Two outbreaks of Cl. perfringens food poisoning which occurred in Florence during 1976 have been described. The first one involved three hundred primary school children; processed re-heated turkey meat was thought to have been the vehicle of infection in the school meal. The clinical symptoms consisted of mild diarrhoea in all cases and the duration of the illness was about 12 hours. The possible part played by food storage temperature, post-cooking periods and food trolleys in the spread of infection is discussed. The other outbreak interested three people who ate a dish with gravy in a restaurant; one of these suffered severe haemorrhagic enteritis and died after two weeks. Necroscopy was performed and the results of post-mortem examination as well as histological and bacteriological findings certified that the cause of death was severe enteritis (Necrotizing enteritis) in elderly debilitated patient (with diabetes, chronic bronchitis, arteriosclerosis and previously gastroresected).

Adolescent↗

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[Hygiene and health importance of histamine as an unhealthy factor in several food products].

Epidemiologic reports on food-borne diseases from different countries show not infrequently outbreaks due to histamine toxicity. The Authors were interested in assessing the relative importance of this nosological entity in Italy and made a global review of old and recent literature on the subject referring also their earliest data on a recently performed laboratory work. Several foods can show histamine contents potentially toxic for man; amongst the most frequently incriminated products fish, especially the scombroid species (tuna, mackerel), plays a pre-eminent role in the etiology of the so called scombrotoxic fish poisoning. This syndrome begins from a few minutes to two hours from incriminated meals and presents itself with the characteristic signs and symptoms of histamine activity on various organs and is very rarely, if ever, life threatening. Histamine formation in food is due to the decarboxylase activity of some microorganisms, mainly enterobacteria; they can be part of its normal flora or represent a secondary contamination and find a favourable environment for outgrowth if food is not stored or processed in proper conditions. An international outlook on the epidemiology of this syndrome is then given, including some considerations on the real dimension of the problem in Italy, at present widely underestimated. Though a pioneer work was accomplished by Pergola, who started his researches in 1910 after receiving several reports of food poisoning related to consumption of tuna and finally established the causative role of histamine, we are lacking at present an up to date picture of this problem in our country, notwithstanding a few sporadic notifications. Two of the most relevant ones concern a survey in Rome on a collection of 110 cases observed in the seventies and an outbreak occurred in Palermo in 1979 affecting nearly 250 people. The relationship between the intake of histamine and the clinical effects on man of a given dose are then evaluated together with histamine catabolic pathways in the gut, where possible interference by enhancing substances may occur. Finally a brief review of the analytical methods currently employed gives the Authors the possibility to refer about their first data of a survey on the hygienic quality of scombroid species commercialized in their metropolitan area.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Methodological definition in the use of reflected light rheography in orthopedic surgery].

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Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Control of the technic for recovery of E coli K12 after acquisition of R factors. Tests with various culture substrates under different mating conditions].

A survey was carried out in order to ascertain the reliable conditions for the recovery of E. coli K12 after acquisition of extrachromosomial resistance from polyresistant strains of Salmonella bredeney, responsible for a hospital outbreak of gastroenteritis. In particular in this study the length of mating, the amounts of partners in the cross-cultures, the availability of different media for selection of recipient E. coli, were controlled. It was possible to conclude that the incubation of cross-cultures during 18 hours at 37 degrees C was suitable for a greater transfer, whereas the amount of donor and recipient cells in the starting cultures was of little importance. Attempts to use synthetic media for the selective recovery of E. coli which had been made drug-resistant were not successful; instead some of lactosate media which are classically employed for the diagnosis of enterobacteria (Endo agar, Mac Conkey agar, Desoxycholate Lactose agar, Brilliant Green Bile agar, Eosin Methylene Blue agar, Violet Red Bile agar, Wurtz agar) gave satisfactory results. Among these media the two last were the best because they provided good differentiation between the prevalent Salmonella colonies and the few lactose-fermenting colonies, even in the crowded growth areas of the plates.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

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