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Biomedical subjects

D Spira

Publications and source records attributed to D Spira.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

High prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in a commercial flock of chickens in Israel, and public health implications of free-range farming.

Little is known of the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in commercially raised chickens. In the present study, the prevalence of T. gondii in 96 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from a commercial farm in Israel was assessed. Blood, heart, and brain from each chicken were examined for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii, assayed with the modified agglutination test (MAT > or = 1:5), were found in 45 of the 96 chickens. Hearts and brains of seropositive (MAT > or = 1:5) chickens were bioassayed in mice. Additionally, hearts and brains of 51 seronegative (MAT < 1:5) chickens were bioassayed in two T. gondii-free cats. T. gondii was isolated from 19 of the 45 (42.2%) seropositive chickens by bioassay in mice. Both the cats fed tissues pooled from seronegative chickens shed T. gondii oocysts. Tachyzoites and tissue cysts of all 21 isolates of T. gondii from chickens were avirulent for mice. Seventeen of the 19 isolates genotyped were found to be type II, and 2 were type III. Understanding of the sources of infection on such farms could be the key to the development of better prevention strategies.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1977

[Intrauterine growth retardation and prenatal nutrition. II. Personal cases].

We have carried out an enquiry into feeding in mothers in whom failure of intra-uterine growth of the fetus has been suspected around the thirtieth week of amenorrhoea according to clinical criteria (23 cases with a mean birth weight of 2564 g). We used a special questionnaire in the third trimester of pregnancy. The special feature of these failures of intra-uterine growth were that they did not appear to have any known cause. The calory intake of the mother was compared at the same time with a control group (39 cases where the mean birth weight was 3333 g). A significant difference was found in the calory intake (2241 Kcal as against 2553 Kcal) and this was especially connected with a low carbohydrate intake. The consequences of this deficiency in maternal carbohydrates on the birth weights of the newborn is discussed taking into account other factors that could interfere with fetal growth.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1967

A procedure for the harvesting of mammalian plasmodia.

Immunochemical research into the antigenic structure of a given disease agent presupposes the availability of undegraded antigen. Some types of immunochemical studies of plasmodia can be carried out with the intracellular parasites in situ in the host cell (for example, studies using the fluorescent antibody technique). In other techniques (such as double diffusion in gel, disc electrophoresis) the presence of host cell contaminants is undesirable, and these require to be reduced to a minimum.A method is described for harvesting mammalian (rodent, simian, and human) plasmodia. Plasmodia in the product are significantly concentrated as compared with the original samples. This point is particularly important in harvesting human plasmodia, in which parasitaemias tend to be very low. Significant reduction of red- and white-cell contaminants is achieved. Antigens in the cell-free plasmodial products obtained are apparently in their native state, and give replicable results in studies of double diffusion in gel, immunoelectrophoresis and disc electrophoresis, passive haemagglutination and vaccination.

Animals↗