EVALUATION OF CULTURE MEDIA FOR CANDIDA-ALBICANS AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS RECOVERY IN SWIMMING POOLS

S. aureus and C. albicans have been proposed as alternative indicators in swimming pools, so the upgrade of methods for detection of these m icroorganisms can provide better assessment of pool water quality. A t otal of 136 water samples collected from 25 public swimming pools in t he city of Sao Paulo, Brazil were analyzed concerning the sensitivity and specificity of culture media in the recovery of S. aureus and C. a lbicnns. For S. aureus, MF technique was applied, and five culture med ia were tested: Chapman-Stone, Chapman-mannitol, Baird-Parker, Vogel-J ohnson and m-Staphylococcus agar. Typical colonies were characterized by catalase and coagulase activities and glucose and mannitol fermenta tion. Analysis of C. albicans was performed by quantitative (MF techni que, m-CA agar) and qualitative (yeast nitrogen base glucose) procedur es. Isolates from both procedures were characterized by germ tube and chlamydospore production and sugar assimilation. The superiority of m- CA agar with an accuracy level of 89.6% in C. albicans recovery was sh own. In relation to S. aureus, Baird-Parker presented an increase in r ecovery from 5.7 to 17.2% than the other media. However, none of the m edia tested were sufficiently differential to permit the accurate iden tification of S. aureus in swimming pool waters.