The results obtained in these investigations were negative throughout, but perhaps are worth recording as tending to show that the formation of such ‘anti-bodies’ as cytolysins and precipitins is not a necessary reaction on the part of any living organism to the presence of foreign cells or substances.

Catheter-related blood-stream infections (CRBSIs) are the most common healthcare-associated blood-stream infections. They can be diagnosed by either semi-quantitative or quantitative methods, which may differ in diagnostic accuracy. A meta-analysis was undertaken to compare the diagnostic accuracy of semi-quantitative and quantitative methods for CRBSI. A systematic search of Medline, Scopus, Cochrane and Embase databases up to January 2020 was performed and subjected to a QUADAS (quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies 2) tool to evaluate the risk of bias among studies. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of the methods were determined and heterogeneity was evaluated using the χ2 test and I2. Publication bias was assessed using a Funnel plot and the Egger's test. In total, 45 studies were analysed with data from 11 232 patients. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of semi-quantitative methods were 85% (95% CI 79–90%) and 84% (95% CI 79–88%), respectively; and for quantitative methods were 85% (95% CI 79–90%) and 95% (95% CI 91–97%). Considerable heterogeneity was statistically evident (P < 0.001) by both methods with a correspondingly symmetrical Funnel plot that was confirmed by a non-significant Deek's test. We conclude that both semi-quantitative and quantitative methods are highly useful for screening for CRBSI in patients and display high sensitivity and specificity. Quantitative methods, particularly paired quantitative cultures, had the highest sensitivity and specificity and can be used to identify CRBSI cases with a high degree of certainty.

The extensive register infrastructure available for coronavirus disease 2019 surveillance in Scania county, Sweden, makes it possible to classify individual cases with respect to hospitalisation and disease severity, stratify on time since last dose and demographic factors, account for prior infection and extract data for population controls automatically. In the present study, we developed a case–control sampling design to surveil vaccine effectiveness (VE) in this ethnically and socioeconomically diverse population with more than 1.3 million inhabitants. The first surveillance results show that estimated VE against hospitalisation and severe disease 0–3 months after the last dose remained stable during the study period, but waned markedly 6 months after the last dose in persons aged 65 years or over.

The AEGISS (Ascertainment and Enhancement of Disease Surveillance and Statistics) project uses spatio-temporal statistical methods to identify anomalies in the incidence of gastrointestinal infections in the UK. The focus of this paper is the modelling of temporal variation in incidence using data from the Southampton area in southern England. We identified and fitted a hierarchical stochastic model for the time series of daily incident cases to enable probabilistic prediction of temporal variation in risk, and demonstrated the resulting gains in predictive accuracy by comparison with a conventional analysis based on an over-dispersed Poisson log-linear regression model. We used Bayesian methods of inference in order to incorporate parameter uncertainty in our predictive inference of risk. Incorporation of our model in the overall spatio-temporal model, will contribute to the accurate and timely prediction of unusually high food-poisoning incidence, and thus to the identification and prevention of future outbreaks.

Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is an emerging viral pathogen with pandemic potential that is often misdiagnosed. Case fatality in low-resource settings could be up to 40% due to close contact between animals and humans. A two-year cross-sectional study was conducted in Fagge abattoir, Kano State, Nigeria, to estimate the seropositivity of CCHFV in camels using a commercial multi-species competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A closed-ended questionnaire was administered to the abattoir workers to assess their awareness, mitigation, and behavioural practices associated with CCHF. Of the 184 camels tested, 179 (97%) were seropositive for CCHFV (95% confidence interval (CI): 93.77, 99.11). The median (interquartile range (IQR)) age of respondents was 41 (35–52), with 62% having no education. Respondents had little knowledge about CCHFV and the concept of zoonotic disease. In this study, the high estimated prevalence of antibodies to CCHFV in camels highlights the heightened risk of transmission of CCHFV in Nigeria. Similarly, a concerning lack of knowledge and inadequate preventive practices, alongside a prevalence of high-risk behaviours associated with CCHF among abattoir workers, were noted in this study. Thus, there is an urgent need for comprehensive public health education and collaborative One Health strategies to avert the threats of spillover events.

THE following experiments form part of the general scheme of research undertaken with the object of providing a sound scientific basis for methods of fish preservation and storage.

The bacteriological part of the investigation was first undertaken by the author a year ago and the time has been spent in endeavouring to become acquainted with the peculiarities and characteristics of herring bacteria. There is still a large amount of work to be done in this field before practical experiments on a large scale can be carried out to yield really satisfactory results.

The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis varies between ethnic groups in The Netherlands. It is, however, unknown whether this is associated with specific serogroups. The objective of this study was to determine whether serogroup distribution is associated with ethnic origin in the region of The Hague, The Netherlands. Serogroups of 370 microbiologically confirmed C. trachomatis-positive samples were analysed. The samples were obtained from 247 women and 123 men between January and October 2008, of self-reported Dutch Caucasian, Dutch Antillean, Surinamese, N. African/Turkish or other descent. We observed a difference in serogroup distribution comparing Dutch Caucasian women to Dutch Antillean women (χ2 for distribution P = 0·035). Serogroup C was more common in Dutch Antillean women, whereas serogroup B was less common (P = 0·03). This difference was not observed for Dutch Antillean men. The observed difference in distribution of C. trachomatis serogroups between ethnic groups is relevant for further transmission studies.

Contradictory opinions are at present held on the subject of bacterial standards of purity of water in India. My recent researches tend to throw some light on some of the causes of this divergence of opinion. The presence of frogs in water has been found to be responsible for an increase in faecal bacilli which, though negligible in the case of large bodies of water, is apt to be misleading in the case of waters of great purity. Stasis in reservoirs and passage through pipes may be responsible for a considerable increase in faecal bacilli in water, so that a mere increase in the number of faecal bacilli in a reservoir or pipe water does not necessarily indicate faecal contamination but may simply be due to stasis in reservoirs or flow through pipes. These findings lead to two conclusions of importance in regard to the bacteriological examination of water: (1) in testing for the bacterial efficiency of sand filters, samples should be collected from the filter well and not from the clear water reservoir where water is usually stagnant for some hours; (2) in interpreting the results of the examination of pipe waters the possibility of an increase of B. coli having occurred through multiplication in the pipes should always be borne in mind before inferring that such increase is indicative of faecal contamination or leakage in the mains.

The process of removal of bacteria from the air of a room of which part only is irradiated with ultra-violet light is discussed.

Formulae are derived for the rate of disappearance of bacteria from the air in such circumstances and for The equilibrium levels reached when bacteria-carrying particles are being continuously introduced into the air at a constant rate. These formulae include terms for the effect of simultaneous ventilation and for the effect of sedimentation of the bacteria-carrying particles.

The results of a short series of tests are compared with those calculated from these formulae and the two found to agree reasonably well on the assumption that the air within both the irradiated and nonirradiated zones is effectively mixed.

Figures are given over a range of humidities for the sensitivity of salivary organisms to ultra-violet irradiation when suspended as small particles in the air.

A chart is presented for the evaluation of the mean radiation intensity within a rectangular volume produced by a point source situated within or on the boundaries of the volume.

1. Eighteen persons after eating a certain batch of pork-cheese, or vegetables infected from it, suffered from severe illness and three died.

2. The illness was caused by a Gaertner bacillus of the Aertrycke sub-group isolated from one of the fatal cases.

3. This bacillus was contained in the meat used for the pork-cheeses (brawn), infection being antecedent to preparation.

4. Part of the meat was obtained from a pig suffering from local injury or disease of one leg and the bacilli were no doubt etiologically connected with this condition.

5. The outbreak points to the need for a more complete and thorough veterinary inspection of meat before sale, and of the necessity for extended investigation into the diseases of animals used for human food caused by Gaertner bacilli.

Recent New Zealand and Australian isolates of Salmonella typhimurium phage type 179 were studied for relatedness by colony incompatibility. This established that all but one strain of the New Zealand groups probably formed a clone despite carrying a variety of plasmids. The Australian strains showed a far greater diversity. This study demonstrates the epidemiological usefulness of the colony incompatibility reactions.

The explosive outbreak of COVID-19 led to a shortage of medical resources, including isolation rooms in hospitals, healthcare workers (HCWs) and personal protective equipment. Here, we constructed a new model, non-contact community treatment centres to monitor and quarantine asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients who recorded their own vital signs using a smartphone application. This new model in Korea is useful to overcome shortages of medical resources and to minimise the risk of infection transmission to HCWs.

The laboratory method here outlined and utilized by us over the past 11 years, of examining and judging ice-cream on a milk basis, appears to pro-vide a sieve of mesh generous enough to let through the passably ‘fit’ while stopping the presumably ‘doubtful’ and ‘unfit’.

Eighty-six samples of Alexandria milk ice-creams collected from various vendors in the city by Army Inspectors during the autumn months of 1944 showed, on this method, about 19% ‘unfit’—a result in remarkable agreement with fifty-eight samples from Municipal sampling, collected earlier in the year during summer months, which showed 16% ‘unfit’.

A small number of samples collected after hygienic control of the process of manufacture by Army Inspectors resulted in a total disappearance of unfit samples. The improvement arising from this controlled experiment was estimated at a lowering of 60% in total bacteria per c.c., and a reduction of 77% in coliforms.

The results of the latter experiment show what good results can be achieved in the betterment of milk ice-creams by simple hygienic measures, and should be more widely known in all centres where members of the Services are large consumers of ice-cream.

Acknowledgements are due to Lieut. J. T. S. Templeman, R.A.M.C., and his staff for their part in this investigation; and to Lieut.-Col. G. P. M. Marshall, R.A.M.C., A.D.H., for instigating the experiments on hygienic control of production.

The following information in regard to the distribution of malaria in South Africa has been compiled chiefly from the reports of Government Medical Officers and Health Officials who were circularised by courtesy of the Union Public Health Department in March, 1918, in regard to the following points:

(1) The areas affected in each district.

(2) The type or types of malaria existing.

(3) The incidence of the disease, whether endemic or epidemic; and

(4) The types of anopheline mosquitoes identified.

The information available from these sources indicates the necessity for a considerable amount of further work to provide a more complete and accurate knowledge of the incidence of malaria in South Africa.

Sera from healthy blood donors from different parts of New Zealand, collected between 1977 and 1980, were analysed by the microagglutination technique for antibodies against Brucella abortus. Populations from both urban and rural areas were studied. The technique was shown to be capable of handling the 3351 sera studied and thus to be a useful screening test to assess the immune status of large populations. The results demonstrated some of the effects on the human population of the successful bovine brucellosis eradication programme.

Pneumonia is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide with radiographically confirmed pneumonia a key disease burden indicator. This is usually determined by a radiology panel which is assumed to be the best available standard; however, this assumption may introduce bias into pneumonia incidence estimates. To improve estimates of radiographic pneumonia incidence, we applied Bayesian latent class modelling (BLCM) to a large database of hospitalized patients with acute lower respiratory tract illness in Sa Kaeo and Nakhon Phanom provinces, Thailand from 2005 to 2010 with chest radiographs read by both a radiology panel and a clinician. We compared these estimates to those from conventional analysis. For children aged <5 years, estimated radiographically confirmed pneumonia incidence by BLCM was 2394/100 000 person-years (95% credible interval 2185–2574) vs. 1736/100 000 person-years (95% confidence interval 1706–1766) from conventional analysis. For persons aged ⩾5 years, estimated radiographically confirmed pneumonia incidence was similar between BLCM and conventional analysis (235 vs. 215/100 000 person-years). BLCM suggests the incidence of radiographically confirmed pneumonia in young children is substantially larger than estimated from the conventional approach using radiology panels as the reference standard.

During the year 1904, a year which included four months of hot summer weather, the mortality among infants under one year old in England and Wales was 145.3 per 1000 births. Of this mortality 21.8% died of diarrhoeal diseases and 31.5% from wasting diseases.

Retrospective data evaluated increases in advanced medical support for children with medically attended acute respiratory illness (MAARI) during influenza outbreak periods (IOP). Advanced support included hospitalisation, intensive care unit admission, or mechanical ventilation, for children aged 0–17 years hospitalised in Maryland's 50 acute-care hospitals over 12 influenza seasons. Weekly numbers of positive influenza tests in the Maryland area defined IOP for each season as the fewest consecutive weeks, including the peak week containing at least 85% of positive tests with a 2-week buffer on either side of the IOP. Peak IOP (PIOP) was defined as four consecutive weeks containing the peak week with the most number of positive influenza tests. Off-PIOP was defined as the ‘shoulder’ weeks during each IOP. Non-influenza season (NIS) was the remaining weeks of that study season. Rate ratios of mean daily MAARI-related admissions resulting in advanced medical support outcomes during PIOP or Off-PIOP were compared with the NIS and were significantly elevated for all 12 study seasons combined. The results suggest that influenza outbreaks are associated with increased advanced medical support utilisation by children with MAARI. We feel that this data may help preparedness for severe influenza epidemics or pandemic.

The object of the present investigation was to determine the relation between the variations in hair and eye colours and variations of weight and stature; so that one might know what allowances, if any, would be necessary to make for variations of the proportion of children in different classes of hair and eye colour in different age groups and in the two sexes in the different schools under investigation with respect to the factors influencing bodily growth and nutrition. Incidentally, the analysis might reveal racial differentiation if such were present in this population.