I f - Antibiotics as selective agents in anaerobic bacteriology

The recent emergence 01 campylobacters as a cause 01 ententis might be regarded as something 01 an embarrassment to medical microbiologists. Org ani sms that were th ought to be extremely rare in man have suddenly become commonplace, yet we know litlle about the bacteria Ihemselves or their epidemiology. The obscurity that campylobacters have so long enjoyed can be attributed to their unusual growth requirements, which are not provided by methods traditionally used In clinical laboratories; moreover thell i\)olation ir om faeces depended on the development 01 a suitable selective culture technique. The initial break~ through was made by B utzler and 11i$ colleagues' in Brussels in 1973. bul the signilicance 01 their work was not generally appreclaled unli l alter the publication 01 Skirrow's paper four years later:?