Progress in Bacteriological Technique

Abstract

PROF. J. CRUICKSHANK has prepared for the British Council an account of recent advances in bacteriological methods (Brit. Med. Bull., 1, No. 8; 1943). The principal advances in the last ten years have, in his opinion, been made in the discovery of more efficient selective culture media for the isolation of bacteria, in the determination of the stable subgroups or types of bacteria and in the development of typing methods which make it possible to trace the probable source of an infection or an epidemic. Antigenic analysis has resulted in such valuable discoveries as the Vi or virulence antigen of the typhoid bacillus. Antityphoid serum made for therapeutic use should contain Vi antibodies. The blood of typhoid carriers almost always contains these, so that the Vi agglutination test has become a valuable means of helping to trace the sources of the infection. The discovery of a Vi bacteriophage, which has a specific action on Vi strains of typhoid bacilli, can be used for the identification of particular strains of these bacilli. Epidemiologists have used this means of tracing the source of isolated infections or epidemics. The typing of diphtheria bacilli has also produced valuable results.