Epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a Burns Hospital: Evaluation of Serological, Bacteriophage, and Pyocin Typing Methods1

Epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a burns hospital: surveillance by a combined typing system.

For 3 months, 259 cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from nonpatient environmental sources and 262 cultures from 16 infected patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Shriners Burns Hospital were typed by a combined system with a high degree of reliability. Sinks were major sources of environmental contamination. Serotypes 1 and 2 were the predominant types found in patients, and th...

Use of ultraviolet light in the typing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains by pyocin production.

Air-flow measurements at the working aperture showed an air speed of 0-137 m/second. After panels had been fitted to reduce the aperture from 84 x 13 cm to the minimum practicable size of 31 x 13 cm, the flow was increased to 0-32 m/second-still less than the recommended rate of 0 5 m/second. Tests of the furnace efficiency (Table, plates 1-4) showed that viable Str. hominis survived in the eff...

Epidemiological fingerprinting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the production of and sensitivity of pyocin and bacteriophage.

A new method has been devised to trace cross-infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Unknown strains growing logarithmically in liquid media were treated with mitomycin C to induce the liberation of pyocin and phage. The lysates were then tested against 27 selected indicator strains, and the zones of clearing were differentiated as to killing by pyocin or lysis by phage. Twenty-four standard pyoci...

Autosensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to its own pyocin.

Sensitivity of smooth and mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from the same patient to their own pyocins was found to be greater at 20 than at 35 C.

A Bacteriophage for Pseudomonas pyocyanea (Pseudomonas aeruginosa).