Incidence and significance of the types of diphtheria bacilli in the Ukraine

Zinnemann, K.; Zinnemann, I.

doi:10.1002/path.1700480116

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It also confirms that in this area a virulence test is necessary irrespective of the type of organism recovered (Murray, 1942). This contrasts with the findings in some parts of Europe (Cooper, Happold, McLeod & Woodcock, 1936;Zinnemann & Zinnemann, 1939) and of Australia (Gregory, 1937) where avirulent gravis strains are scarcely ever encountered. But it is in accord with the findings of Frobisher (1940) in the U.S.A. who frequently found gravis strains to be avirulent.…”

Section: Bacteriological Typescontrasting

confidence: 69%

Diphtheria amongst the Bantu

Murray

1943

J. Hyg.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. A total of 499 rural and 437 urban Bantu school children were examined for their diphtheria carrier rate and Schick immunity.2. Clinical diphtheria amongst the rural and urban Bantu was also investigated.3. The virulent C.diphtheriaecarrier rate was found to be 3·2% in the rural children and 1·8% in the urban with virulent/avirulent ratios of 1: 1·1 and 1: 2·5 respectively.4. The Schick-positive rate in children aged 6–17 years was found to be 8·0% in rural children and 13·7 % in urban.5. Clinical diphtheria was rarely encountered under rural conditions, but was more common in urban natives.6. The case mortality rate in eighty-nine clinical cases was 14·4%.7. 53% of the clinical cases occurred in the 0-5 years age group.8. 89% of the strains recovered belonged to themitistype. No intermediate strains were encountered.9. The reason for the infrequency of clinical diphtheria amongst the Bantu is discussed and various theories are reviewed.10. It is concluded that the infrequency of clinical diphtheria is partly due to the environment, but that there is also a racial factor. It is suggested that the racial factor lies in an ability to produce antitoxin quickly. There is not sufficient evidence in this investigation to show whether the racial factor is genetic, but in view of Turbott's work amongst the Maoris it is suggested that the racial factor in immunity to diphtheria may be genetic amongst the Bantu also.I have pleasure in acknowledging the continued interest of Dr E. H. Cluver, Director, and Dr G. Buchanan, Deputy-Director, of the South African Institute for Medical Research in the progress of this work. I also wish to acknowledge gratefully the help given me by Dr Prestwick, Dr Miller and Dr Xuma at Alexandra Township. I am indebted to the Administration, and in particular to Dr J. W. Stirling, Principal Medical Officer of Bechuanaland Protectorate Government, for permission to carry out the investigation at Kanye. To Dr Marcus of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission, Kanye, I am deeply indebted for help and hospitality, and to Chief Bathoën who assisted me in making contact with the requisite number of school children at Kanye. My thanks are also due to the Mother Superior and Sisters of the Holy Cross Mission, Alexandra Township, and the many Bantu school teachers who gave me access to the children in their charge. Mr Barnes (S.A.I.M.R.) very kindly carried out the statistical tests of Tables 1 and 2. The travelling expenses involved in this work were defrayed by a grant from the National Research Board.

show abstract

Section: Bacteriological Typescontrasting

confidence: 69%

Diphtheria amongst the Bantu

Murray

1943

J. Hyg.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To eliminate this possibility a technique was developed which did not require the use of diphtheria organisms or antitoxin, e.g., cultures of C. diphtheriae were replaced by sterile toxin. Since the identity of toxins from all strains of C. diphtheriae appears to have been demonstrated by Parish et al (1932), Povitsky et al (1933), Zinnemann and Zinnemann (1939), and Zinnemann (1946), the substitution of PW no. 8 toxin for that produced in vivo by other strains of C. diphtheriae (C1, C2, etc.)…”

Section: Use Of Toxin Instead Of C Diphtheriaementioning

confidence: 99%

A Study of Bacterial Synergism with Reference to the Etiology of Malignant Diphtheria

Updyke

Frobisher

1947

J Bacteriol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Malignant, "bull-neck," hypertoxic, or grave diphtheria is differentiated from "ordinary" or milder diphtheria by the presence of marked cervical swelling (hence "bull-neck"), extreme toxemia, albuminuria, frequent development of neuropathies, and a high death rate in spite of early administration of large doses of antitoxin. Epidemics of diphtheria in which the malignant form predominated have been common in Europe, England, and elsewhere within the past two decades as reported by Anderson et al. (1931) and Deicher and Agulnik (1927), but during the same period have been relatively uncommon on this continent. Since 1931 only one such outbreak has been reported (Wheeler and Morton, 1942). However, in Baltimore, after several years of low morbidity and fatality, diphtheria began to increase in 1942 and, as in many other large cities in the United States and Europe during the war years, it attained high levels (Eller and Frobisher, 1945). During the first 6 months of 1944 there were in Baltimore 142 cases, 16 of which were designated as malignant. The malignant cases suffered a 44 per cent mortality (7 cases), whereas the total mortality was only 6 per cent (9 cases). In 1945 there were 352 cases reported and 18 deaths. A considerable number of these were malignant. The disease continued at a relatively high level of incidence and severity throughout 1946. Since the description of gravis and mitis types of diphtheria bacilli by Anderson et al. (1931), malignant diphtheria has been widely believed to be due to the gravis type of diphtheria bacilli, although it has been repeatedly pointed out by Frobisher (1943) and others that the occurrence of this organism, at least that variety of it which is found in Baltimore and elsewhere in the United States, bears no constant relation whatever to malignant diphtheria. Continuous, systematic studies of the types of diphtheria bacilli found in cases of diphtheria in Baltimore since about 1932, including the numerous typical, fatal malignant cases noted above, have revealed during 16 years only 10 or 12 gravis strains, and these rarely in the malignant cases. The mitis or mitis-like form has predominated in cases, contacts, and carriers at all times according to Frobisher (1938, 1940, 1942). This has also been found true, as a general rule, throughout the United States. Obviously, then, malignant diphtheria in Baltimore and the United States during 1 This work was supported in part by funds from The Rockefeller Foundation. 2 Adapted from a dissertation submitted by the senior author to the School of Hygiene and Public Health of The Johns Hopkins University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Science in Hygiene.

show abstract

“…This wide survey of the work on the types of diphtheria bacilli reveals one or two points of considerable interest. All over the world observers have for the most part found little difficulty in recognizing these types; but in areas where diphtheria is mild and infrequent there may be a rather large number of irregular or atypical forms as in Edinburgh (202); Stafford (106), Capetown (206), Baltimore (50), and New York City (159); whereas in areas visited by severe and epidemic diphtheria the bacterial types are easily and sharply defined: e.g., Berlin (64), Kharkoff (211), and Leeds (3).…”

Section: Stability In the Animal And Human Bodiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such are: the Sudan (81), South Australia (146), Amsterdam and Rotterdam (165), Posen district of Poland (209), Huddersfield (119), and Helsingfors (120), which (151,202) No gravis (202) No gravis (129,151) (120) No information (100,127,147) All three strains found in all areas, but gravis markedly predominant in east and north-east and to a slight extent in other areas (8,20,22,62,64,68,75,76,78,90,122,132,141,144,155,170,185,190) Gravis predominant in Rotterdam, mitis in Amsterdam (165,177) No gravis detected (151) Gravis markedly predominant (35,40) All three types and atypical strains recorded (16,48,139, 152, 167, 184) Gravis predominant; intermedius absent except in Lem-berg (91, 161, 209, 215) Mitis predominant and gravis scanty in Moscow. Gravis predominant at Kharkov two years later (163,211) Intermedius predominant 1934-39 then a swing over to gravis; atypical strains numerous in Edinburgh …”

Section: Stability In the Animal And Human Bodiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Goeters (54) states that toxic diphtheria appeared in 1927 in a form which had not been observed for many years and has persisted ever since, while Sp6rl (168) notes that in Niirnberg there was a higher incidence of diphtheria in 1934 than in any year of this century. Outside Germany, however, there are also records of severe or peculiarly severe diphtheria in Czechoslovakia (45), in the north of France (108), in Italy (19), in Yugo-Slavia (166), in Hungary (198), in the British Isles at Leeds (2,3), at Hull (98), at Cork (154), in the Ukraine (211), and quite recently in Dundee (178).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation