AN EVALUATION OF MEDIA FOR TRANSPORT OF TISSUES INFECTED WITH BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI

Currently, the best medium for culture of Borrelia burgdorferi, the et iologic agent of Lyme disease, is Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly (BSR), or its modifications. This medium is complex, expensive, and laborious to pr epare. A recent report suggested that a less expensive and simpler med ium, hypertonic Columbia broth, might be useful as a transport medium for human tissues infected with B burgdorferi. To test this observatio n, hypertonic Columbia broth, Amies broth, distilled water, physiologi c saline, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and modified Stuart medium were compared with BSK II as transport media, using ear and tail tissu e samples from B burgdorferi-infected laboratory mice and using holdin g times and temperatures simulating actual transport conditions. The r esults showed BSK II to be markedly superior to the other media tested , although B burgdorferi remained viable in a few tissue samples held at room temperature in hypertonic Columbia broth, physiologic saline, or PBS for up to 2 days. Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly II continues to be the best medium for transport of tissues infected with B burgdorferi.