Culture of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae from the nasopharynx: Not all media are equal

Tegan M Harris; Angela Rumaseb; Jemima Beissbarth; Federica Barzi; Amanda J Leach; Heidi C Smith-Vaughan

doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2017.03.012

Culture of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae from the nasopharynx: Not all media are equal

J Microbiol Methods. 2017 Jun:137:3-5. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2017.03.012. Epub 2017 Mar 22.

Authors

Tegan M Harris¹, Angela Rumaseb², Jemima Beissbarth³, Federica Barzi⁴, Amanda J Leach⁵, Heidi C Smith-Vaughan⁶

Affiliations

¹ Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia. Electronic address: tegan.harris@menzies.edu.au.
² Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia. Electronic address: angela.rumaseb@menzies.edu.au.
³ Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia. Electronic address: jemima.beissbarth@menzies.edu.au.
⁴ Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia. Electronic address: federica.barzi@menzies.edu.au.
⁵ Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia. Electronic address: amanda.leach@menzies.edu.au.
⁶ Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia; School of Medicine, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: heidi.smith-vaughan@menzies.edu.au.

PMID: 28342745
DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2017.03.012

Abstract

The efficacy of chocolate agar, versus bacitracin, vancomycin, clindamycin, chocolate agar (BVCCA) for the isolation of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) from nasopharyngeal swabs was determined. BVCCA cultured NTHi from 97.3% of NTHi-positive swabs, compared to 87.1% for chocolate agar. To maximise culture sensitivity, the use of both media is recommended.

Keywords: Agar culture medium sensitivity; Bacitracin, vancomycin, clindamycin, chocolate agar (BVCCA); Chocolate agar; Nasopharynx; Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi).

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Bacteriological Techniques / methods*
Culture Media*
Haemophilus Infections / microbiology
Haemophilus influenzae / cytology*
Haemophilus influenzae / drug effects
Haemophilus influenzae / isolation & purification
Humans
Nasopharynx / microbiology*

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Culture Media