S U M M A R YMycoplasmas which metabolized urea and produced small colonies on agar medium were isolated from the genital tracts of dogs and from the throats of squirrel monkeys. Attempts to isolate similar organisms from baboons, cats, horses, pigs and rabbits were not successful. The biological and physical properties of the mycoplasmas isolated from dogs and monkeys were closely similar to those of T-mycoplasmas isolated previously from man and cattle, so that the canine and simian strains could be regarded undoubtedly as members of the T-mycoplasma group. The metabolic-inhibition technique was used to show that the T-mycoplasmas of the four 'host' species were not related to known large colony-forming mycoplasmas of these species. The same technique revealed that some of the Tmycoplasma strains isolated from a particular species were different from one another, except the simian strains which appeared to be the same as each other. In addition, the results of tests with a single or a few strains isolated from each of the four species showed that the strains of one species were not serologically related to those of another. On the other hand, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis studies, in which at least 1 1 lines were observed with T-mycoplasma antigens, indicated that the structural proteins of strains isolated from the various species were closely similar. The fact that all the strains examined could be regarded as belonging to one closely related group is discussed in the context of the eventual nomenclature for these organisms.

To assess canine exposure to spotted fever group rickettsiae in the central provinces of Spain, ticks removed from dogs were studied by immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Twenty-eight out of 65 (43.0%) samples from ticks were positive. Sera from 58 dogs were also collected and the presence of antibodies to Rickettsia conorii studied. Thirty-four (58.6%) dogs presented significant titers by IF. Surveillance data from these provinces show the presence of Boutonneuse fever cases during recent years, evidence that dogs could serve as an indicator of rickettsial activity in these areas.

Five cases of legionnaires disease and one death were associated with four members of a tour group from the United Kingdom (UK) and one French tourist who all visited Spain in the spring of 1993. The UK group stayed at four hotels, one of which was also used by the French tourist. Phenotypic and genotypic comparison of isolates of Legionella pneumophila obtained from one of the UK cases and the French patient demonstrated that they were indistinguishable from each other and from environmental isolates obtained from the water supply of the hotel at which all five cases had stayed. A cohort study of the UK tour group was carried out to determine the extent of the outbreak and showed that three further members of the group had respiratory illness but were serologically negative to legionella infection. International participation in this investigation has highlighted the value of a European surveillance scheme and the benefit of microbiological collaboration between legionella reference laboratories in Europe.

Legionella isolates recovered in 21 different Spanish provinces over 8 years from both clinical (67 isolates) and environmental (181) samples, mostly from case-associated buildings, are described; 92.5% of clinical isolates were L. pneumophila serogroup 1 (SG1), only five isolates belonging to other species or serogroups: two L. pneumophila SG6, two SG8 and one L. bozemanii SG1 not clearly related with clinical infection. L. pneumophila SG1 accounted for 53.6% of isolates from the environment, followed by SG8 (27.6%), SG3 (9.4%) and SG6 (7.2%). Three isolates were labelled as SG8/10. Subtyping of L. pneumophila SG1 by the standardized panel of monoclonal antibodies revealed 90.3% of clinical and 78.3% of environmental isolates as belonging to Pontiac subgroup. Pontiac isolates were further divided into 55.3% Philadelphia 1 or Allentown 1, 21.9% Benidorm 030E and 20.4% Knoxville 1. Characterization of samples from four outbreaks in which both clinical and environmental isolates had been recovered permitted the recognition of three Philadelphia 1 or Allentown 1 and one Knoxville 1 strains as the aetiological agents.