Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ttngx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-24T07:02:18.523Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Transmission of haemolytic streptococci

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

Sydney D. Rubbo  and
Mary Benjamin
Sydney D. Rubbo
Affiliation:
School of Bacteriology, University of Melbourne
Mary Benjamin
Affiliation:
School of Bacteriology, University of Melbourne
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. A study of factors involved in the transmission of haemolytic streptococci has been made by experiments with healthy carriers and individuals whose upper respiratory passages were contaminated with Chromobacterium prodigiosum.

2. The following conclusions were reached: (a) Expulsion of haemolytic streptococci in droplet spray is determined by the nature of the expiratory activity (Fig. 1), the concentration of the organism in the saliva (Table 3) and the volume of salivary flow (Fig. 6).

(b) Droplets and droplet-nuclei are less important vehicles of transmission because of the extremely low content of haemolytic streptococci in them (Figs. 2–5)

(c) Dust particles carrying haemolytic streptococci and liberated by agitation of handkerchiefs more effectively pollute the air than violent expiratory activities (Figs. 4 and 5).

(d) Hands and clothing readily become contaminated by heavy nasal carriers (Table 4) and the former serve as the principal means of contaminating the environment and other individuals.

3. A diagram showing probable mechanisms of transmission is given (Fig. 7) in which hand contact is represented as a more important pathway of spread than air-borne dust which, in turn, is more important than either droplets or droplet-nuclei.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 51 , Issue 2 , June 1953 , pp. 278 - 292
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1953

References

Bloomfield, A. L. & Felty, A. R. (1924). Johns Hopk. Hosp. Bull. 35, 115.Google Scholar
Bourdillon, R. B., Lidwell, O. M. & Thomas, J. C. (1941). J. Hyg., Camb., 41, 197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourdillon, R. B., Lidwell, O. M. & Lovelock, J. E. (1948). Spec. Rep. Ser., Med. Res. Coun., Lond., no. 262, p. 224.Google Scholar
Colebrook, L. (1933). Brit. med. J. ii, 723.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cruickshank, R. (1949). Modern Trends in Public Health, ed. Massey. London: Butterworth.Google Scholar
Cruickshank, R. & Godber, G. E. (1939). Lancet, i, 741.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duguid, J. P. (1946 a). Brit. med. J. i, 265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duguid, J. P. (1946 b). J. Hyg., Camb., 44, 471.Google Scholar
Duguid, J. P. & Wallace, A. T. (1948). Lancet, ii, 845.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dumbell, K. R., Lovelock, J. E. & Lowbury, E. J. (1948). Lancet, ii, 183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamburger, M. Jr. (1947). Amer. J. Med. 2, 23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamburger, M. Jr., Green, M. J. & Hamburger, V. G. (1945). J. infect. Dis. 77, 68, 96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamburger, M. Jr. & Green, M. J. (1946). J. infect. Dis. 79, 33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamburger, M. Jr. & Robertson, O. H. (1948). Amer. J. Med. 4, 690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hare, R. (1940). Canad. Publ. Hlth J. 31, 539.Google Scholar
Harries, E. H. R., Mitman, M. & Taylor, T. (1951). Clinical Practice in Infectious Diseases, 4th ed. Edinburgh: E. & S. Livingstone, Ltd.Google Scholar
Holmes Margaret, C. & Rubbo, S. D. (1952). (In the Press.)Google Scholar
Krugman, S. & Ward, R. (1951). J. Amer. med. Ass. 145, 775.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laurell, G. (1949). Acta, paediat., Stockh., 37, 237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laurell, G. (1952). Acta paediat., Stockh., 41, 124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lemon, H. M., Loosli, C. G. & Hamburger, M. Jr. (1948). J. infect. Dis. 82, 72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loosli, C. G., Lemon, H. M., Robertson, O. H. & Hamburger, M. Jr. (1952). J. infect. Dis. 90, 153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lovelock, J. E., Porterfield, J. S., Roden, A. T., Somerville, T. & Andrewes, C. H. (1952). Lancet, ii, 657.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luckiesh, M., Taylor, A. H. & Holladay, L. L. (1946). J. Bact. 52, 55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Personnel of the United States Naval Medical Research Unit no. 4 (1952). Amer. J. Hyg. 55, 203.Google Scholar
Topley, & Wilson's, Principles of Bacteriology and Immunity (1946). Revised by Wilson, G. S. & Miles, A. A., 3rd ed. London: Edward Arnold and Co.CrossRefGoogle Scholar