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Biomedical subjects

B Köhler

Publications and source records attributed to B Köhler.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

[Bilateral cysts of the brain, an unusual manifestation of multiple sclerosis in childhood (author's transl)].

In a 14 year old boy symptoms of an acute demyelinating disease (Multiple Sclerosis) were characterized by the history of retrobulbar neuritis, signs of increased intracranial pressure, asymmetric bilateral hemiparesis and generalized convulsion. Computerized tomograms and neuropathologic examinations revealed large bilateral cystic lesions one of which had to be operated. Clinical and pathological relations of this unique acute myelinoclastic form of severe demyelination are shown and discussed.

Acute Disease↗

[Staphylococcus aureus infection in chickens in industrialized poultry units. 2. Microbiological studies: Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogens].

Checks were applied to 3,213 dead or ill broiler chickens and broiler parents for the purpose of elucidating enzootic or epizootic Staphylococcus aureus infections which had occurred on three industrialised poultry units. Rates of Staphylococcus aureus detection and identification declined by the following order: staphylococcal septicaemia (100 per cent), dermatitis (75.42 per cent), arthritis and tenosynovitis or osteomyelitis (64.59 per cent), wound infections (24.02 per cent), infection of bursa suprasternalis (18.94 per cent), underdevelopment (8.70 per cent), navel-yolksac-peritonitis (7.83 per cent), and conjunctivitis (7.14 per cent). Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most important pathogen of arthritis with synovitis and of osteomyelitis with epiphysiolysis, the rate of detection being directly correlated with the severity of the pathologico-anatomic alterations established. Attempts to culture mycoplasmas from irritated synovial sheaths were successful only in three of 56 examined animals (5.3 per cent). The site variety of gallinae or strains of the crystal-violet Type A with lysis patterns of 84, 53, 77 and 84 accounted for 78.1 per cent of all Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from infected fowl. Their percentual importance was 85.0 for septicaemia, dermatitis, and arthritis with synovitis and osteomyelitis. For prophylaxis and control of Staphylococcus aureus infections of fowl on elimination of predisposing factors and on the control of epidemic occurrence of the above types.

Animals↗

[Staphylococcus aureus infection in chickens in industrialized poultry units. 3. Experimental infection of chickens and comparison of pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus of different origin].

Day-old chicks were subcutaneously infected with Staphylococcus aureus strains of site variety gallinae and crystalviolet Type A. The lysis patterns involved were with phages 84 as well as with phages 53, 77, and 84 of the international base scheme for human staphylococci. In fowl with synovitis and arthritis, osteomyelitis, dermatitis, and septicaemia, 52 of 57 tested strains (91.2 per cent) produced on the site of injection pathognomic oedematous-haemorrhagic and necrotising changes of the skin and hypodermis (haemorrhagic dermatitis) in a way which is characteristic also of natural diseases. However, no specific skin changes could be produced by subcutaneous infection of nine strains of site variety hominis or undefinable category with differentiated biochemical properties and lysis patterns. They had been isolated from cases of compound infection, salpingitis and wound infections as well as from one case of arthritis. Fifty-seven strains, obtained from mammals, were tested subcutaneously, on day-old chicks, among them 21 strains of site varieties of bovis, canis, ovis, and hominis. However, only four of those strains, isolated from miscarried pig foetuses and cattle with mastitis, caused, oedematisation and exudation (7.02 per cent), but no haemorrhagia and only minor lysis and necrosis of skin. The minimum dose required to induce haemolytic dermatitis was 11 x 10(3) pathogens, and the lowest lethal dose of six tested strains was between 11 x 10(5) and 26 x 10(7) pathogens. The lowest dose of mammalian strains with lethality to day-old chicks was [10 bis]10(4) times as high as the lowest dose of fowl strains. Subcutaneous infection of day-old chicks has worked well as a high-speed test by which to differentiate between fowl-pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus strains, on the one hand, and mammalian strains, on the other. The need for delimitation of such strains has been confirmed by the above experimental infections. Against the background of the above results, guidelines are proposed for the control of Staphylococcus aureus infection of fowl.

Animals↗

[Staphylococcus aureus infection in chickens in industrialized poultry units. 1. Manifestations of Staphylococcus aureus infection in chickens].

Staphylococcus aureus infection has become an increasingly grave problem in industrialised poultry farming. This first communication in a series of publications on highly involved studies and experiments describes manifestations of the most common staphylococcal infections in fowl, including synovitis with arthritis, osteomyelitis, dermatitis, endocarditis, septicaemia, wound infection, and ophthalmitis. Reference in greater detail is made to manifestations with more important economic consequences, such as synovitis with arthritis, osteomyelitis, and dermatitis. Their frequency, dependence on age, clinical patterns, pathomorphology, pathogenesis are expounded together with peculiarities of differential diagnosis, with reference being made to findings obtained by the authors from their own studies on three industrialised poultry units.

Animals↗

Practical method to facilitate estimation of Streptococcus mutans levels in saliva.

A method was developed to facilitate the estimation of Streptococcus mutans levels in saliva. Saliva-contaminated wodden spatulas were pressed directly against an elevated agar plate containing a selective medium. The results were compared with the number of S. mutans per 1 ml of paraffin-stimulated saliva. It was shown that the spatula method gave a good estimation of the level of S. mutans infection. The incubation was also made in expired air instead of 95% N2-5% CO2. The outgrowth was in good agreement with that after conventional incubation. The method is useful in epidemiological studies or in selecting persons at a high caries risk, and when ordinary saliva sampling cannot be done, for example in small children. Compared with conventional saliva sampling, this method requires less time and material at sampling as well as at the laboratory.

Adult↗

[Studies of necrotizing enteritis of suckling piglets (Cl. perfringens typc C enterotoxemia) in industrialized sow breeding units. 3. Experimental reproduction of the disease].

Experimental reproduction of necrotising enteritis of sucking pigs was successfully achieved by using both Clostridium perfringens Type C strains, which had been isolated from sucking pigs with necrotising enteritis, and Type C strain 3628 of A.T.C.C. (sub-type C1). The lethal dose for sucking pigs was between 20 X 10(6) and 12 X 10(7) pathogens per animal. The disease could not even be induced by repeated application of no-bacterial toxin of Cl. perfringens Type C nor by administration of Cl. perfringens Type A strains which had been cultured from broilers with necrotising enteritis. Necrotising enteritis was found to develop in two phases in sucking pigs. First, the pathogen will deposit to the villous epithelium and then penetrate the superficial strata of the mocous membrane. In the second phase, the villous structure will be destroyed by the lethal, haemolysing, and necrotising toxins of Cl. perfringens. The role played by individual toxin fractions is discussed together with the importance of humoral and localised infection defence. Sucking pigs may be sufficiently protected against infection based on single or ten-fold lethal infectious dosage by two vaccinations of the mother animal, five and three weeks prior to parturition, using "Enterotoxaemia Vaccine Dessau bivalent". Infection then would not occur unless a hundredfold lethal dose was applied. Characteristics include diarrhoea, apathy, exhaustion, and death.

Animals↗

[Studies of necrotizing enteritis of suckling piglets (Clostridium perfringens type C enterotoxemia) in industrialized sow breeding units. 4. Epizootiology].

Necrotising enteritis had been the cause of death of 4.9 per cent in 5,177 nursed piglets, which was established by pathological examination. The number of piglets, in that context, which had come from industrialised sow breeding units was equivalent to 92 per cent. The nursed piglet held the third position, next to smaller ruminants (19.4 per cent) and fowl (6.0 per cent), with regard to the occurrence of Clostridium perfringens enterotoxemia or necrotising enteritis in 112,218 animals which were pathologically examined after death. Necrotising enteritis so far has been rare in the GDR. No regional accumulation has been observed. Several outbreaks on industrialised sow breeding units actually remained stationary. The occurrence of the disease may be favoured by a number of factors which are conducive to accumulation of Clostridium perfringens Type C in a given stock. Group keeping of pregnant sows, simultaneous farrowing of larger groups of sows, group treatment of nursed piglets, using neomycin, chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline, and other antibiotics to which Clostridium perfringens is primarily resistant or has acquired resistance in the course of time are some of those contributive factors. Transmission of Clostridium perfringens Type C through feedstuff is possible, though it would lead to a real outbreak only by high intensity of the contamination, and it played a minor role in proliferation of the disease. 3479 Clostridium perfringens strains were isolated from 9,481 animals, both clinically intact and after death, with 30 species being included. Type classification revealed 2454 strains of Type A (70 per cent), 204 of Type D (5.88 per cent), 164 of Type C (four per cent), and 48 of Type B (1.34 per cent). There were 688 atoxic strains (17 per cent). Swine is the major carrier of Clostridium perfringens Type C, with 87 per cent of all Clostridium perfringens Type C strains having been isolated from swine. Swine was followed by fowl (four per cent), sheep (four per cent), cattle, rabbit, and dog (1.27 per cent each). Clostridium perfringens Type C was obtained from the faeces of clinically intact sows in seven instances, including two cases with sows (0.46 per cent) from farms with no previous record of necrotising enteritis.

Animals↗

[Studies of necrotizing enteritis of suckling piglets (Clostridium perfringens type C enterotoxemia) in industrialized sow breeding units. 5. Control of the disease].

Recent methods used and experience obtained in the control of necrotising enteritis are reported in this paper, with reference being made to both the pathogenesis and epizootiology of the disease. Two inoculations of the sows, using "Enterotoxämievakzine Dessau bivalent" five and three weeks before parturition, have worked well for prophylaxis. Oral treatment was applied to nursed piglets, using 40,000 I.U. of "Aviapen" and "V-Tablopen" penicillin per animal and day over periods between two and four days, helped to minimise piglet loss, particularly in the period between a fresh outbreak and full effectiveness of immunoprophylactic action. Such treatment was conducted metaphylactically and therapeutically. The first metaphylactic treatment was given within 24 hours from parturition. Combination of mother animal vaccination with the above therapeutic use of those two penicillin preparations worked extremely well in enzootically contaminated stocks and proved to be the most effective approach, for the time being, to controlling necrotising enteritis of nursed piglets. Yet, all those control measures failed to bring about full stock sanitation on industrialised units. Sow trading was not permitted until at least four weeks had elapsed from full effectiveness of mother animal vaccination, with the view to reducing the proliferation of Clostridium perfringens Type C via sales of breeding animals. All sows were given two "Enterotoxämievakzine Dessau bivalent" vaccinations, prior to sale. The animals were sold only to smaller farms (less than 500 sows for breeding) with concentional keeping patterns which were kept under constant diagnostic supervision. Neomycin, oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, and other antibiotics against which Clostridium perfringens was resistant or in a position to assume resistance were used on endangered stocks only in conjunction with penicillin or not at all. This programme of control has proved to be efficient through a period of more than three years.

Animals↗

[Epizootiology of Salmonella typhimurium infection in chickens].

The incidence of S. typhimurium infections among fowl increased in thr region of Potsdam in general, and on various big farms in particular, 1976 and over the first half of 1977. The outbreaks included subclinical infections and clinically manifest diseases which caused remarkable loss of broilers from the affected stocks (up to 15.92 per cent). Parent stocks contaminated with S. typhimurium were to be the sources of infection in all cases. A total of 1,220 Salmonella strains were isolated from fowl and its environment, with 1,151 of them being S. typhimurium (2.98 per cent of all samples tested). The following amounts of S. typhimurium strains were isolated from different types of samples which had been collected from infected broiler stocks: 8.10 per cent from dead broilers, 5.86 per cent from dead broiler parents, 2.11 per cent from pulp linings of transport cages for day-old chicks, 1.23 per cent from litter, 1.0 per cent from hatching material (eggs or dead and jammed embryos, and 0.12 per cent from swabs used in hygiene supervision). No Salmonellae were isolated from feedstuff. The transmission of S. typhimurium, therefore, is though to have taken the route via the hatching egg and via congenitally infected chicks traded between breeders and propagation farms. The control and prophylaxis of S. typhimurium infections, therefore, should be based primarily on action in the centralised breeding stocks. Specific steps of such action are proposed. Fifty-three strains were biochemically and lysotypically analysed, with the following types being determined: ut/Ph 30 BT b, ut/Ph 30 BT c, n.c. 1/72/n.c. BT b, 2 n.c. BT a, and 1A/6 BT a. The first two types covered 84.9 per cent of all strains isolated from the fowl. All lysotype ut/Ph 30 strains isolated from fowl fell under the copenhagen variant which had rarely been isolated from man in the past. These results are likely to support the demand for a joint control programme for enteritis Salmonellae, with particular emphasis on S. typhimurium, for implementation in human and veterinary medicine.

Animal Feed↗

Intrafamilial levels of Streptococcus mutans and some aspects of the bacterial transmission.

The number of S. mutans (S.m.) in saliva of parents and their children was studied. Thirty-six children, 4 1/2-5 years old, and their parents participated. A quantitative correlation was found between the number of S.m. in the mothers and their children. The degree of infection also seemed to reflect the caries experience of the child. When adults with different levels of S.m. in saliva contaminated metal spoons with saliva, a correlation between the salivary count of S.m. and the number of microorganisms transferred to the spoon was found. The survival of S.m. on saliva-contaminated test-plates was tested. After 7 h the number of viable S.m. had decreased considerably but a few cells could be found after 24-48 h. To study the presence of S.m. on objects in the city often touched by hands, MSB-containing agar dishes were pressed against several objects such as doorhandles. Only four out of 24 objects were found to be contaminated by S.m.

Adult↗

[Necrotizing enteritis in suckling pigs (Clostridium perfringens type C enterotoxemia). II. Toxin formation, heat and drug resistance of Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from suckling pigs and broilers with necrotizing enteritis].

Nineteen Clostridium perfringens Type C strains and ten foreign control strains of subtypes C1, C3, and C4 were tested for their toxin formation and spore resistance to heat. The 19 Type C strains had been isolated from unweaned piglets in the context of necrotising enteritis outbreaks in the GDR. The Clostridium perfringens Type C strains formed beta-toxin, but they failed to form epsilon-toxin or gamma-toxin, alpha-toxin was successfully recorded from 15 of the 19 strains tested from unweaned piglets. The minor-lethal toxin fractions were also tested, with delta-toxin being recorded from all strains, non-alpha-delta-theta-toxin from six, theta-toxin from five, and K-toxin from one. Tests for delta-toxin, lambda-toxin, and mu-toxin were negative. The Clostridium perfringens Type C strains isolated in the GDR from unweaned piglets with necrotising enteritis were, basically, identical with those described in Denmark by von Hogh (1967) with regard to toxin formation. Clostridium perfringens strains cultured in broilers with necrotising enteritis were characterised by regular toxin production in the context of alpha, theta, delta as well as non-alpha-delta-theta. They failed to form beta, epsilon, gamma and lambda, while mu-toxin was formed by them quite irregularly. They, consequently, are Type A strains. Resistance to chloramphenicol and/or oxytetracycline was exhibited by 78.5 per cent of 237 tested Clostridium perfringens strains which had been isolated from unweaned piglets and broilers with necrotosing enteritis. Multiple resistance was recorded from 33.9 per cent. All strains were susceptible to penicillin, nitrofurantoin, and erythromycin.

Animals↗

[Significance of microscopy preparations in periodontal diseases].

A simple microscopic method for the quantitative determination of bacteria, leucocytes and epithelial cells was tested on 24 healthy subjects and 75 patients with the diagnosis of periodontal disease. It was found that the microscopic picture is on principle, in correlation with exact clinical data, suited for detecting periodontal disease.

Bacteriological Techniques↗

[Necrotizing enteritis in nursing piglets (Clostridium perfringens type C enterotoxemia) in industrialized swine breeding facilities].

Outbreaks of necrotising enteritis, caused by Clostridium perfringens, Type C, among piglets on five industrialised breeding units are reported in this paper. Original diagnosis was confirmed by clinical, pathologico-anatomic, histological, and bacteriological tests as well as by the detection of beta toxin from the intestinal matter of piglets after death. Cl. per fringens, Type C, was successfully isolated from 71.9 per cent of all animals that had died of necrotising enteritis. Three forms were differentiated by pathologico-anatomic findings: 1. haemorrhagic-necrotising enteritis with excessive bleeding of the intestinal wall and blood loss into the intestinal lumen; 2. necrotising enteritis with small scattered foci of bleeding; 3. necrotising enteritis without any bleeding. The first form usually developed concomitantly with peracute and acute disease in the first three days of age, whereas the third form was primarily recorded from piglets that had died, following subacute disease, between the fourth and ninth days after birth.

Animals↗

Artificial embolisation of inoperable dura and sinus angioma in an infant.

A seven month old boy suffered fron an inoperable extensive bilateral vascular malformation of the dura and the sinus system. This congenital lesion was artificially embolised in two sessions by injecting several hundred small steel spheres through the external carotid arteries. Clinical and neuroradiological reexaminations revealed a favourable result in this case. The technique and risks of this method which so far had not been applied in infants are demonstrated.

Adult↗