Bovine brucellosis in South Africa is caused mainly by Brucella abortus biovar (bv.) 1 and less frequently by B. abortus bv. 2. Bacterial isolation is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis of Brucella species; however, it is not very sensitive. The aim of this study was to determine the selective medium with optimum antibiotic composition that will allow the growth of Brucella species (spp.) while inhibiting moulds, yeast and most, if not all, Gram-negative contaminants in South Africa. In the controlled experiment, modified Agrifood Research and Technology Center of Aragon (CITA) medium (mCITA) seemed to be the optimum selective medium for isolation of Brucella spp. as compared with Farrell's medium (FM) and modified Thayer Martin (mTM), while FM inhibited the growth of most fungal and bacterial contaminants. Mean comparison between the three media used to culture B. abortus resulted in lower mean difference ranging from 0 to 2.33. In case of Brucella ovis, high mean difference was obtained when comparing FM with mCITA (10.33) and mTM (12). However, the mean differences of 0.67 and 1.67 were obtained when comparing mCITA and mTM media used to, respectively, culture pasteurised and raw milk spiked with B. ovis. Further optimisation at the Agricultural Research Council - Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute resulted in a comparable performance between FM and mCITA; however, mCITA allowed optimal growth of the fastidious B. ovis, which is generally inhibited on FM. Generally, mCITA seemed to be the optimum selective medium for isolation of Brucella spp., while FM inhibits the growth of most fungal and bacterial contaminants. Thus, veterinary laboratories can use mCITA and/or FM but should take into consideration the detection of factious Brucella isolated in the country or region.

Objective—To evaluate whether the application of steam to a variety of surface types in a veterinary hospital would effectively reduce the number of bacteria. Sample—5 surface types.Procedures—Steam was applied as a surface treatment for disinfection to 18 test sites of 5 surface types in a veterinary hospital. A pretreatment sample was obtained by collection of a swab specimen from the left side of each defined test surface. Steam disinfection was performed on the right side of each test surface, and a posttreatment sample was then collected in the same manner from the treated (right) side of each test surface. Total bacteria for pretreatment and posttreatment samples were quantified by heterotrophic plate counts and for Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp, and total coliforms by counts on selective media. Results—Significant reductions were observed in heterotrophic plate counts after steam application to dog runs and dog kennel floors. A significant reduction in counts of Pseudomonas spp was observed after steam application to tub sinks. Bacterial counts were reduced, but not significantly, on most other test surfaces that had adequate pretreatment counts for quantification. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Development of health-care–associated infections is of increasing concern in human and veterinary medicine. The application of steam significantly reduced bacterial numbers on a variety of surfaces within a veterinary facility. Steam disinfection may prove to be an alternative or adjunct to chemical disinfection within veterinary practices.

Objective-To compare the recovery rates of Campylobacter fetus subsp venerealis (Cfv) from preputial scrapings of infected bulls with passive filtration on selective medium versus nonselective medium, with and without transport medium. Samples-217 preputial scrapings from 12 bulls (4 naturally and 8 artificially infected with Cfv). Procedures-Preputial scrapings were collected in 2 mL of PBS solution and bacteriologically cultured directly on Skirrow medium or passively filtered through 0.65-μm filters onto blood agar, with or without 24 hour preincubation in modified Weybridge transport enrichment medium (TEM). After 72 hours, plates were examined for Cfv and bacterial and fungal contamination or overgrowth. Results-Passive filtration of fresh preputial scrapings onto blood agar yielded significantly higher recovery rates of Cfv (86%) than direct plating on Skirrow medium (32%), whereas recovery from TEM was poor for both media (35% and 40%, respectively). Skirrow cultures without TEM were significantly more likely to have fungal contamination than were cultures performed with any other technique, and fungal contamination was virtually eliminated by passive filtration onto blood agar. Bacterial contamination by Pseudomonas spp was significantly more common with Skirrow medium versus passive filtration on blood agar, regardless of TEM use. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-The use of transport medium and the choice of culture medium had significant effects on Cfv recovery and culture contamination rates from clinical samples. Both factors should be considered when animals are tested for this pathogen.

Different selective culture media were evaluated for isolation of Aeromonas spp. from 120 poultry meat samples. The recovery ofAeromonas isolates was highest fromAmpicillin DextrinAgar (89.39%), followed by Aeromonas Starch DNAse agar (68.18 %) andAeromonas isolation media (18.18 %).

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was realized creation and evaluation of growth activity of serum and albuminous nutritional media. In the experiment there were used of 6 pathogenic strains: Leptospira pomona; Leptospira tarassovi; Leptospira grippothyphosa; Leptospira icterrohaemorragia; Leptospira conicola; Leptospira sejroe. For the Leptospira cultivation there were used the following media: serum-supplemented vitaminized medium on the basis of buck serum; serum-supplemented medium with a growth factor; serum-supplemented vitaminized medium with antlbody biosynthesis growth factor; semisynthetic Russel's medium in modification of V.I. Sitkov. Research results showed that the albuminous nutritional medium provided an intensive accumulation of Leptospira of all tested serogroups of Leptospira, but was suitable only for single bacterial inoculation. For the secondary hatching the albuminous media was unsuitable as it lowered the antigenic activity of Leptospira.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was realized a cultivation of pasteurellas by different methods in Hottinger broth in 37 deg C temperature in course of 24 hours. Tissue culture properties were studied in accordance with the character of bacteria growth in liquid nutritive media and at the agar surface. Research results showed that in 7 hours after cultivation in media with application of shuttel apparatus and addition of glucose it was possible to obtain the highest quantity of viable pasteurellas with a high degree of virulence. The obtained culture on the basis of obtained results was proposed to be used for the production of virulence antigen.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was created an adhesive antigen on the basis of bacterial suspension of Escherichia which were separated from culture media by means of purification and concentration on membranes UMP-300 and UMP-5 that made it possible to obtain a cleaned-up preparation the specific activity of which was in 2-4 higher that of the unpurified one. In course of the study there was developed a method of purification and concentration of adhesive Escherichia antigens with the help of membrane technology. There were obtained biologically active adhesive antigens E.coli K88, K99, F41, 987P; there were selected the ultrafiltration membranes providing the optimal selectivity and productivity of the process; there were studied the influence of some factors on the process of adhesins concentration by means of ultrafiltration method. During the experiments there was analysed the agglutinating activity of antigents prepared by different methods.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was determined the influence of nutritional medium composition on pathogenic properties of leptospirosis bacteria, by an example of 6 pathogenic strains: Leptospira pomona; Leptospira tarassovi; Leptospira grippothyphosa; Leptospira icterrohaemorragia; Leptospira conicola; Leptospira hardjo. During the study there were used the following media: serum-supplemented vitaminized medium on the basis of buck serum; serum-supplemented medium with a growth factor; serum-supplemented vitaminized medium with antlbody biosynthesis growth factor; semisynthetic Russel's medium. According to the results of realized studies there was developed a correlation between terms of leptospirosis bacteria survivability in laboratory animals depending on cultivation medium. In course of the study there were analyzed terms of Leptospira persistence in guinea pigs.