No abstract

Bacteriological investigations were performed with 31 samples of feces from reptiles, mainly from snakes of a snake exhibition in St. Gall. 27 Salmonella and Arizona serotypes were recovered from 20 specimens (64.5%). Seven of the Salmonella isolates belonged to the sub-genus I, two to the sub-genus II, while 14 could be classified as belonging to the sub-genus III (Arizona). Single infections have occurred in 13, and double infections in 7 of the cases under study. One Salmonella serotype of the sub-genus II – Salmonella II 13,23,36:1, Z₂₈1,5 – and three Arizona serotypes – Arizona 7a,7b:23:31, Arizona 23:29:21 and Arizona 24:26:30 – could be declared as new types.

During a three-year study (1969–1971) samples of feces from turtles imported from Yugoslavia and Greece as well as from Russia were examined for the presence of Salmonella. The species examined were Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca and Testudo horsfieldii. From the 182 specimens examined, 131 (71.97%) proved to be Salmonella positive. 38 different serotypes were isolated. 107 specimens contained single serotypes, while 23 were doubly infected and 1 specimen harbored 3 different serotypes of Salmonella. 4 of the isolated serotypes belonged to the group of 47 most frequently occurring serotypes. From the 1971 shipment of turtles we were able to isolate a new serotype, S. gallen (11:a:1,2). Attempts to eliminate fecal excretion of Salmonellae by infected turtles were made by treatment with an antibiotic, Penbritin.

Cline [1, 2] described a method of determining the phagocytic and bacteriostatic activity of individual types of leukocytes within mixed cell populations. We tried to improve the applicability of this method for the investigation of clinical problems.--Bacteria in the log-phase of growth were incubated in test tubes with leukocytes separated from venous blood. After a short period of phagocytosis 3H-thymidine was added to label DNA-synthesizing organisms. Smears were prepared and processed by autoradiography. The labeling indices of extracellular bacteria and of those phagocytized by neutrophils and monocytes were determined microscopically. The intracellular inhibition of DNA-synthesis was taken as indicative of the bacteriostatic activity of the leukocytes. The proposed modification of Cline's assay is suited to investigate clinical problems of phagocyte dysfunction.