For Nossal
[stamped, DEC 19 1974]
Dear Gus --
In 1957, on Heron Island, I was cautioned that skin lacerations from coral were especially vulnerable to infection -- which seemed to imply that a pathogenic staph was a commensal with coral!
Recently we have been interested in the Beneckia group ([symbol, identical with?] halophilic "vibrios") for other reasons; which led me to peruse an article in Lancet (11/30/74) p. 1283. In turn this seems to be a clue to the coral problem. I thought this was worth passing on to you; in turn for the possible interest of your colleagues at the Commonwealth Serum Inst. or at Brisbane if any of them were still concerned about such infections.
If you learn that such strains are indeed prevalent on coral I would be grateful to have a few sample cultures.
cf. refs in Anderson and Ochal 1972 J Bact 109.