Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
_Other Hemophilic Bacteria._—The question of a pseudo-influenza bacillus
was first raised by Pfeiffer and has been studied by many workers after
him. Grassberger, who carefully investigated this problem, worked more
particularly with two strains showing the extreme of variation between
the small characteristic morphology of the B. influenzæ and the thread
forms supposed to be characteristic of the so-called pseudo-influenza
bacillus. The great majority of workers have agreed with him in
concluding that this morphological variation is not sufficient nor
constant enough to justify separating two such groups. Nevertheless many
reports indicate peculiar tendencies of certain strains toward thread
formation. There seems to be suggestive evidence that the organism
described by Cohen in 1909 under the name B. meningitidis
cerebrospinales septicemicus is different from true B. influenzæ.
Although the cultural characters were apparently identical, this
organism was definitely pathogenic for guinea pigs and rabbits. The
involvement of joints in the cases reported by Longo and others would
suggest a greater pathogenic power for these strains. Prasek and Zatelli
reported a similar bacillus from meningitis, and Davis found that his
meningitis strains were more pathogenic for rabbits than were others.
Wollstein has studied this question very carefully and found a marked
difference between the strains from the meninges and those from the
respiratory tract in their pathogenicity for rabbits. The strains with a
tendency to thread formation were usually also those grown from the
meninges, but she concluded from the results of serological tests that
all strains of B. influenzæ are of one race, irrespective of their
origin or virulence. The question is still an open one, as Batten and
others described strains from the meninges which are non-pathogenic, and
Ritchie found his strains from meningitis pathogenic for guinea pigs but
not for rabbits. The irregularity and wide divergence in the results of
blood cultures may have a definite relationship to these differences in
the pathogenicity of strains.
Other hemophilic bacteria include the bacillus described by Friedberger
under the name of B. hemoglobinophilus canis. This organism is to be
found in the preputial secretion of dogs. It does not show the
phenomenon of symbiosis, and I have found that it grows rather more
freely and is more resistant to drying than is the influenza bacillus.
Krage has confirmed Friedberger’s findings growing this bacillus from 60
per cent. of his dogs, and believed it a pyogenic organism just as B.
influenzæ may be.
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