The susceptibility patterns of 480 isolates representing six recently defined species of coryneform bacteria (Corynebacterium amycolatum [n = 101], Corynebacterium auris [n = 48], Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum [n = 86], Brevibacterium casei [n = 50], Dermabacter hominis [n = 49], and Turicella otitidis [n = 146]) to 17 antimicrobial agents were determined by an agar dilution method. Most significantly, for C. amycolatum strains the MICs at which 90% of isolates are inhibited were > or = 32 micrograms/ml for nearly all agents. However, all 480 strains examined were susceptible to glycopeptide antibiotics.

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Four commercial slides were compared with in-house slides for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) against Bartonella henselae in 58 healthy persons from a rural region by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. MRL-BA slides (MRL Diagnostics, USA) and Virion slides (Virion, Switzerland) with agar-derived Bartonella henselae showed IgG titers of > or = 1:256 in 44.8% and 51.7%, respectively, whereas Bion slides (Bios, Germany), MRL-Vero slides (MRL Diagnostics), and in-house slides with cell-associated Bartonella henselae showed such titers in 3.4%, 5.1% and 3.4%, respectively. The MRL-Vero slides (Bartonella IgG substrate slides, MRL Diagnostics) were further evaluated with 26 patients with cat scratch disease, 20 patients with lymphadenopathy not due to cat scratch disease, 100 blood donors from an urban area, and 120 blood donors from a mixed urban/rural area. In our mixed urban/rural population the IgG titer of 1:256 had a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 93.4% for the serodiagnosis of cat scratch disease. Seroprevalence was higher in blood donors from the mixed area (50.8%) than from the urban area (37%). MRL-Vero slides were considered useful for the serodiagnosis of cat scratch disease by indirect immunofluorescence and have replaced our in-house system. However, patients with low IgG titers should be retested three to four weeks after initial sampling to demonstrate a possible rise of IgG titers in paired sera.

Over a 3-year period, an adult cystic fibrosis patient underwent eight episodes of pulmonary exacerbation of his disease. At least one of two different strains of Bordetella hinzii could be isolated from sputum samples in every instance. The differentiation of B. hinzii from related taxa and its role as an etiologic agent of infections are discussed. The two isolates of B. hinzii reported are the third and fourth human-derived strains described in the literature.

We studied nine solid and two liquid media for their suitability to select Aeromonas and Plesiomonas spp. from human stools, using artificially contaminated samples as well as 254 samples from outpatients with and without diarrhea. Media with optimal sensitivity and specificity for Aeromonas spp. were alkaline peptone-water, Trypticase soy broth with ampicillin, inositol-brilliant green-bile salts agar, dextrin-fuchsin-sulfite agar, xylose-sodium desoxycholate-citrate agar, and Pril-xylose-ampicillin agar. For Plesiomonas sp., alkaline peptone-water and inositol-brilliant green-bile salts agar were optimal. Four strains of Aeromonas spp. were detected in patient samples with these media.

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