Gl. Campbell et al., AN EVALUATION OF MEDIA FOR TRANSPORT OF TISSUES INFECTED WITH BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI, American journal of clinical pathology, 101(2), 1994, pp. 154-156
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.