A Study Of Bordetella Transport Systems

Abstract

Five strains of Bordetella pertussis and one strain of Bordetella parapertussis were used to study transport systems. Two currently used transports (Regan-Lowe and JonesKendrick) were tested for both pure Bordetella cultures and mixed cultures of Bordetella and pooled throat washings. The Jones-Kendrick was found to be superior in pure culture trials, but the Regan-Lowe was superior in mixed culture trials due to the abundant overgrowth from Jones-Kendrick cultures. Bordetella swabs were desiccated in mixtures of charcoal, starch, and silica gel crystals and in silica gel crystals alone. Bordetella was recovered from desiccated swabs after rehydration and enrichment in mixtures of charcoal, starch, and lysed sheep or horse blood. The most successful recovery of dried Bordetella was from swabs desiccated in plain silica gel and enriched in a mixture of charcoal, starch, and blood for 48h. Recovery from pure cultures was superior to that from mixed cultures due to the abundant overgrowth of contaminants.