title: Recovery of cytomegalovirus and Chlamydia trachomatis from vaginal tampons.
abstract: Herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Chlamydia trachomatis are important agents in venereal and neonatal disease. Vaginal tampon culture for HSV has previously been demonstrated to be a simple and effective technique for quantitative culture of cervical secretions. We have evaluated the tampon culture as a means of performing quantitative cultures for CMV and C trachomatis. Cell-free and cell-associated CMV were quantitatively recovered from vaginal tampons when extraction was performed within one hour of tampon inoculation. However, when tampons were stored, there was a rapid loss of infectivity over time at all storage temperatures except -70 degrees C. C trachomatis was quantitatively recovered from tampons stored at less than or equal to 4 degrees C for four days. When stored at -70 degrees C, C trachomatis was stable on tampons for more than one week. Because HSV, CMV, and C trachomatis are stable in a single transport medium, a tampon stored at 4 degrees C briefly or at -70 degrees C for one week could be utilized for the detection of all three agents.
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003470:Culture Media; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D052576:Menstrual Hygiene Products; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014776:Virus Cultivation
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media