Janet J. Fischer

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis associated with influenza

Fatal invasive pulmonary aspergillosis may follow viral influenza infections. Two cases with verified influenza A infection were followed by fatal necrotizing pneumonia due to Aspergillus fumigatus. Both patients demonstrated cutaneous anergy and lymphocytopenia. Influenza and perhaps other viruses that depress T-cell function may result in increased susceptibility to infections in which T cells are important in host defenses.

Correlation of Rickettsial Titers, Circulating Endotoxin, and Clinical Features in Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Blood rickettsial titers, skin biopsy results, and circulating endotoxin measurements were correlated with the clinical course of disease in patients with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Nine of 11 patients with documented RMSF had Rickettsia rickettsii isolated from plasma samples. Of the eight patients in whom rickettsial titers were measured, seven had 10(0.7) to 10(1.2) median tissue culture infective doses (TCID50) per milliliter; all seven had mild to moderately severe disease. One patient with fulminant, fatal untreated RMSF had 10(3) TCID50/mL of postmortem plasma. Two patients from whom rickettsiae were not isolated had positive direct immunofluorescent stains of skin biopsy material for R rickettsii. Circulating endotoxin was present in two patients, one with documented rickettsemia and one with a positive skin biopsy alone. Only low levels of circulating rickettsiae are present in patients with moderately severe disease. Measurement of plasma endotoxin is not useful in the early diagnosis of RMSF.

Gram-negative Bacteria on Cotton with Particular Reference to Climatic Conditions

Various factors that control the contamination of the cotton plant by Gram-negative Bacteria (GNB) were studied. The following cotton plant parts were contaminated with decreasing numbers of GNB: senescent bracts, pericarps, green bracts, seed cotton and leaves. Freezing of green cotton capsules (fruit) caused a significant increase in numbers of GNB on both bracts and seed cotton. Raw cotton derived from cotton plants harvested late in the autumn contained significantly larger numbers of GNB and higher levels of endotoxin than cotton collected early in the harvest season.

Gram-Negative Bacterial Content and Fiber Properties of Raw Cotton:

The content of gram-negative bacteria was determined for 109 samples of the 1978 crop of American upland raw cotton derived from seven grade divisions and five visual color groups. The populations of gram-negative bacteria entrained in these raw cottons varied from 1.5 X 1010 to 1.5 X 1014 for standard bale size (217.7 kg) lots. Raw cotton fiber parameters, including upper-half-mean length, length uniformity, strength, micronaire, maturity, and fineness, were all significantly and inversely correlated with the content of entrained gram-negative bacteria. The yellowness of raw cottons as measured by the cotton colorimeter was significantly and positively correlated with bacterial content. About half of the variability of gram-negative bacterial content in raw cotton samples of the 1978 American upland crop can be accounted for by variation in micronaire (r2 = 0.504).

Endotoxin Content and Fiber Properties of Raw Cotton

The content of endotoxin was determined for 255 samples of 1979 crop, American upland raw cotton derived from seven grade divisions and five color groups. A bale of raw cotton from the better white grades contained less than one gram ofendotoxin, whereas tinged and yellow stained cottons were found to have five or more grams of this microbial material. Fiber yellowness was significantly and positively correlated with endotoxin content of representative raw cottons from the Southwest. By con trast, the endotoxin content of representative cottons from all other major geo graphical regions was significantly and inversely correlated with fiber maturity. For the 1979 crop there was an absence of significant differences in endotoxin levels among representative sample groups from five major U.S.A. growing regions.

Eikenella corrodens as a cause of recurrent and persistent infections of the head and neck.

Four patients had Eikenella corrodens infections involving the head and neck in different ways. The organism is discussed as a pathogen in mixed infections and as the predominant organism in other processes. As part of the resident microflora of mucous membrane surfaces, it is an important potential pathogen in a number of otolaryngologic clinical settings. Careful microbiological culturing and susceptibility testing reveal the causative organism and guide the antibiotic therapy.

Evaluation of Cleaning and Washing Processes for Cotton Fiber Part VII. Microbiological Evaluation 1

Precleaning, washing, steaming plus washing, and steaming plus hot alkaline scour result in statisti cally significant decreases in the gram-negative organism counts and the endotoxin content of the cotton and of the airborne dusts in the model cardroom when the cotton is carded.

Environment influences levels of gram negative bacteria and endotoxin on cotton bracts

Bracts were collected at two geographical locations to determine if biological and physical changes occur in these plant parts as they mature and senesce in the cotton field during late summer and throughout the autumn. The mass median diameter of bracts subjected to laboratory abrasion tests decreases after the first killing freeze. A dramatic increase in the content of gram negative bacteria (GNB) and endotoxin occurs in whole bracts collected after the first killing freeze. The level of GNB and endotoxin in respirable bract dusts increases from 10 to 100 fold after bracts have been frozen in the field.

The Distribution of Gram Negative Bacteria and Endotoxin on Raw Cotton Components

The botanical composition of representative raw cottons from seven different growing regions was determined by manual removal and identification of all trash components greater than 50 micron in size. The number of gram negative bacteria (GNB) and the amount of endotoxin present in each of the separated raw cotton components were quantified. Low middling cotton contained significantly more bract-leaf trash than that found in higher quality cottons such as those in the middling grade division. Significantly more GNB and endotoxin were found in botanical trash components as well as lint of raw cotton derived from the southwest and southeast growing regions as compared to similar botanical components from far west cottons. For representative raw cottons from the 1980 USA crop we determined that 67% of the GNB and 89% of the endotoxin resided on white lint itself, from which all particulate larger than 50 micron in size had been removed manually.

Microbial and endotoxin content of botanical trash in raw cotton

The objective of this study was to examine widely varying grades of raw cotton obtained from different geographical regions to see if gram negative bacteria (GNB) and endotoxins are localized specifically on lint or botanical trash components. Removal of trash particles from raw cottons resulted in a decrease in the GNB and the endotoxin contents of the cleaned lint. The seed, bract, and leaf trash components removed from raw cottons each contributed very large amounts of GNB and endotoxin to the total specimen. The small amount of stained lint found in some raw cottons was also a rich source of these microbial materials.