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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.

A study of serological, bacteriocine and phage typing of Serratia marcescens was made. Specific 0-antisera of adequate titre were relatively simple to prepare but H-antisera exhibited many heterologous agglutination reactions amongst the type strains. Most of these cross-reactions were not reproduced when immobilization tests with H-sera were performed. Direct haemagglutination tests were used to establish the presence of fimbriae amongst the H-type strains and the results of agglutination tests with non-fimbriate variants of strains indicated that fimbrial antibody in high titre was present in some sera.Replicate typing of 100 pairs of cultures by the phage-typing method indicated that small variations in pattern were common and that larger variations occurred occasionally. Therefore differences in pattern of less than two strong reactions should not be taken as evidence that strains can be distinguished.Cultures of S. marcescens, 273 in total, from six outbreaks of infection in British and European hospitals were typed by 0-serology, H agglutination and immobilization tests, phage typing and bacteriocine susceptibility by a cross-streaking method. The typability of strains by each method was high but the results suggested that no single method was sufficiently discriminating to be used alone for typing. Comparison of the H-type and typing patterns of members of the same 0 serogroup from incidents of infection showed that reliable results were obtained by H-typing or by phage and bacteriocine typing after the application of the appropriate 'difference' rule.The greatest discrimination between strains of the same 0-group was obtained by the use of H-typing or phage typing. UNTRODUCTIONMany different methods have been used for the epidemiological type identification of strains of Serratia marcescens. They include serological typing of 0 and

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• Hospital-associated infections are a problem for patient care. • Hygiene training of staff prevents bacterial contamination of ultrasound probes. • Disinfection of ultrasound probes is an easy method to protect patients.

Thirty-one species (185 strains) of non-fermentative gram-negative rods (excluding Pseudomonas aeruginosa) as well as 45 strains of Aeromonas spp., 15 strains of Plesiomonas shigelloides and 68 strains of Enterobacter agglomerans were tested in microdilution procedures against N-formimidoyl thienamycin, ceftazidime, cefotiam, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime. N-formimidoyl thienamycin was the most effective drug as far as the spectrum of these bacterial groups and potency is concerned; ceftazidime was the second most effective agent. Ceftriaxone and cefotaxime were similar in their activity (against a smaller spectrum), while cefotiam showed little effect. There were occasional differences between MBC and MIC values which were most notable with ceftazidime, cefotiam, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime against E. agglomerans.

A serotyping scheme for Enterobacter cloacae based on heat-stable somatic antigens is described. A total of 28 antisera were prepared in rabbits, and titers of agglutinins were high (greater than 640). Some cross-reactions were observed, and 11 sera required absorption before routine use. Of 300 clinical isolates from 66 hospitals, 77.6% were typable, 11.4% were not agglutinated by any of the sera, and 11.0% were autoagglutinable in saline. The eight most frequent serotypes were O3 (21.3%), O8 (13.3%), O1 (7.6%), O13 (5.0%), O9 (4.7%), O10 (3.0%), O16 (3.0%), and O25 (3.0%).

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