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An industrial area with poor sanitation and inhabited by migrant, male predominant population, situated South to Surat City, experienced an outbreak of pyogenic meningitis during 1985-87. A total of 197 cases of meningitis with 34 deaths were reported during a period of 1 1/2 years. Neisseria meningitidis was the predominant pathogen isolated from 66 out of 138 CSF samples. Recently migrated males of productive age groups drawn from the States of Uttar Pradesh and Orissa were predominantly affected. Male to female ratio was found to be 7.2:1. Nearly 2/3rd of the cases were reported during the dry colder months of winter and spring. Pregnancy and childbirth appeared to be important predisposing factors in females. Nine cases were reported from the family contacts of cases. Majority of the cases were labourers doing manual work.

The effect of coexposure to lead and cadmium (each 50 ppm alone and 25 ppm in combination) on the testes of rats and the preventive role of zinc (50 ppm) was investigated by administering these metals through drinking water. Male weaned albino rats were exposed to these metals for 120 days. Testicular histology, sperm counts and sperm motility were studied in these rats. The animals coexposed to lead and cadmium exhibited much more pronounced pathological changes and reduced sperm counts compared to the animals exposed to either of the metals alone. Zinc supplementation to the lead + cadmium exposed rats revealed the protective effect of zinc on these parameters. The observed higher magnitude of changes in the testes of lead + cadmium exposed group seems to be due to the excessive cadmium accumulation.

Groups of rats were exposed simultaneously to manganese chloride (3 mg Mn2+/ml water) through drinking water and lead acetate intraperitoneally at dosages of 5.0, 8.0 and 12.0 mgPb2+/kg daily for a period of 14 days. The magnitude of changes in the behavioral pattern, contents of biogenic amines and accumulation of lead in the brain of rats simultaneously exposed to the two metals was significantly greater than observed in rats after exposure to either of the metals alone. A definite dose-response relationship was, however, noticed only with the changes in the motoractivity, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine levels and in the accumulation of lead in rats simultaneously exposed to manganese and lead. The lowering in the contents of norepinephrine after combined treatment was found to be related with the decrease in the motoractivity in the rats. The exact role of depression in the levels of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in inducing marked impairment in learning ability and increased aggressive behavior in rats after the combined exposure to manganese and lead could not be ascertained. The overall analysis of the data indicated that the simultaneous exposure to manganese and lead, particularly with highest dose of the latter, may produce serious derangements in the behavioral pattern and levels of biogenic amines in the brain of rats.

Daily oral administration of acrylonitrile (10 mg/kg body weight) to mice for a period of 60 days caused a significant decrease in the activity of testicular sorbitol dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase, and an increase in that of lactate dehydrogenase and beta-glucuronidase. Histopathological studies revealed degeneration of the seminiferous tubules. A decrease in the sperm counts of the epididymal spermatozoa was also observed in the animals of the acrylonitrile-exposed group. These observations suggest that acrylonitrile may affect the male reproductive function by causing testicular injury.