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Biomedical subjects

L M Milne

Publications and source records attributed to L M Milne.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Trichinellosis acquired in the United Kingdom.

An outbreak of trichinellosis that occurred in the United Kingdom is described. Members of four households consumed pork salami from northern Serbia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Eight cases of trichinellosis occurred. Clinical and laboratory features of the cases were typical with myalgia (7 cases), fever (6), headache (5), periorbital oedema (4), non-specific ST/T wave changes on electrocardiogram (3), Trichinella antibodies (6), eosinophilia (7) and raised serum creatine kinase (3). All recovered. Trichinella larvae were detected in the salami. During pre-travel counselling, travellers should be advised about possible risk from cured pork products which have been produced locally in Trichinella endemic areas.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Difficulties in assessing the relationship, if any, between mumps vaccination and diabetes mellitus in childhood.

This paper considers the hypothesis that mumps vaccine may be an environmental factor for childhood diabetes and the difficulties assessing the available information about this. A review was undertaken of the published literature about mumps or mumps vaccine and diabetes mellitus in childhood. There has been considerable speculation about the role of wild mumps virus and mumps vaccine in the onset of childhood diabetes. Available data about this is incomplete and difficult to interpret partly as several factors are thought to be involved in the development of childhood diabetes. Well-designed and long-term studies about the use of mumps vaccine and incidence of childhood diabetes could be done. The general approach used in this paper could be applied to study the health effects of other vaccines.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Escherichia coli O157 incident associated with a farm open to members of the public.

Three children, one who lived on an open farm and two who visited the farm in school parties, developed Vero cytotoxin producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157 infection in 1997. All had been in direct contact with animals. All were admitted to hospital with diarrhoea and two developed the haemolytic uraemic syndrome, one of whom developed severe neurological impairment. E.coli O157 phage type 21 that produced Vero cytotoxin 2 were isolated from the three children and from a goat paddock and two cows at the farm. The isolates were indistinguishable by molecular typing. The farm closed voluntarily for six weeks while recommendations to reduce the exposure of visitors to faecal contamination and to improve hygiene procedures (especially handwashing) were implemented. More research is needed into all aspects of VTEC O157 on farms, including the natural history of carriage in animals, the organism prevalence and factors that affect infectivity to humans. Further consideration is needed about the role of open farms in zoonoses, and how open farms can be assisted in reducing risks for visitors. The public need to be educated about the risks and about their responsibilities, which include the need to wash hands thoroughly and to avoid hand to mouth contact when visiting farms.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Effect of potassium cyanide on behaviour and time to death in possums.

AIM: To assess the sickness behaviours of possums after eating a lethal dose of potassium cyanide. METHOD: Spontaneous behaviour and the time to loss of physical responses were examined. RESULTS: Cyanide ingestion caused a short-lasting period of mild respiratory stimulation. There was no salivation, retching or vomiting. Convulsions occurred in 73% of the possums. After the ingestion of cyanide, the average time to onset of ataxia was 3 minutes, the average time to overall loss of consciousness was 6.5 minutes, and the time to cessation of breathing was 18 minutes. CONCLUSION: Cyanide is a rapid-acting toxin with few undesirable signs from the welfare perspective.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Accuracy of routine laboratory diagnosis of malaria in the United Kingdom.

AIMS: To study the accuracy of routine laboratory diagnosis of malaria with the aim of improving accuracy in diagnosis in the future. METHODS: A comparative study was made of all blood films submitted to two laboratories in London providing a slide-diagnostic service for malaria. RESULTS: There were 17 Plasmodium ovale infections, and of these only five (29.4%) were correctly diagnosed by the submitting laboratory; whereas of 210 other single species infections, 162 (77.1%) were correctly diagnosed (chi 2 = 18.4, p < 0.0001). There were six patients with mixed infections; only one (16.7%) was correctly diagnosed, whereas of 227 single species infections, 167 (73.6%) were correctly diagnosed (p = 0.007, using Fisher's exact test). There was no significant association between the presence of technical faults or numerous platelets and incorrect diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Plasmodium ovale and mixed infections were diagnosed incorrectly significantly more often than other species. The presence of technical faults or numerous platelets had no significant effect on whether or not submitting laboratories correctly diagnosed malaria.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Effects of culture media on detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci by disc diffusion methods.

AIMS: To test 10 culture media for their ability to detect resistance and sensitivity of staphylococci to methicillin by disc diffusion. METHODS: Fifty strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 135 strains of coagulase negative staphylococci were tested using Columbia, Diagnostic Sensitivity Test, Mueller Hinton, Sensitest and Iso-sensitest agars with and without 5% added sodium chloride. Cultures were examined after 18 and 40 hours of incubation. The diameter of the zone and its characteristics were recorded and these media were assessed for their ability to produce clear, readable zones of inhibition. Changes in the variables which determined resistance were investigated. Results were analysed allowing a zone diameter reduction of 8 mm and 10 mm compared with the control in addition to the standard 6 mm. RESULTS: Columbia agar with added sodium chloride supported the growth of all strains, detected the highest number of resistant strains, and was the easiest to read. Resistance was detected after 18 hours in most resistant strains, but some required 40 hours of incubation. There was poor agreement, however, on this medium (63-94%) between disc diffusion and the reference MIC method for sensitive strains. Allowing a greater reduction in zone size resulted in more agreement with sensitive strains but with consequently lowered detection of resistant strains. The other media showed some growth failures and more zones that were difficult to read. More resistance was detected when incubation was prolonged to 40 hours but this was consistently less than on Columbia agar with added salt. CONCLUSIONS: None of the media detected all of the resistant strains. Columbia agar with added salt was the most satisfactory medium in this respect, but it misidentified up to 37% of the sensitive strains as resistant. Methicillin susceptibility testing by disc diffusion testing is unreliable.

Agar↗
PubMed1988

Neonatal infections with Haemophilus species.

During a 27 month study seven nonserotypable strains of Haemophilus influenzae and two of Haemophilus parainfluenzae were isolated from nine neonates. Seven had early infection associated with respiratory distress or conjunctivitis; three had septicaemia one of whom died. The incidence of haemophilus septicaemia was 0.23 per 1000 live births.

Female↗
PubMed1987

Rat-bite acquired leptospirosis.

We report a case of leptospirosis in a boy following a rat-bite, an unusual mode of transmission for this infection. The use of antibiotics for fever following a rat-bite is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Comparison of culture media for detecting methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase negative staphylococci.

The detection of methicillin resistance was examined in 51 strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 135 strains of coagulase negative staphylococci using Isosensitest, Diagnostic Sensitivity Test (DST), Mueller-Hinton (MH), Columbia, and Sensitest agars. MH agar with 5% added sodium chloride incubated at 35 degrees C was the most effective in detecting resistance in S aureus, and Columbia agar with 5% added sodium chloride incubated at 35 degrees C was most effective for coagulase negative staphylococci. For clinical purposes, a provisional report of sensitivity for S aureus could be issued after 18 hours; with coagulase negative staphylococci, only resistant strains could be reported at this time. For definitive results cultures must be examined after 40 hours of incubation.

Coagulase↗