This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

ROY M. GREENTHAL, M.D.

Am J Dis Child. 1930;40(3):569-570.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The ability of B. influenzae to reduce nitrates to nitrites may be used as a rapid diagnostic test in influenzal meningitis. The organisms which commonly cause meningitis, such as meningococci, tubercle bacilli and streptococci, are not nitrate reducers. Staphylococci and various members of the colon-typhoid group, though nitrate reducers, rarely cause meningitis, and are easily differentiated from the influenza bacillus, the most frequent cause of meningitis among the nitrate-reducing bacteria.

Rivers¹ found nitrate reduction in fifteen meningitic and eighteen respiratory strains of B. influenzae. Jordan and Reith² tested 287 strains of B. influenzae of the respiratory type and found that every one reduced nitrates to nitrites. They regarded nitrate reduction as an important differential criterion for this organism.

Rivers³ proposed a direct indol test on the spinal fluid for the rapid diagnosis of influenzal meningitis, based on Jordan's⁴ observations that most strains of B. influenzae produced . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
MILWAUKEE

Footnotes
Submitted for publication, March 20, 1930.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?