Page 19 - pest-POSTEN nr 4, 1995

Side 19 -pest-POSTEN

infection. There is a clear need for effective among deep sea divers in the North Sea.
prophylaxis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the microbe most
___ commonly isolated from the infections, and is
often seen in pure culture. Although present in wet
INCREASED INCIDENCE OF NOTIFIED environments, P. aeruginosa is only a minor part
INVASIVE DISEASE CAUSED BY of the rich microbial flora in the warm, wet and
Streptococcus pneumoniae confined environment, in which other Gram-
IN NORWAY IN RECENT YEARS. negative bacilli are the most dominant, including
EA Høiby, V Hasseltvedt and the Norwegian other Pseudomonas species and coliforms.
Pneumococcus Study Group. The P. aeruginosa strains from skin infections in
National Instistitute of Public Health, Oslo. the North Sea deep divers exhibit unique and
specific growth-inhibiting activity towards
An overview on the epidemiology of systemic bacterial strains from the normal skin flora. This
disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in property can be demonstrated irrespective of
Norway the last two decades with emphasis on the biotype, serotype and pyocin-type of the P.
development the last five years is given. Systemic aeruginosa strains. We have attributed the activity
pneumococcal disease (bacteraemia/septi-caemia to a P.aeruginosa-produced antibacterial factor
and maningitis) is in Norway a notifiable disease. (ABF). Mapping of
report, based on laboratory oisolation of Pn from P. aeruginosa show nearly 100% ABF-positive
blood or CSF. The annual number of notified Pn strains from infection isolated in deep divers,
disease case has risen substantially in Norway in compared to less than 20% in comparable
the 1990`s. Systemic pneumococcal isolates have infections from other patients. From the
been collected at the NIPH where the organisms environment, ABF-positive strains are irregularly
have been serotyped and screened for resistance found. Our studies have shown that ABF is
against penicillin G, erythromycin, clindamycin, different from previously described antibacterial
cotrimoxazol and doxycyclin. The subset of factors from P. aeruginosa (e.g. Zyskind et al in
strains with decreased susceptibility against any 1965 or Machan et al in 1991), and from earlier
one of these drugs have further been subject to described toxic secretion products, such as
MIC determinations with the E-test. The serotype endotoxins or exotoxins.
distribution of Pn confirmed that about 90 % of all The ABF-activity of P. aeruginosa may be an
isolates still belong to serotypes represented in the important virulence factor of this bacterium in its
23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. generation of skin infections, particularly in skin
Isolates with decreased susceptibility to penicillin infections acquired by deep sea divers.
remains rather unusual in Norway. Among 468 ___
systemic Pn isolates from 1994 0.85% had
penicillin MICs >0.1 to < 1 microgr/ml, and 0.6%
and 1.0% of the examined were tetracyclin or 19th International Congress of
erythromycin resistant, respectively. Chemotherapy 16.-21. juli 1995,
___ Montreal, Canada:

DETERMINATION OF AN
ANTIMICROBIAL FACTOR (ABF) IN NON-STEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY
PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA - A MOST TREATMENT IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
IMPORTANT TOOL FOR ELIMINATION Claus O. Solberg, Haukeland Hospital, Bergen,
OF POTENTIAL SKIN PATHOGENS IN Norway.
DEEP DIVING WORKING
ENVIRONMENTS. Although the inflammatory response in infectious
C. Ahlen, OJ Iversen. SINTEF UNIMED, diseases is essential for killing of the
Trondheim, Dept. of Microbiology, University of microorganisms, it is also partly responsible for
Trondheim. deleterious effects to the host, including tissue
Skin infections are important health problems damage and even increased mortality as in acute