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In dengue virus infections the asymptomatic cases are much more frequent than the symptomatic ones, but their true role in the introduction and subsequent spread of dengue viruses in non-endemic regions remains to de clarified. We analyzed data from English and French literatures to assess if viremia in asymptomatic dengue infections might be sufficient to represent a true risk. During outbreaks of dengue a large number of individuals are infected and since viremia levels in symptomatic patients are known to vary by many orders of magnitude, it is reasonable to augur that a proportion of asymptomatic cases might reach levels of viremia sufficient to infect competent mosquitoes. In addition, a number of new ways of contamination in man by dengue viruses were recently described such as blood transfusion, bone marrow transplantation, and nosocomial infections that may be worth considering.

Two novel gammaherpesviruses were isolated, one from a field vole (Microtus agrestis) and the other from wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). The genome of the latter, designated wood mouse herpesvirus (WMHV), was completely sequenced. WMHV had the same genome structure and predicted gene content as murid herpesvirus 4 (MuHV4; murine gammaherpesvirus 68). Overall nucleotide sequence identity between WMHV and MuHV4 was 85 % and most of the 10 kb region at the left end of the unique region was particularly highly conserved, especially the viral tRNA-like sequences and the coding regions of genes M1 and M4. The partial sequence (71 913 bp) of another gammaherpesvirus, Brest herpesvirus (BRHV), which was isolated ostensibly from a white-toothed shrew (Crocidura russula), was also determined. The BRHV sequence was 99.2 % identical to the corresponding portion of the WMHV genome. Thus, WMHV and BRHV appeared to be strains of a new virus species. Biological characterization of WMHV indicated that it grew with similar kinetics to MuHV4 in cell culture. The pathogenesis of WMHV in wood mice was also extremely similar to that of MuHV4, except for the absence of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue at day 14 post-infection and a higher load of latently infected cells at 21 days post-infection.

Radiotherapy is one of the principal modalities of cancer treatment, but the delivery of a curative dose of ionizing radiation (IR) to the tumour is frequently limited by the need to protect the normal tissues within the irradiated area from radiation damage. This problem could be circumvented if tumour cells could be selectively sensitized to killing by IR. One way to achieve this goal would be to transduce the tumour cells with expression vectors carrying toxin genes under the control of promoters that are inactive unless induced by IR. For this approach to be successful, two parameters must be met: (i) the expression vector has to be delivered to the tumour or its immediate vicinity (e.g. its vasculature) and (ii) the promoter driving the expression of the toxin gene has to have negligible basal activity, yet has to be activated by clinically-achievable doses of IR. Several vectors that fulfil these criteria are currently reaching clinical trials. In this review, we examine the response of mammalian cells to IR, and the current status of radiation-induced suicide gene therapy that is dependent on this response., (Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.)

Israel turkey meningo-encephalitis (ITME) virus was detected in pools of Ochlerotatus caspius Pallas and Culicoides imicola Kieffer trapped at a turkey run at Nir David during an outbreak in August 1995. Experimental membrane feeding on a blood ITME suspension showed that Culex pipiens L. became harbored virus for at least 14 d. When Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli were fed on an infected turkey, they became infected and harbored the virus for at least 7 d. Because Phlebotomines are trapped frequently at turkey runs in Israel, they should be suspected as potential vectors of ITME.

Emergence of new viruses is dependent on the intrinsic and extrinsic constraints exerting on viral evolution. Intrinsic constraints are semantic and grammatical in nature. They are analysed here in reference to Hamming's spaces, driving to a new interpretation of the evolution of the quasispecies of Manfred Eigen. Extrinsic constraints are relevant to the fact that viral evolution is always a co-evolution story, with two or three partners implicated (the viruses, their hosts and eventually their vectors). They imply that viral phylogenies are disconnected, and viruses constitute a polyphyletic system. A possible consequence is that potential viral families are already known, or at least are present in nature, in such a manner that the frames for future viral evolution are already determined and that the probability for the emergence of a new frame is nil. Nevertheless, the emergence of new pathogens in the existing frames remain possible.

A new phlebovirus (Bunyaviridae family, Phlebovirus genus), provisionally designed Chizé virus, was isolated from a nymph of Ixodes (Trichotoixodes) frontalis collected on a wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) found dead in the Chizé forest, western France. Chizé virus produced a lethal encephalitis in one-day-old mice and cytopathic effect (CPE) in Vero cells. Extracellular particles with a mean diameter of 105 nm with surface spikes characteristic of Uukuniemi (UUK) serogroup viruses were observed in Vero cells. Chizé virus reacted in complement-fixation test with several UUK serogroup viruses but was readily distinguished from all registered viruses in the serogroup. I. frontalis is highly specific for birds and unlikely to transmit Chizé virus to humans or domestic animals; the pathogenicity of the new virus to wild birds remains to be clarified.

Strain Tab4cT, a helical prokaryote that was isolated from the body of a Haematopota sp. fly collected in Champchevrier, Indre-et-Loire, Touraine, France, was found to be a member of the class Mollicutes. The cells of strain Tab4cT were small, motile helices that were devoid of a cell wall. The organism passed through filters with mean pore diameters as small as 0.20 mm. Strain Tab4cT grew rapidly in liquid SP-4 medium at both 30 and 37 degrees C. The organism fermented glucose but did not hydrolyse arginine or urea, and did not require serum for growth. In preliminary electrophoretic analyses, the cell protein patterns of strain Tab4cT were distinct from those of 14 other spiroplasmas found in mosquitoes, deer flies and horse flies from Europe and the Far-East. In reciprocal metabolism inhibition and deformation serological tests, employing antigens and antisera representative of spiroplasma groups I-XXXIII (including all sub-groups), plus ungrouped strains BARC 1901 and BARC 2649, no serological relationship with Tab4cT was found. The G + C content of the DNA of strain Tab4cT was about 25 +/- 1 mol% and its genome size was 1.305 kbp. It is proposed that spiroplasma strain Tab4cT be assigned to group XVII (presently vacant) and that strain (ATCC 700271T) is the type strain of a new species, Spiroplasma turonicum.

Significant changes have been made in the systematics of the genus Spiroplasma (class Mollicutes) since it was expanded by revision in 1987 to include 23 groups and eight sub-groups. Since that time, two additional spiroplasmas have been assigned group numbers and species names. More recently, specific epithets have been assigned to nine previously designated groups and three sub-groups. Also, taxonomic descriptions and species names have been published for six previously ungrouped spiroplasmas. These six new organisms are: Spiroplasma alleghenense (strain PLHS-1T) (group XXVI), Spiroplasma lineolae (strain TALS-2T) (group XXVII), Spiroplasma platyhelix (strain PALS-1T) (group XXVIII), Spiroplasma montanense (strain HYOS-1T) (group XXXI), Spiroplasma helicoides (strain TABS-2T) (group XXXII) and Spiroplasma tabanidicola (strain TAUS-1T) (group XXXIII). Also, group XVII, which became vacant when strain DF-1T (Spiroplasma chrysopicola) was transferred to group VIII, has been filled with strain Tab 4c. The discovery of these strains reflects continuing primary search in insect reservoirs, particularly horse flies and deer files (Diptera: Tabanidae). In the current revision, new group designations for 10 spiroplasma strains, including six recently named organisms, are proposed. Three unnamed but newly grouped spiroplasmas are strain TIUS-1 (group XXIX; ATCC 51751) from a typhiid wasp (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae), strain BIUS-1 (group XXX; ATCC 51750) from floral surfaces of the tickseed sunflower (Bidens sp.) and strain BARC 1901 (group XXXIV; ATCC 700283). Strain BARC 2649 (ATCC 700284) from Tabanus lineola has been proposed as a new sub-group of group VIII. Strains TIUS-1 and BIUS-1 have unusual morphologies, appearing as helices at only certain stages in culture. In this revision, potentially important intergroup serological relationships observed between strain DW-1 (group II) from a neotropical Drosophila species and certain sub-group representatives of group I spiroplasmas are also reported.

On August 1991, three spiroplasmas (Tab 2A, Tab 2B and Tab 4C) were isolated from Haematopota sp. flies collected from Indre-et-Loire, France. Isolations were made at 28 degrees C in MD1 medium from ground individual flies, but not from external washings. All isolates adapted well to SP4 medium at 30 and 37 degrees C and were triple cloned before serological identification. Using the cross deformation test, the 3 isolates were compared with 42 known spiroplasmas isolated from diseased plants, flowers, various insects and ticks belonging to 25 serological groups. Each isolate cross-reacted with others and exhibited weak 1-way reactions with TABS-2 or PLHS-1, two spiroplasmas isolated in the United States from respectively Tabanus abactor Philip and Panorpa helena L, a scorpion-fly. These results suggest that Tab 2A, Tab 2B and Tab 4C together with TABS-2 and PLHS-1 may represent, members of a new serological supergroup.

Three strains of nonhelical mollicutes previously isolated in France from two different mosquitoes and one tabanid fly were designated strains Ar 2328 (isolated from Aedes detritus), Ar 2392 (isolated from Aedes caspius), and CP 13 (isolated from Chrysops pictus). All of these strains exhibited properties of the genus Mesoplasma, a recently described genus of non-sterol-requiring mollicutes isolated from plants and insects. The results of metabolism inhibition and growth inhibition tests revealed that these strains and Mesoplasma entomophilum TAC or Mesoplasma florum L1 were not serologically related, but all three dipteran strains reacted strongly with Mesoplasma seiffertii F7T (T = type strain) antibodies. Using metabolism inhibition and growth inhibition tests, we found that the dipteran strains were related to each other and to strain F7T but were not identical. We also found that they were able to multiply and persist in the central nervous systems of suckling mice inoculated intracerebrally, a property that makes their use as biological control agents for pest dipterans inadvisable. Scanning electron microscopy revealed marked differences in the morphologies of the colonies of the different strains on SP4 solid medium. The levels of DNA-DNA homology for strains Ar 2328, Ar 2392, CP 13, and F7T were more than 70%, indicating that these strains are closely related members of the same species, M. seiffertii. In addition, one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that each strain produced about 40 protein bands. This technique also revealed differences between strains. Using the coefficient of Smeath-Jacquart, we constructed a dendrogram that allowed us to estimate of the levels of relatedness of these four strains. The results which we obtained were confirmed by two-dimensional protein electrophoresis results.

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the incidence of viral respiratory infection in hospitalized premature newborn infants and to assess the role of coronaviruses. All hospitalized premature infants with a gestational age less than or equal to 32 weeks were included. Tracheal or nasopharyngal specimens were studied by immunofluorescence for coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, adenoviruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses. Forty premature infants were included; 13 samples were positive in 10 newborns (coronaviruses n = 10; influenza 1 n = 2; adenovirus n = 1). None was positive at admission. All premature infants infected with coronaviruses had symptoms of bradycardia, apnea, hypoxemia, fever or abdominal distension. Chest X-ray revealed diffuse infiltrates in two cases. However, no significant difference was observed between infected and non-infected premature infants for gestational age, birth weight, duration of ventilation, age at discharge, incidence of apnea or bradycardia. Nosocomial respiratory tract infection with coronaviruses appears to be frequent. The clinical consequences should be evaluated in a larger population.

In this limited series of 23 patients suffering from severe or life-threatening intra-abdominal infection, piperacillin + tazobactam, together with adequate surgical drainage and resections, cured 78% of our patients and eradicated almost all the pathogens. Side effects included essentially eosinophilia and elevation of transaminases but was never severe. Piperacillin + tazobactam seem thus to be an acceptable treatment, associated with correct surgical drainage. This regimen has to be compared in appropriate trial versus gold standard therapy, such as imipenem, a beta-lactam with aminoglucoside and imidazole or clindamycin or with broad spectrum beta-lactam and other inhibitors or beta-lactamases, but our rate of cure is impressive in such a population.

Links between mycoplasmas and viruses are ancient, multiple and complex, from past confusions during the first decades of the virus era to present realities illustrated by the possible implication of mycoplasmas as co-factors in natural infections of AIDS. Mycoplasma viruses (phages) may also be responsible for modifying the pathogenic power of mycoplasmas, at least for plants and insects. In addition, several mycoplasmas are able to act as undesirable cell culture contaminants that induce erroneous results in both applied and general virology. These problems are examined within a historical context.

A new Phlebovirus provisionally named Tunis virus has been isolated from Argas reflexus hermanni ticks parasitizing domestic pigeons. It is the first isolation of an arbovirus from Tunisia and the fourth tick-borne virus to be isolated from the Moghreb following Soldado, Essaouira and Kala Iris in Morocco. The pathogenic potential of this virus is briefly discussed according to the behaviour of its vector and previous serosurveys in the country.

Spiroplasma taiwanense is the first member of the Class Mollicutes to be subjected to polypeptide cartography using computerized image analysis. The small genome size characteristic of this group was shown to code for low numbers of polypeptides when compared to other bacterial species. Silver-stained two-dimensional electrophoresis gels, following separation by either isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (ISO-DALT) or nonequilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis (NEPHGE), were used to create databases from 10 and 6 gels, respectively, for each technique and produced, respectively, 263 and 287 replicated spots. Polypeptides were mapped with respect to molecular mass and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase carbamylation standards. Of interest was the unexpectedly high percentage (50.2%) of the total normalised optical intensity associated with all 263 spots detected by ISO-DALT electrophoresis, having been contributed by just 29 dominant protein spots. These 29 polypeptides are to be given priority in microsequencing and microanalysis aimed at their identification.

Our purpose was to evaluate the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the production of antiperinuclear factor (APF), a rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-specific marker, and the autoimmunogenicity of 'perinuclear antigens' (PNA) found within the buccal mucosa epithelial cells used as a substrate in the APF assay. Fifty APF-positive and 50 APF-negative sera from RA patients were examined for the presence of antibodies to six different EBV antigens. APF was tested in the serum of 40 patients with acute infectious mononucleosis (IM), 48 PNA-expressing donors and 29 non-PNA-expressing donors. The EBV genome was sought in the saliva and buccal cells of both types of donors. The targeted granules of cells from a PNA-expressing donor were studied by electron-microscopy. The prevalence of anti-EBV antibodies was similar in RA patients with and without APF, whereas the APF-positive sera was elevated in acute IM. The titres of anti-EBV antibodies did not correlate to the expression of PNA in the buccal cells of the donors. There was no relationship between this expression and the presence of the EBV genome in the material obtained from 'positive' donors, relative to 'negative' donors. No virus-like particles could be detected inside the granules by electron microscopy. These results indicate that there are no direct relationships between EBV and the APF/PNA system, although APF was present in a number of patients with IM.

Essaouira and Kala Iris viruses were isolated from Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) maritimus ticks parasitizing yellow-legged gulls (Larus cachinnans) on the coast of Morocco in 1979 and 1981, respectively. Serological evidence indicates that these two viruses are new members of the Chenuda complex within the Kemerovo serogroup of the genus Orbivirus. Ecological, pathological, morphological, and physicochemical properties are compatible with these findings. The infectivity of these viruses for man and animals, including seabirds, remains unknown.

Objectives: To assess the ability of the African Hut Tampan, Ornithodoros moubata, to mechanically transmit HIV-1 and to re-appraise HIV-1 infectivity in an arthropod cell line at 28 and 35 degrees C., Design: To evaluate HIV-1 transmission by O. moubata, as determined by HIV-1 survival, 'blood-meal' size and interval between feeds, various tick developmental stages were allowed to feed on a heavily infected lymphoblast-rich blood-meal containing HIV-1BRU in an in vitro feeding chamber., Methods: Blood-meal regurgitation was evaluated using 51Cr-labelled human erythrocytes, and human lymphoblast survival in ticks using Trypan blue. HIV-1 survival in ticks was evaluated by reverse transcriptase activity in tick homogenates cocultured with CEM lymphoblasts. Polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis were used to detect proviral HIV-1 in arthropod cells in vitro., Results: HIV-1BRU remained viable for up to 10 days with O. moubata adults. This is the longest recorded survival of HIV in an arthropod. In agreement with other studies. O. moubata regurgitated part of its previous blood-meal into the feeding lesion. Human CEM lymphoblasts partially survived for up to 7 days at 28 and 35 degrees C inside O. moubata's digestive tract. The blood-meal of adult female ticks was as high as 240 microliters (approximately 70 times more than a mosquito), while the most likely potential mechanical vectors (fourth- and fifth-stage nymphs) ingested an average of 39 microliters (maximum, 73 microliters), with some ticks re-feeding as early as 14 days postfeed in the absence of a moult. Shortcomings associated with the experimental protocol suggest that HIV survival within O. moubata may reach 14 days following natural infection, or that ticks might re-feed earlier. Although HIV-1BRU and HIV-1NDK were unable to replicate at 28 and 35 degrees C in CD4- Aedes albopictus C6/36 mosquito cells, HIV-1NDK was detected in its proviral form., Conclusions: Our investigations showed that mechanical transmission of HIV-1 by O. moubata is unlikely to occur in the laboratory. This may not be the situation under field conditions.

A rickettsia-like microorganism was isolated in suckling mice from Ixodes uriae ticks collected from penguins breeding on Mayes Island, Kerguelen Archipelago, French Subantarctic Territories. At isolation, this agent mimicked a tick-borne arbovirus. Finally, electron microscopy studies of infected suckling mouse livers showed the presence of inclusions filled with pleomorphic microorganism in the cytoplasm of some hepatocytes, sometimes dividing by binary fission and thus of obviously non-viral nature. No firm serological relationship was demonstrated with Chlamydia psittaci, C. trachomatis, C. pneumoniae, Coxiella burnetti, Cowdria ruminentium, Ehrlichia canis, E. phagocytophila, E. risticii or the WSU/1044 agent. The exact taxonomic position of the "Mayes" agent remains to be clarified.

Four consecutive epidemics of keratoconjunctivitis caused by adenovirus 8 (Ad8) occurred over a 5-year period in Brest, France. A selection of 30 strains isolated during this period was studied by DNA restriction enzyme analysis using nine restriction enzymes. BglI and SacI were the most discriminative enzymes and allowed the recognition of four DNA variants, all different from the prototype strain Trim. Within each of the epidemics, the strains tested could not be distinguished in this analysis. Between strains from different epidemics differences in DNA structure could be detected however. Thus, the Ad8 epidemics of 1983/1984, 1984, 1987, and 1988 appear to have been due to DNA variants Ad8/D7, D8, D9, and D10, respectively. These results demonstrate that the DNA of Ad8 seems to display a considerable variability, comparable to that observed with Ad7 and Ad21. As has been described for Ad7, Ad21 and Ad41, successive DNA variants of Ad8 prevail during one or more years, and are then replaced by other, newly emerging variants sometimes associated with epidemics.

Strain A56 of the bee pathogen Spiroplasma melliferum was isolated from a honeybee (Apis mellifera) during ecological studies on mosquito spiroplasmas in Savoie (France). When inoculated intracerebrally (i.c.) into 48-h old suckling mice, this strain was found to replicate to very high titres and to persist in brain for up to 9 months in one individual. We attempted to increase the "neurotropism" of A56 by sequential i.c. passages. During the first two passages, multiplication of the organisms was observed at very high titres in suckling mouse brain (10(7) to 10(11) CCU/ml) generally without the appearance of antibody, thus mimicking the so-called "immunological tolerance" phenomenon. Intracerebral multiplication of A56 decreased during the third passage (10(2) to 10(4) CCU/ml) and ceased during the fourth passage. Spiroplasma multiplication in brain was apparently well tolerated, since brain lesions were minimal and clinical symptoms were limited to a clear, but only rarely significant, delay in growth curves of inoculated versus non-inoculated mice. Progressive spongiform encephalopathy was never observed. Strain A56 S. melliferum appears as the second spiroplasma, after the tick-derived Spiroplasma mirum capable of multiplying in both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts.

Helical replicative forms, but not the persistent non-replicative forms, of Spiroplasma taiwanense Abalain-Colloc et al. (isolated from the mosquito Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann in Taiwan) were shown to reduce significantly the survival of Aedes aegypti (L.) mosquito larvae reared in 10 ml of water with 0.3 ml of S.taiwanense suspensions added on days 0 and 3. The suspensions contained, respectively, helical forms at a concentration of 10(9) Colour Change Units (CCU)/ml and persistent forms at 10(6) CCU/ml. It is suggested that S.taiwanense, or toxins produced from it, are potentially useful for use in integrated mosquito control programmes.

Intrathoracic inoculation with the mosquito spiroplasma, Spiroplasma taïwanense Abalain-Colloc et al., was found to reduce significantly the survival of adult male and female Aedes aegypti (L.) and Anopheles stephensi Liston. This spiroplasma also reduced significantly the flight capacity of adult female Ae. aegypti 5-8 d after inoculation and adult female An. stephensi 4 d after inoculation. Adult female An. stephensi were incapable of flight 5 d after inoculation. As such, S. taïwanense joins Bacillus thuringiensis and B. sphaericus as bacteria known to be pathogenic for mosquito vectors.

Eighteen patients with typical Herpes simplex virus dendritic keratitis confirmed by viral isolation were treated with corneal collagen shields presoaked with trifluorothymidine for 15 minutes and trifluorothymidine eye drops 5 times daily. The average healing time was 2.9 days (range 1-7 days). No allergic reactions were observed. Toxic punctate keratitis occurred in 3 eyes. The results of this open study suggest that the effect of collagen corneal shields in conjunction with trifluorothymidine shortens the average epithelial healing time compared with other studies that have used antiviral drugs alone.

The optimal management of herpes simplex stromal keratitis and uveitis is controversial. Thirty-two patients with presumptive herpetic anterior uveitis without active corneal inflammation received 3% acyclovir ophthalmic ointment five times daily and acyclovir 200mg orally five times a day. Eight of 18 patients (44.4%) who had received corticosteroids deteriorated over the first five days of therapy; one of 14 patients (7.1%) without previous corticosteroid use worsened during this time (P less than .05). The mean healing time was similar in these two groups. These results suggest that antiviral therapy may be first-line treatment in patients with herpetic keratouveitis who have not received corticosteroids.

Scanning electron microscopy was used to study haemagglutination by 10 arboviruses belonging to the Togaviridae and Bunyaviridae families. The pictures obtained did not allow to clarify the precise mechanism of haemagglutination by these viruses. The data suggest that no fundamental differences exist in the mechanism of haemagglutination between these two arbovirus families.

This report concerns the study of a 43-year-old woman with a four-year history of recurrent infection caused primarily by staphylococci. The patient was treated with various antibiotic combinations without long-term success. We found phagocytosis, directed migration and the capacity to kill Staphylococcus aureus to be impaired; the capacity to adhere to nylon fibre was normal, the non-quantitative NBT reduction test was unaffected and we were unable to detect any humoral abnormality (e.g. in complement or immunoglobulins). The dissociated impairment of neutrophil functions was clearly improved by levamisole.

Comparative studies were performed on crane herpesviruses obtained from two different enzootics in Austria and France. The examined viruses appear to be identical in their physico-chemical properties, morphology and biological reactions in ovo. The crane viruses are tentatively classified as beta-herpesviruses. Crane herpesvirus antisera produced in rabbits reacted in cross neutralization tests with each other and with a herpesvirus obtained from a bobwhite quail. No reactivity was observed with other avian herpesviruses and with human herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2.

Spiroplasmas have been isolated previously from a number of blood-sucking arthropods, including ticks, horseflies, and deerflies. More recently, spiroplasmas were isolated from mosquitoes from the USA, France, and Taiwan. Spiroplasmas isolated from mosquitoes from France belong to at least three serogroups and are serologically different from one of the Taiwan isolates, Sp2. Our Ar 1343 strain is the prototype of a new serogroup (XIII). During 3 consecutive years (1983-85), the ecology of these spiroplasmas was studied in different biotopes near, and in, the Isère River Valley in Savoia, France. A total of 23 strains was isolated from four species or groups of mosquitoes (Aedes sticticus/vexans, Ae. cantans/annulipes, Ae. cinereus/geminus and Coquillettidia richiardii). Spiroplasmas were isolated only from female mosquitoes and only during June and July. An as yet unidentified virus was also isolated from three mosquito pools, one of which yielded spiroplasmas. Spiroplasma viruses were not detected. Antibody to our Ar 1357 isolate was found in 4 of 20 sera from cows living in the areas studied, but not in sera from wild rodents or in sera from rabbit or pigeon sentinels. Finally, preliminary results are presented on the effects of experimental infection of Ae. aegypti with the Ar 1357 isolated (serogroup XXII).

Antigenic analysis of 9 strains of the Soldado virus, originating from seven different countries of Central and Northern America, Africa, Northern Europe and of the Pacific area was carried out by means of complement fixation (CF) and immunodiffusion (ID) tests. Three strains isolated from Ornithodoros (A.) capensis, including the reference Trinidad strain, were found to be related within the same relatively heterogeneous sub-group C, being characteristic for the New World. Five other strains isolated from Ornithodoros (A.) maritimus were classified to form an another, much more homogeneous subgroup M, characteristic for the Old World (related to the Ireland strain). The South Africa strain, isolated form Ornithodoros (A.), probably capensis, could not be classified in either of the above two subgroups. Thus, the Soldado virus in fact represents a complex of more or less closely related strains, but not a single virus.

Nine Orbiviruses of the Kemerovo serogroup were isolated from ticks collected in seabird colonies situated in the U.K., Faeroe Islands, Norway, Morocco and California, U.S.A. Comparison by serological tests with previously reported members of the Kemerovo serogroup demonstrated that viruses isolated from the hard tick, Ixodes uriae, were members of the Great Island subgroup, whereas viruses from soft ticks, Argas monolakensis and Ornithodoros maritimus, belonged to the Chenuda subgroup. Members of the Chenuda group differed from the Great Island group in their ability to produce plaques in Xenopus cell cultures and in the time taken to produce clinical signs in infected mice.

Renal failure developed in a 20-year-old female renal transplant recipient in the course of reactivation of varicella-zoster virus infection. The patient was treated with acyclovir and immunosuppression was continued. The year later renal function in the transplanted kidney was satisfactory.