach and the low risk of clustering need to be taken into account when deciding national policy.

This systematic literature review aimed to provide an overview of the characteristics and methods used in studies applying the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) concept for infectious diseases within European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA)/European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and the United Kingdom. Electronic databases and grey literature were searched for articles reporting the assessment of DALY and its components. We considered studies in which researchers performed DALY calculations using primary epidemiological data input sources. We screened 3053 studies of which 2948 were excluded and 105 studies met our inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 22 were multi-country and 83 were single-country studies, of which 46 were from the Netherlands. Food- and water-borne diseases were the most frequently studied infectious diseases. Between 2015 and 2022, the number of burden of infectious disease studies was 1.6 times higher compared to that published between 2000 and 2014. Almost all studies (97%) estimated DALYs based on the incidence- and pathogen-based approach and without social weighting functions; however, there was less methodological consensus with regards to the disability weights and life tables that were applied. The number of burden of infectious disease studies undertaken across Europe has increased over time. Development and use of guidelines will promote performing burden of infectious disease studies and facilitate comparability of the results.

The intramuscular injection of large amounts, 2–3 g., of Trichomonas foetus crude antigen into five young calves during the first 3 weeks of life produced no antibody.

When the animals were tested with the standard challenge at intervals of several months they responded feebly, showing a definitely impaired capacity to produce antibody, when compared with the response of normal animals.

The ages of the animals still showing this partial paralysis ranged from 1 year and 5 months to 2 years and 2 months.

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are increasingly described as infectious agents in immunocompromised patients. A 17-year-old male patient suffering from secondary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and treated with chemotherapeutic agents was admitted to hospital due to pleuropneumonia. Mycobacterium neoaurum was cultured repeatedly from his sputum and, Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (M. a. avium) was detected by IS901 qPCR from detached fragments of his intestinal mucosa. We attempted to determine the possible sources of infection by analysing environmental samples from the closed oncology unit and conventional unit in the hospital, and from the patient's home residence and places which he frequented. The environment of the patient harboured mycobacteria (41 isolates in total); however, M. neoaurum was not recovered. M. a. avium was detected by qPCR in the environmental samples from a small flock of hens kept by his neighbour. Although it was not confirmed by DNA fingerprinting methods, the M. a. avium infection could have been acquired through the eating of incompletely cooked eggs.

High titres of endotoxin as measured by the Limulus test were usually found in burned patients who had raised body temperatures, and were colonized with gram-negative bacteria; also some infected patients showed raised endotoxin without a raised temperature.

Patients vaccinated with an antipseudomonas vaccine rarely showed endotoxin in their plasma but occasional plasma samples from vaccinated patients had a high titre of endotoxin which appeared unrelated to infection or to a raised temperature in the patient.

In the province of Voyvodina 18 cases of post-vaccinal encephalitis have been recorded, three of which were fatal.

The estimated morbidity rate was 0·6 per 105 after revaccination, and 3·9 per 105 after primary vaccination. The virological studies described, as well as other findings referred to in this report, are consistent with the possibility of an autoimmune aetiology of the post-vaccinal encephalitis cases observed.

In September 2009, an outbreak of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis affected 327 of 1419 inmates at a London prison. We applied a cohort design using aggregated data from the kitchen about portions of food distributed, aligned this with individual food histories from 124 cases (18 confirmed, 106 probable) and deduced the exposures of those remaining well. Results showed that prisoners eating egg cress rolls were 26 times more likely to be ill [risk ratio 25·7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 15·5–42·8, P<0·001]. In a case/non-case multivariable analysis the adjusted odds ratio for egg cress rolls was 41·1 (95% CI 10·3–249·7, P<0·001). The epidemiological investigation was strengthened by environmental and microbiological investigations. This paper outlines an approach to investigations in large complex settings where aggregate data for exposures may be available, and led to the development of guidelines for the management of future gastrointestinal outbreaks in prison settings.

The mouse-protection test is discussed as a routine procedure. It has been shown that the assay is exceptionally subject to variation and that an average slope of 1·47 has been found over a year. With this slope and tests involving 90–180 mice it is possible tobe reasonably sure that a vaccine actually 3 times as potent as needed passes a test which lays down that the lower fiducial limit (P = 0·95) should exceed the specified requirement. For a vaccine only 1·5 times as potent as needed, much more extensive laboratory work would be necessary.

1. Bight serological types of haemolytic streptococci were recognized in acute scarlatina during the 1933 epidemic in Edinburgh.

2. Five of these types were identical with Griffith's types 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, while the remainder have been named, provisionally, B, C and D.

3. Type 5 was predominant during the two months preceding the epidemic and throughout the early development of the outbreak.

4. The epidemic was maintained by successive increases in the proportion of cases due to the remaining type, particularly type 3.

5. The age-group incidence in the epidemic year was identical with that of non-epidemic years.

6. 36·8 per cent of patients on discharge were found to have haemolytic streptococci in the throat but in only 5·4 per cent was a large number of organisms isolated.

7. Haemolytic streptococci isolated from discharged convalescents were in the majority of cases of the same type as the admission strain.

Sixty-three environmental water samples from various sources were examined for the presence of Legionella pneumophila with a commercially available direct fluorescent monoclonal antibody (GS), an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and culture. GS detected L. pneumophila in 94% and 100% of environmental water samples which were culture and IFAT positive for L. pneumophila, respectively. IFAT detected 69% of L. pneumophila culture positive samples. Cultures of L. pneumophila serogroups 1 to 12, 14 and non L. pneumophila bacteria which may be found in water, and bacteria containing non-specific binding proteins, were stained by GS and IFAT. GS identified all serogroups of L. pneumophila and did not cross react with any non-L. pneumophila bacteria. L. pneumophila in environmental samples was easy to detect against a clear dark background when stained with GS.

There is limited information on the roles of different age groups in propagating pertussis outbreaks, and the temporal changes in those roles since the introduction of acellular pertussis vaccines. The relative roles of different age groups in propagating the 2010 and the 2014 pertussis epidemics in California were evaluated using the relative risk (RR) statistic that measures the change in the group's proportion among all detected cases before vs. after the epidemic peak. For the 2010–11 epidemic, evidence for a predominant transmission age group was weak, with the largest RR estimates being 1.26 (95% CI 1.08–1.46) (aged 11–13 years); 1.19 (1.01–1.4) (aged 9–10 years); 1.17 (0.86–1.59) (aged 14–15 years); 1.12 (0.86–1.46) (aged 16–19 years) and 1.1 (0.89–1.36) (aged 7–8 years). The 2014 epidemic showed a strong signal of the role of older adolescents, with the highest RR estimate being in those aged 14–15 years (RR = 1.83, 1.61–2.07), followed by adolescents aged 16–19 years (RR = 1.41, 1.24–1.61) and 11–13 years (RR = 1.26, 1.12–1.41), with lower RR estimates in other age groups. As the time following introduction of acellular pertussis vaccines in California progressed, older adolescents played an increasing role in transmission during the major pertussis outbreaks. Booster pertussis vaccination for older adolescents with vaccines effective against pertussis transmission should be considered with the aim of mitigating future pertussis epidemics in the community.