Carry-over of host nutrients during sampling enhances undesired growth of Staphylococcus aureus in liquid Amies transport medium

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Md Zohorul Islam
  • Jesper Larsen
  • Robert Skov
  • Øystein Angen

Optimal transportation of bacteria is important for accurate clinical interpretation, quantitative assays, and microbiome studies. A transport medium should ideally keep the bacteria alive without supporting growth or altering the relative proportions of the constituent species. We investigated the effect of nasal mucus and mucin on the growth and survival of two Staphylococcus aureus strains in liquid Amies transport medium at room temperature and 4 °C for 14 days. The study showed that the presence of nasal mucus in microbiological samples stimulated undesired S. aureus growth at room temperature in a dose-dependent manner. These findings underscore that microbiological samples from humans and animals should be stored at 4 °C until analysis to avoid undesired S. aureus growth.

Original languageEnglish
JournalDiagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease
Volume93
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)5-8
ISSN0732-8893
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

    Research areas

  • Bacterial growth, Clinical specimens, S. aureus, Transport medium

ID: 202030537