Cephalexin-supplemented Jones-Kendrick charcoal agar for selective isolation of Bordetella pertussis: comparison with previously described media

Abstract

Four agar media, Jones-Kendrick (JK) charcoal agar unsupplemented, JK agar supplemented with 0.5 U of penicillin per ml, JK medium supplemented with 2.5 ,ug of methicillin per ml, and JK medium supplemented with 40 ,ug of cephalexin per ml, were evaluated to determine their ability to support growth of Bordetella pertussis, their ability to selectively inhibit normal pharyngeal flora while maintaining growth of B. pertussis, and their stability during storage. Five stock cultures of B. pertussis were plated on each of the media. Penicillinand

Use of supplemented Stainer-Scholte broth for the isolation of Bordetella pertussis from clinical material

“…Routine processing was designed on the basis of the results of initial experiments (see below). Ail swabs were first streaked onto a charcoal agar (CH) plate (Oxoid CM 119 with addition of 10% defibrinated horse blood) containing 40 ,ug of cephalexin per ml (8,14) and then onto a blood agar plate (Oxoid, Wesel, Federal Republic of Germany) with 10% defibrinated sheep blood. The swabs were then immersed in soft charcoal agar (CB) (Oxoid CM 119; 0.25 x with 10% defibrinated horse blood and 40 ,ug of cephalexin per ml) made as described by Regan and Lowe (11).…”

Pertussis: the disease and new diagnostic methods.

“…This makes it an inconvenient medium to use for many clinical laboratories. The addition of antibiotics such as methicillin or cephalexin has helped to partially alleviate the problem of overgrowth by nasopharyngeal normal flora (123,146). It should be noted that some strains of B. pertussis can be inhibited by penicillin or cephalexin; therefore, both selective and nonselective media should be used in attempts to isolate the organism.…”

“…Sutcliff and Abbott developed a medium similar to Jones-Kendrick agar which contained 10% horse blood and 40 ,ug of cephalexin per ml (148). Cephalexin seems more selective for B. pertussis and has a wider spectrum of action than penicillin (146,148). Regan and Lowe modified this medium and used it as a transport medium (127).…”

Comparison of throat and nasopharyngeal swab specimens for culture diagnosis of Bordetella pertussis infection

“…2:1-3, 1980). These factors include problems relating to specimen collection and transport as well as availability of appropriate culture media and culture techniques (6,(10)(11)(12). In addition, the misplaced emphasis on the use of the direct fluorescent-antibody test as a single laboratory diagnostic technique has been noted (5, 9; P. H. Gilligan, Clin.…”