title: Transportation of Helicobacter pylori cultures by optimal systems.
abstract: Cultures of Helicobacter pylori on chocolate agar slants in bijou bottles and on chocolate agar plates inside BBL Campy Pouches were mailed from Dublin to Galway, Ireland; Bordeaux, France; and Beijing, China. Both systems maintained viability of H. pylori for at least 4 days under mailing conditions. Ninety percent of the isolates on the slants survived for 6 days, but only 30% of the isolates in the pouches survived. When the slants were stored at 4 degrees C after arrival, 50% of the isolates were recoverable 10 days after mailing. Failure of recovery was due to coccoid formation by the organisms. Contamination was not a problem in either system. Chocolate agar slants are considered the more suitable system for transporting H. pylori cultures, especially when transport time longer than 4 days is expected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: H X
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Megraud
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: O'Morain
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D000362:Agar