Staphylococcal Infection in the Maternity Hospital

Jellard, Janet (1959) Staphylococcal Infection in the Maternity Hospital. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

In none of the experiments described in this section has it been possible to show any difference in the behaviour of the phage types tested which could be associated with the differences noticed in the epidemiological study, except that two strains which produced less alpha lysin than usual were shown to have a lower infectioiq/lesion ratio than normal. Strains of phage type 80 were not found to produce any more of the substances which are thought to be associated with virulence than other strains. The aspect which I think would be most valuable to follow up would be that of resistance to phagocytosis. This could occur either because of the presence of a hitherto undetected layer of capsular material round the cell, or because of the production of an usually powerful leucocidin. Although no capsules were seen in the simple microscopic examination carried out, their presence is suggested by the persistant "smoothness" of strains of type 80 in old broth cultures when compared with other strains. Dr. G. P. Gladstone very kindly examined one strain of phage type 80 for the production of P.V. leucocidin by the method described by Gladstone and van Heyningen (1957). He reported (personal communication) that the strain examined produced abundant leucocidin, but as no comparison was made with other strains, it is not known whether an unusual virulence can be attributed to this. Another study which might prove interesting would he that of the mutation rates of different strains. If clinically virulent strains could he shown to have a higher mutation rate than others, this might give them an advantage over other strains by virtue of their greater adaptability to a new environment.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Medicine, Epidemiology, Pathology, Microbiology
• Date of Award: 1959
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1959-79306
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 05 Mar 2020 10:59
• Last Modified: 05 Mar 2020 10:59
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/79306