New cause of penicillin treatment failure.

A large empyema infected with a penicillin-sensitive haemolytic group B streptococcus failed to respond to high doses of penicillin. After two weeks'' treatment the pus aspirated was found not only to contain no penicillin, but also to inactivate penicillin added to it. We believe that the inactivating agent is an enzyme that may destroy various penicillins and cephalosporins but has no effect on other common antibiotics. When treatment was changed to doxycycline the patient made a rapid recovery.     

Pruteen in the diet of breeding pigs: Reproductive performance

Pruteen, a fermentation protein material produced by ICI, was tested at 8% inclusion as a replacement for all the soya-bean meal and fish-meal in the diet of sows in a multiple-generation breeding study. Parent sows on the two dietary treatments each produced six litters, and the three subsequent generations of sows reared from the F1A, F2A and F3A parities each produced three litters. Control and Pruteen-fed sows were housed and reared under identical conditions throughout the study.Replacement of all the non-cereal protein by Pruteen had no adverse effect on the health or overall reproductive performance of the sows or on the health or viability of the piglets. A total of over 5000 piglets were born to sows fed on the control and Pruteen-containing diets, and there were no differences between treatments in litter size and birth weight (Control: 10.6/litter, 1.32 kg; Pruteen: 10.9/littler, 1.35 kg), and weight at weaning at 3 weeks of age (Control: 8.2/litter, 5.26 kg; Pruteen: 8.4/litter, 5.19 kg).Weight gain of the sows in pregnancy was satisfactory and there was no effect of Pruteen on lactation performance, as shown by the mean sow weight loss in lactation (17 kg for both treatments) or the mean total litter weight at weaning (Control: 43.7 kg; Pruteen: 43.6 kg). The overall number of days from weaning to effective service (Control: 9.9; Pruteen: 8.5) was satisfactory.Pruteen proved to be a satisfactory ingredient in the diet of breeding pigs.     

First record of Closterocerus chamaeleon,parasitoid of the Eucalyptus Gall Wasp Ophelimus maskelli (Hymenoptera,Chalcidoidea, Eulophidae), in the New World

The uniparental parasitoid Closterocerus chamaeleon (Girault) is discovered to be fortuitously present on a population of the invasive Eucalyptus Gall Wasp Ophelimus maskelli (Ashmead) in Riverside, California. This is the first report from the New World of Closterocerus chamaeleon, which has proven to be a highly effective natural enemy of Ophelimus maskelli in the Mediterranean Basin. The taxonomy and identification of Closterocerus chamaeleon is discussed.