Human Handlers Research Articles

Restoration of a wildlife sanctuary in an urban setting: P. F. Rice, Journal of Arboriculture, 17(1), 1991, pp 21–25

Primate responses to a vaccinia-rabies glycoprotein recombinant virus vaccine

Behaviour of kennelled dogs

Nonhuman primate (monkey) bites to researchers and attending animal care staff may present problems in patient management. Such inoculations can transmit serious bacterial and viral infections to the human handlers. Significant local and systemic manifestations can subsequently develop following such an injury. Since Herpesvirus simiae (B virus) is enzootic in Asiatic monkeys of the genus Macaca, and since B virus infection in humans is usually fatal, additional prophylactic and therapeutic measures must be taken when persons are bitten by macaque monkeys. Primate bites require early aggressive intervention.

The role of the physical rearing environment in the domestication of the mongolian gerbil ( Meriones unguiculatus)

THE natural ecology of Escherichia coli and its infectious plasmids is not understood, although there is suggestive evidence that animals may serve as reservoirs for E. coli found in humans1,2. Investigation in this area becomes additionally important in view of the practice of introducing plasmids with pieces of foreign DNA into E. coli3,4. During an examination of the effects of antibiotic-supplemented animal feed on flora of farm animals and human personnel (ref. 5 and S.B.L., G.B.F. and A.B.M., unpublished), a study was initiated to determine if R plasmids and their E. coli hosts were naturally transferred among chickens and from chickens to human handlers. Our results illustrate the spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms from chicken to chicken and from chicken to man.

SUMMARY A serologic survey for antibodies to group A and group B arboviruses, Pseudomonas pseudomallei, and Rickettsia tsutsugamushi was conducted in Thailand. Serum samples were collected from 232 sentry dogs and 222 human dog handlers at the time of their arrival in that country and quarterly thereafter for 1 year. Results of serotests with the 4 antigens were negative for dogs and handlers on arrival. Both dogs and handlers developed hemagglutinationinhibiting (hi) antibodies to group A arboviruses at the rate of 3% annually. Rates of change of serotest results to positive for group B arbovirus antibody (hi) were 41% for dogs and 34% for human handlers. Neither human handlers nor dogs developed detectable antibodies against P. pseudomallei or R. tsutsugamushi. Seasonal differences in changes to positive results in tests for group B arbovirus antibody occurred, with the highest incidence during the period September through December. Geographic differences occurred with the changes in test results at different bases, varying from 22 to 51%. Dogs developed detectable antibody in 55% of the collection periods, and, therefore, may be of value as sentinel animals. A survey at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, consisted of single samples from each of 50 sentry dogs. Serologic analysis was conducted for antibodies to the same 4 antigens surveyed in Thailand. These dogs were test negative for antibody to group A arboviruses, P. pseudomallei, and R. tsutsugamushi. Eighty-two percent had titers (1:40 dilution or greater) to group B arboviruses.

CONTAMINATION OF FRESH AND COOKED MEATS BY ANTIBIOTICRESISTANT COLIFORM BACTERIA

An investigation of staphylococcal epidemiology was undertaken at an Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition station during 1965-1966. It concerned the carriage of staphylococci by the men and their dogs, and the occurrence of staphylococci in the station environment. The year-long study indicated that coagulase-negative strains survived better in the Antarctic environment than coagulase-positive strains. It was demonstrated that naturally acquired coagulase-positive strains could not maintain colonization on forearm skin under the usual cold exposure experienced at Mawson station, though coagulase-negative skin strains appeared to thrive during the winter. Staphylococcus albus and S. aureus were able to persist in the anterior nares, despite the sometimes lower temperatures recorded in this micro-climate, probably because of the greater humidity and denser populations found there. The majority of the nasal carriers of S. aureus were persistent carriers, only two men in 27 being found to be occasional carriers of nasal strains, which was consistent with the observation that transfer of this pathogen from man to man is not common under Antarctic conditions. Half of the 27 sledge dogs at the station were found to carry coagulase-positive staphylococci but this did not appear to be of pathological significance to their human handlers. The local inanimate environment, including mess hut, sleeping huts and sleeping bags used on expeditions, was searched for contamination by S. aureus but none was detected.

Journal Article PHAGE TYPE AND ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY OF STAPHYLOCOCCI ISOLATED FROM MONKEYS AND THEIR HUMAN HANDLERS Get access ROBERT J. BALL, ROBERT J. BALL Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar JEROME P. SCHMIDT JEROME P. SCHMIDT Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 82, Issue 2, September 1965, Pages 112–114, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a120537 Published: 01 September 1965 Article history Received: 15 February 1965 Published: 01 September 1965

The methods to be presented in this paper were developed in the course of research carried out at Hamilton Station, the Behavioral Division of the Roscoe B. Jackson Laboratory. In the earlier years of this laboratory, a major area of research was the genetics of animal behavior. The behavioral characteristics of 5 breeds of dogs and a variety of hybrids reared under carefully controlled environmental conditions were analyzed from a genetic standpoint. This entailed the development of a battery of techniques for measuring dog behavior in various test situations. Subsequently, interest was directed toward the effects of particular environmental conditions and types of handling upon the behavioral development of dogs with known genetic backgrounds. For example, animals were reared under semiwild conditions, in isolation from other dogs, or with kind, as opposed to punitive, contacts with human handlers. In the course of this work, a considerable