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Page two/Carolina Journal/April 12, 1979 Instructor studying diseased bacterium Although it hasn’t re ceived the publicity of the deadly disease which struck in the summer of 1976, another myster ious bacterium has ap peared—this one affec ting people living in coastal areas of the southeastern US. And like the Legion naire's disease, this bac terium is a killer. Thus far the bacter ium has been found only in salt water. Of those persons infected by this pathogen, a high percen tage have died. Dr. James D. Oliver, a microbiologist at UNCC, is pioneering re search on this newly dis covered micro-organism. He doesn’t want to push the panic button for per sons living or visiting coastal areas, but the evidence suggests some caution should be taken. “There seems to be two ways humans can acquire the organism," Oliver said. “One is through a cut in the skin, and the other is through ingestion of contaminated seafoods." Once inside the body, the organism apparently produces a toxin that causes the water in the blood to be lost to the body tissues. “The blood develops a molasses con sistency which does not circulate," Oliver said. The symptoms include swelling and decay of tissues, severe low blood pressure, shock and in flammation of the skin. The disease can be easily treated by current antibiotics, but the prob lem is identifying it in time. Oliver said hospi tal laboratories have not traditionally used salt in media employed in test ing to identify bacteria. Without salt, the bacter ium—which has been la beled lactose-positive Vibrio-dies quickly. Oliver said a few hos pitals in coastal areas are now using salt in their testing procedures. Because the bacterium thrives in salt solutions, it is thus easier to identi fy- The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlan ta reported nearly 70 clinical cases of the di sease from 1976-78. In a report published early this year, Dr. Paul Blake of the CDC's mi crobiology division did a case history study on 39 persons infected by the disease. There is a strong indication per sons with a liver dys function are more sus ceptible to infection. There is also evidence people are being infected by eating raw oysters which are contaminated with the bacterium. Of the 39 cases in Blake’s report, 24 were infected through inges tion, resulting in 11 deaths. Twenty-three of the 24 had some type of liver ailment, and 19 had eaten raw oysters just prior to their illness. Oliver said the bacter ium can penetrate the skin through an opening as “slight as an ant bite." The CDC has done the only two case studies on this type of bacteria. It was the CDC’s first re port on 38 cases in 1976 which got Oliver and one of his graduate students interested in the organ ism. As a project for his master’s degree, Mike Poole, now a third-year medical student at UNC- Chapel Hill, began re search on how this bac terium infected a variety of laboratory animals. This study provided the first experimental data on the pathogenesis of the organism. Mice, hamsters and (Photo by Bob Henderson) Basketball coach Judy Wilkins trill be advising the cheerleading squad next year. rabbits were selected for the experiment which was sponsored by a grant from the Char lotte-Mecklenburg Heart Association. Bac terial samples were ob tained from the CDC and placed in the drink ing water of the animals in a UNCC laboratory. Other animals were in jected with the bacteria. Oliver and Poole found the animals in some cases died within a three-hour period after being infected, one of the most rapid death rates reported in this type of research. They also did surgery on rats and rabbits, plac ing the organism in the intestinal tract. They planned to reopen the in cision 13 or 14 hours later to study how the organs had been affect ed, but the animals kept dying before the time was up. Since that initial stu dy, Oliver has continued research on the bacter ium. He currently is giv ing alcohol to mice so they will develop cirr hosis of the liver. When the mice develop the liver ailment, they will be tested with the bacteria to study the role the liver plays in the infection. Oliver has also spent the last year try ing to isolate some type of toxin he feels the or ganism is producing. He’s received financial help from the Greater Charlotte Foundation and the United Medical Research Foundation, a United Way organiza tion. He also has applied for a quarter million dol lar grant from the Na tional Institute of Health for a much broader three-year study of the organism. “I don't think this or ganism is new," Oliver said. "I believe it's been around for some time, but has just been lump ed together with other bacteria. Only recently has it been realized it dif fers from other types of bacteria. "We've done the first laboratory investiga tions into the pathoge nesis of infections caus ed by the lactose-posi tive Vibrio," he said. “Now, we want to look at two questions on a broader scale. First, we want to find out where it is--the ecology of the or ganism. Second, we want to find how it kills- —the pathogenesis of the organism." To date no systematic studies have been per formed on the distribu tion of the bacteria in coastal waters. Oliver, in his grant proposal to the National Institute of Health, wants to study sites at 16 major beach/ resort areas along the East coast from Maine to Florida. He's await ing word on his grant ap plication. The microbiological, chemical and physical factors affecting the eco- Basketball coach Judy Wilkins adds duties of cheerleading advis By Luann Whitley Judy Wilkins, assis tant athletic director, will tackle the job of be ing cheerleader advisor next year. "The main change I want to make will be to instill better rapport between the cheerlead ers and students," Wil kins said. “As it stands, the UNCC students have a negative image of the cheerleading squad. We want to have better coordination between the squad, students and pep band next year," Wilkins said. UNCC microbiologist Dr. James D. Olver inf mouse with a sample of a bacteria. Oliver is a ting research on a mysterious bacteria which fecting people living in the Southeastern 11 States. logy of the organism will be investigated. Sam ples to be examined in clude water, sediment, plankton and shellfish at each site. Oliver thinks he may have already found the bacterium in waters near the Marine Resources Center at Ft. Fisher on the North Carolina coast. Further studies are necessary bet definite conclusil reached. “Mothers shoul be unduly alarmed their children plaji the water at the be Oliver said. chances of a healtl dividual acquirin' disease do not if great. Another major change will be the cheerleaders will cheer for the women's basketball games as well as the men's. “We will want to have a good squad next year. There will be more disci pline involved and we are going to set up speci fic rules for the squad to follow," Wilkins said. There will be only one tryout for the cheerlead ing squad and it will be held in the fall. The pre sent travel procedures for the squad will not change. “The squad cheer at all of the hi games," Wilkins sail “We want the i dents to become mor! volved with the chi leaders. The squad do more chants 1 year with less emphi on gymnastics. M pep rallies will also held," Wilkins said. “Being a cheerlei at UNCC will becon more special posit We will have a be organized and more cognized squad ■ year," Wilkins said.
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