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Pyothorax associated with a Mycoplasma sp and Arcanobacterium pyogenes was diagnosed at necropsy in a 1-month-old female Van kitten. The pleural cavity contained approximately 50 mL of blood-tinged, reddish-brown, nonodourous fluid bilaterally. Gram positive coccobacilli were seen in the exudate from necrotic plaques on the pleurae. Mycoplasma sp and A pyogenes were isolated from a sample of the fluid in the pleural cavity. The concomitant presence of Mycoplasma sp and A pyogenes could be considered another variation on the polymicrobial nature of pyothorax and associated pleural lesions in cats.

In the study, group B streptococci (GBS) isolated from bovines and humans in and around Van, eastern Turkey, were serotyped, and their haemagglutination and lectin-agglutination properties were also determined. This study is the first epidemiological survey of GBS serotypes performed in Turkey. A total of 148 GBS isolates, 76 from bovine milk and 72 from women attending a maternity polyclinic, were examined by co-agglutination, slide haemagglutination and slide lectin-agglutination tests. By the co-agglutination test, 34 (44?7 %) of bovine isolates and 49 (68 %) of human isolates could be serotyped. In bovine isolates, type VII (11?8 %), III (10?5 %), Ic (6?5 %) and VIII (3?9 %) were the most frequently detected serotypes. The most frequent human serotypes were Ic (33?3 %), IV (8?3 %), VIII (6?9 %), V (5?5 %) and R (5?5 %). In the haemagglutination test using rabbit erythrocytes, 23 (33?3 %) bovine and 15 (23?4 %) human isolates were found to be positive. The bovine GBS isolates showed a significant positive agglutination reaction with Dolichos biflorus lectin (30?4 %), whereas the human GBS isolates were found to be positive for Arachis hypogea (18?8 %) and Canavalia ensiformis (37?5 %) lectins. The treatment of GBS with trypsin was also found to be important for the demonstration of the haemagglutination and lectin-agglutination properties of GBS. The results of the study provide data on serotype distribution and the formulation of a possible GBS vaccine in Turkey, and the lectin-agglutination tests may also be useful for differentiating bovine and human GBS strains.

The present study was designed to determine the slime production of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and the enterotoxigenic properties of Staphylococcus aureus strains, and to evaluate the clinical importance of slime-producing CoNS and enterotoxigenic S. aureus strains isolated from various human clinical specimens. For this purpose, a total of 120 Staphylococcus strains were isolated and identified, and further characterized for their slime production and enterotoxigenicity. Of the clinical isolates, 55 (45.8 %) were found to be S. aureus, and the others (54.2 %) were identified as CoNS. Of the CoNS, 20 (16.7 %) were further identified as Staphylococcus hominis, 18 (15 %) as Staphylococcus epidermidis, six (5 %) as Staphylococcus xylosus, six (5 %) as Staphylococcus warneri, five (4.2 %) as Staphylococcus sciuri, four (3.3 %) as Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and two each (1.7 %) as Staphylococcus simulans, Staphylococcus capitis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus, respectively. Thirty-nine (60 %) of 65 CoNS were found to be slime producers. Slime production was observed in all CoNS, except S. capitis, mostly from blood (38.5 %), tracheal aspiration (20.5 %) and urine (12.8 %) specimens. In addition, of the 55 S. aureus isolates, 46 (83.6 %) were found to be enterotoxigenic, and of these S. aureus strains, 39 (84.7 %) were positive for staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE)A. The results of this study showed that the slime-producing CoNS were mostly found in clinical specimens of blood, tracheal aspirate and urine. SEA was the predominant enterotoxin type detected in S. aureus strains from human clinical specimens. INTRODUCTIONCoagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), inhabitants of skin and mucous membranes, are known to be opportunistic pathogens, causing bacterial keratitis and infections in immunocompromised hosts or in patients implanted with medical devices such as intravascular and peritoneal dialysis catheters, prosthetic heart valves and orthopaedic prostheses (Kogan et al., 2006). CoNS are characterized by an ability to colonize the surfaces of biomaterials by adhering in biofilm-structured communities of cells encased in a self-produced polymeric matrix, an amorphous slimy material that is loosely bound to staphylococcal cells. Slime is believed to make the micro-organisms more resistant to administered antibiotics and to host-defence mechanisms (Götz, 2002).Staphylococcus aureus strains are widespread in nature. They inhabit the skin, mucous membranes, anterior nares, eyes and gastrointestinal tract of asymptomatic individuals, where they can exist as resident or transient members of the normal flora without causing disease. However, some strains are responsible for many nosocomial infections, and in addition are the main causative agent of food intoxication by virtue of their variety of enterotoxins (Stephan et al., 2001 Recently, many studies have mainly been focused on the slime production of CoNS, but the results of these studies mostly do not reflect the importance of slime-producing CoNS from dif...

Ekin I.H., K. Gürtürk, A. Arslan, B. Boynukara: Prevalence and Characteristics of Campylobacter Species Isolated from Gallbladder of Slaughtered Sheep in Van, (Eastern) Turkey. Acta Vet. Brno 2006, 75: 145-149. To determine the prevalence of campylobacter species in gallbladder of sheep in Van, (Eastern) Turkey, a total of 220 gallbladder samples from healthy slaughtered sheep were examined bacteriologically in October 2000 and 2002. Of the 110 samples examined each year, 27 (24.6%) and 24 (21.8%) campylobacter strains were isolated, respectively. Of the 27 campylobacter strains isolated in the year 2000, 14 (51.9%) were identified as C. jejuni, 7 (25.9%) C. fetus, 3 (11.1%) C. coli and 3 (11.1%) C. lari. Similar results were obtained in the study performed in 2002, but C. lari could not be isolated. Growth and biochemical characteristics of all identified Campylobacter species with some exceptions were typical of each species. Six of 13 examined C. fetus strains grew well at both 25 °C and 42 °C in thioglycollate medium and on blood agar. C. jejuni strains differed from C. coli only by Na-hippurate hydrolysis test. Results of the present study revealed that C. jejuni is the most common campylobacter species isolated from gallbladders of sheep. The thermophilic campylobacters in significant proportions may cause contamination of carcass during slaughter and transmission of the food-borne pathogens to humans.