Survival of bacteria in amoebic hepatic pus in vitro.

Abstract

1. Bacterial infection of amoebic hepatic abscess is a relatively uncommon event.2. Investigations to demonstrate a possible bactericidal effect of liver pus in vitro indicated that small inocula, especially of young cultures, of Sh. sonnei, Staph. pyogenes and an organism of pseudomonas species were rendered sterile. Organisms such as Esch. coli, Saim. typhi, Saim. typhimurium, Sh. boydii and Strep.faecalis showed a drop in viable count during the first few hours of incubation followed by a logarithmic increase. The strain of A. aerogenes, on the other hand, was not decreased in numbers during the first few hours of incubation and showed a prolonged lag phase followed by a logarithmic increase in numbers. Shigella sonnei, Staph. pyogenes, Sh. boydii and Strep. fascalis attained to maximum population densities which were less than those obtained in control broth tubes and less than those of other organisms in liver pus.3. It is suggested that secondary bacterial infection of amoebic liver abscess is often endogenous in origin, occurring after primary aspiration due to disinte gration of the lining wall of the cavity, allowing the entrance of portal blood containing organisms from the damaged bowel.