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During a 6-month period, all clinical isolates of catalase-positive coryneform organisms, which were isolated during the routine processing of clinical specimens, were characterized in the laboratory of the 1800-bed University Hospital of Leuven. The distribution of the species in the corynebacteria was: Corynebacterium amycolatum 70 (53%), Corynebacterium jeikeium 16 (12%), Corynebacterium striatum 11 (8%), Corynebacterium afermentans 10 (7%), Corynebacterium minutissimum 9 (6%), CDC coryneform group G 4 (3%), Corynebacterium urealyticum 4 (3%), Corynebacterium glucuronolyticum 1 (0.7%), and Corynebacterium xerosis 1 (0.7%). Of the 150 isolates, 37 (25%) were considered to be infection related and the remaining 113 (75%) were of questionable clinical significance. Susceptibility of the corynebacteria to 12 antibiotics active against Gram-positive organisms was evaluated. C. amycolatum, C. jeikeium, and C. urealyticum were multiresistant, but all isolates were susceptible to teicoplanin and vancomycin. Most of the C. amycolatum strains, and all strains of C. jeikeium and C. striatum, were susceptible to the vibriocidal compound O/129. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.

A total of 505 fermentative and 201 nonfermentative gram-negative bacilli, identified by conventional methods, were tested by the Crystal Enteric/Non-Fermenter ID kit and by the API 20E or API 20NE identification system. The overall correct results for fermenters were 92.9% by the Crystal kit and 89.1% by the API 20E system. The false identifications (genus and species incorrect) accounted for 3.1 and 7.1% for the Crystal and API systems, respectively. For nonfermenters, figures for correct identifications by the two systems were comparable (Crystal, 75.9%; API 20NE, 75.3%) while the API 20NE system gave twice as many incorrect results (13.8%) as Crystal (6.3%); however, Crystal failed to precisely identify several species included in a "miscellaneous" group. The Crystal Enteric/Non-Fermenter system is an easy-to-use kit which compares favorably with other commercial systems.

Objectives. - The aim of the study was to evaluate the antibiotic resistance in noninvasive clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae collected in Belgium during winter 2008-2007. Method. - Four hundred and forty eight unduplicated isolates collected by 15 laboratories were tested by microdilution following CLSI. Results. - Insusceptibility rates (I + R) were as follows: penicillin G (PEN) 11.6% (4.0% R), ampicillin 11.4% (4.0% R), amoxicillin + /-clavulanic acid 0, cefaclor 10.3% (9.6% R), cefuroxime 9.2% (8.7% R), cefuroxime-axetil 8.7% (7.8% R), cefotaxime, ceftazidime and cefepime 2.0% (0% R), imipenem 2.5% (0% R), ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin 5.1% (0.4% R), levofloxacin 0.7% (0.4% R), moxifloxacin 0.4% (0.2% R), erythromycin (ERY) 29.7% (29.2% R), azithromycin 29.7% (28.8% R), telithromycin 0%, clindamycin 26.3% (25.4% R) and tetracycline (TET) 21.9% (16.5% R). From 2001 to 2008, a significant decrease in penicillinin-susceptibility (21.0% to 11.6%). penicillin-resistance (9.7% to 4.0%) and ciprofloxacin-insusceptibility (11.2% to 5.1%) was found. Cross-resistance between penicillin and other betalactams in penicillin-insusceptible isolates was incomplete: all these isolates remained fully susceptible to amoxicillin. Erythromycin-insusceptibility was significantly higher in children than in adults (43.9%/27.4%), while penicillin-insusceptibility significantly higher in Brussels than in the Flanders (22.9%/8.1%). The commonest resistance phenotype was ERY-TET (12.7%) followed by ERY (7.4%) and PEN-ERY-TET (5.8%). Capsular types 19(25%), 14(19.3%), 23 (15.4%) and 15 (13.5%) were the most important in penicillin-insusceptible. Conclusion. - We noted a decrease in resistance to the majority of the compounds. Insusceptibility rates were higher in children than in adults and the difference between the north and the south of Belgium became less marked. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Four identification tests, proposed in addition to conventional methods, were evaluated with 320 fermentative nonlipophilic Corynebacterium strains: growth at 20°C, glucose fermentation at 42°C, alkalinization of sodium formate, and acid production from ethylene glycol. These tests were highly discriminant. Corynebacterium amycolatum displayed a unique profile, allowing it to be distinguished from similar species, such as C. xerosis , C. striatum , and C. minutissimum.

A total of 391 and 424 non-invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae collected by 15 laboratories during the 2003 and 2004 survey were tested for their susceptibility by a microdilution technique following NCCLS recommendations. Insusceptibility rates (IR) in the two surveys (2003/2004) were as follows: penicillin 15.0/14.7 % [8.4/6.4 % Resistance (R)], ampicillin 17.4/14.6 % (R 9.0/7.1 %), amoxicillin clavulanic acid 2.6/1.2 % (R 0/0 %),cefaclor 14.3/14.1 % (R 11.5/13.4%), cefuroxime 13.6/12.7 % (R 10.5/11.8 %), cefuroxime-axetil 10.5/11.8 % (R 10.0/9.2 %) (breakpointsbased on 250 mg), cefotaxime 4.9/6.2 % (R 1.3/2.4 %), ceftazidime NotTested (NT)/6.4 (R NT/2.6 %), cefepime NT/6.4 (R NT/2.6 %), imipenern 7.7/8.9 % (R 1.8/1.4 %), ertapenem 0.8/NT % (R 0/NT %), ciprofloxacin 13.8/9.0 % (R 4.3/2.4 %), levofloxacin 3.3/2.8 % (R 1.5/0.2 %), moxifloxacin 0.6/0.2 % (R 0.3/0 %), ofloxacin 13.5/9.0 % (R 4.3/2.4 %), erythromycin 26.1/24.7 % (R 25.3/24.5 %), azithromycin 25.4/24.7 % (R 24.6/24.5 %), telithromycin 0.8/0.2 % (R 0.5/0 %), clindamycin 21.2/18.4 % (R 19.2/17.7 %) and tetracycline 32.3/22.1 % (R 29.2/19.3 %). There were only minor differences in resistance rates according to age, sample site, admission type (i.e. ambulatory, hospitalized or long-term care facility patients), gender and geographic origin. Overall, telithromycin (MIC50, MIC90 in 2003/2004: 0.015 mu g/ml, 0.12 mu g/ml/ 0.008,0.06 respectively), ertapenem (0.03; 0.25/NT), moxifloxacin (0.06; 0.25/0.06,0.12), and amoxicillin +/- clavulanic acid (0.03; 0.25/0.015, 0.5) were the most active compounds in both surveys. In 2003, the most common resistance phenotype was isolated insusceptibility to tetracycline (10.5 %) followed by combined insusceptibility to erythromycin and tetracycline (9.3 %). Erythromycin-tetracycline resistance (10.4 %) was the most common in 2004. Isolates showing resistance to an antibiotic were significantly more present in 2003 than in 2004 (50.4 % versus 40.8 %). In penicillin-insusceptible isolates, MICs of all beta-lactams were increased but cross-resistance between penicillin and other beta-lactams in the penicillin-insusceptible isolates was not complete. In the 2003 survey, most of these isolates remained fully susceptible to ertapenem (94.9 %) and amoxicillin +/- clavulanic acid (83.1 %). In the 2004 survey, 91.9 % of the penicillin insusceptibie isolates remained susceptible to amoxicillin clavulanic acid. In both surveys, the most common serotypes in penicillin insusceptible isolates were 14, 23, 19 and 9 (20.0 %, 20.0 %, 16.4 % and 10.9 % respectively in 2003; 41.6 %, 11.7 %, 15.0 % and 18.3 % respectively in 2004).

The XIVth Congress of the International Society of Military Law and the Law of War, held in Athens in May 1997, adopted the following recommendation : "Disciplinary regulations should provide for a procedure allowing subordinates to exercise, with no prejudice to themselves and without breaching discipline, their right and duty not to obey orders whose execution would obviously lead to the commission of a war crime."In the year 2000, the Belgian Seminar of Military Law and the Law of War set up a working group with the task of preparing a draft text that would give effect to this recommendation and could be incorporated in the Belgian army's disciplinary regulations.

On sait qu'en signant et ratifiant les Conventions de Genève du 12 août 1949, les hautes parties contractantes se sont engagées à rechercher et poursuivre, quelle que soit leur nationalité, les personnes ayant commis ou donné l'ordre de commettre les infractions graves définies par lesdites Conventions. Comme nous l'avons dit ailleurs, cet engagement exprès contraste trop avec les mœurs existantes et les traditionnelles immunités dont bénéficient les nationaux en ce domaine pour qu'on ne puisse légitimement s'interroger sur la façon dont les Etats entendent traduire cet engagement dans les faits et rallier sur ses implications la conviction profonde des politiques, des militaires et des autorités judiciaires.

Sabemos que, al firmar y ratificar los Convenios de Ginebra del 12 de agosto de 1949, las Altas Partes contratantes se comprometieron a buscar y a encausar a las personas que hayan cometido u ordenado cometer infracciones graves definidas en dichos Convenios, sea cual fuere su nacionalidad. Como ya hemos dicho en otro lugar, este compromiso expreso contrasta demasiado con las costumbres existentes y con las inmunidades tradicionales de que gozan, en este ámbito, los ciudadanos de un país para que se pueda legítimamente preguntar de qué manera piensan los Estados traducir ese compromiso en hechos y lograr la convicción profunda de los políticos, de los militares y de las autoridades judiciales acerca de sus implicaciones.Por lo que atañe al Estado belga, nos preguntamos: «¿, Está mejor dispuesto que otros países y ha acostumbrado a los espíritus a imponer las sanciones de sus leyes penales a todo belga —sin distinción de rango ni de función— que haya desafiado una prohibición del derecho humanitario, no con fines interesados ni por sadismo, sino en nombre y por cuenta del Estado, en el marco de su actividad de defensa nacional?».

It is common knowledge that by signing and ratifying the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 the High Contracting Parties have undertaken to seek out and prosecute all persons, whatever their nationality, committing or ordering to be committed any of the grave breaches defined in the said Conventions. As I have stated elsewhere, this express undertaking is so far removed from present custom, and from the traditional immunities enjoyed by nationals in this respect, as to justify asking how States intend to put it into effect and make its implications thoroughly understood and accepted by their politicians, armed forces and legal authorities.