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Food products can be possible vectors of the agent responsible for cholera epidemics, because some of these products allow Vibrio cholerae O1 to develop to concentrations above the dangerous level. This study deals with the behaviour of essential oils, natural and concentrated lemon juice and fresh and dehydrated lemon peel against V. cholerae O1 biotype Eltor serotype Inaba tox+. Our aim was to evaluate whether these products, used at different dilutions, exhibit bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity against the microorganism, when present at concentrations of 10(2), 10(4), 10(6) and 10(8) colony forming units (CFU) ml(-1), and after different exposure times. 10(8) CFU ml(-1) was considered an infectious dose. Concentrated lemon juice and essential oils inhibited V. cholerae completely at all studied dilutions and exposure times. Fresh lemon peel and dehydrated lemon peel partially inhibited growth of V. cholerae. Freshly squeezed lemon juice, diluted to 10(-2), showed complete inhibition of V. cholerae at a concentration of 10(8) CFU ml(-1) after 5 min of exposure time; a dilution of 2 x 10(-3) produced inhibition after 15 min and a dilution of 10(-3) after 30 min. It can be concluded that lemon, a natural product which is easily obtained, acts as a biocide against V. cholerae, and is, therefore, an efficient decontaminant, harmless to humans.

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Tucuman is the first lemon exporting province in Argentina and the fourth lemon exporter in the world. The present work was set up to study the survival of Vibrio cholerae O1 Tox+ after application of different chemical products used in the lemon production (from its cultivation until its packing). The following products were studied: copper oxychloride, benomil (a carbamate), active chlorine, sodium-o-phenylphenoate, guazatine (a polyamine mixture), imazalil (an imidazole) and fresh and dehydrated lemon peel. Using different dilutions of the products above mentioned antimicrobial tests were carried out with different exposure times against V. cholerae Serogroup O1, Biotype El Tor, Serotype Inaba. The microorganism was used at concentrations of 10(2), 10(4), 10(6) and 10(8) CFU ml-1, the latter one being considered as an infectious dose. The following results were obtained: 1) Active chlorine (chlorinated water) showed bactericidal activity at concentrations of 0.5 x 10(-1), 10(-1), y 2 x 10(-1) g l-1 after 10 min of exposure time. 2) Copper oxychloride, sodium-o-phenylphenoate, guazatine and imazalil showed bactericidal activity against V. cholerae at concentrations of 10(2) and 10(4) CFU ml-1. 3) Due to the fact that the fruit is successively sprayed with several chemical products during its cultivation, it could be proposed that the result of the successive treatments is superior to the result of a treatment with each of the individual products. This consideration should be taken into account when evaluating the eventual protection of the lemon.

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The present research was set up to verify whether the chemical products used in lemon production (from cultivation until packaging) have a bactericidal or a bacteriostatic ability against Vibrio cholerae O1. The studied products were: copper oxychloride, benomil (a carbamate), active chlorine, sodium-o-phenylphenoate, guazatine (a polyamine mixture), imazalil (an imidazole) and lemon peel. The latter was studied with and without treatment using the above mentioned chemicals. Different dilutions of these products were tried out with varying exposure times against the bacterium V. cholerae Serogroup O1, Biotype E1 Tor, Serotype Inaba. The concentrations of the microorganism ranged from 10(2) to 10(8) CFU ml-1, the latter one being considered an infectious dose. The following results were obtained: 1) active chlorine (chlorinated water) showed bactericidal activity at concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 ppm after 10 min of exposure time, 2) copper oxychloride, sodium-o-phenylphenoate, guazatine and imazalil showed bactericidal activity against V. cholerae at concentrations of 10(2) and 10(4) CFU ml-1, 3) due to the fact that during its cultivation the fruit is successively sprayed with several chemical products, it could be that the result of the successive treatments is superior to the result of a repeated treatment with each of the individual products. This consideration should be taken into account when evaluating the eventual protection of the lemon.

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The antibiotic susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates obtained from patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases in Tucumán, Argentina, were determined by the agar dilution method (MIC). 3.5% of the isolates produced beta-lactamase. A total of 96.5% of beta-lactamase negative isolates tested were susceptible to penicillin (MIC < or = 2 micrograms/ml-1); 14.03% of the tested isolates were resistant to tetracycline (MIC < or = 2 micrograms/ml-1), and 98% of the tested isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin (MIC < or = 64 micrograms/ml-1). The MICs for 95% of the isolates, tested for other drugs were: < or = 2 micrograms/ml-1 for cefoxitin, < or = 0.06 microgram/ml-1 for cefotaxime, < or = 0.25 microgram/ml-1 for norfloxacin, < or = 10 micrograms/ml-1 for cephaloridine, < or = 10 micrograms/ml-1 for cephalexin, and < or = 50 micrograms/ml-1 for kanamycin. Antibiotic resistance among N. gonorrhoeae isolates from Tucumán, Argentina, appeared to be primarily limited to penicillin and tetracycline, which has been a general use against gonorrhoeae in Tucumán since 1960. Periodic monitoring of the underlying susceptibility profiles of the N. gonorrhoeae strains prevalent in areas of frequent transmission may provide clues regarding treatment options and emerging of drug resistance.

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