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Amarnath SK, Joshi S, Abhyankar MN, Adhikary R, Beena HB, Chugh TD, Gandhi KD, Hittinahalli V, Indumathi VA, Rajavari M, Muralidharan S, Rao SS, Roy I, Saini N. Cross-country transport and isolation and identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae by use of alternate sources of blood supplemented media among laboratories in India. Indian J Med Microbiol 2019; 37:363-369. [PMID: 32003334 DOI: 10.4103/ijmm.ijmm_19_82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Background The isolation of S. pneumoniae (Sp) depends on specimen integrity / transport, media and expertise. The non-availability of sheep blood agar poses a challenge in identification of colonial morphology and identification in India. Methods Laboratories processed swabs containing either pure Sp or Sp in mixed cultures with a second (confounding) bacterium shipped across the country in cold conditions. Duplicate set of swabs was shipped back to the central laboratory to assess the impact of shipping on culture viability. The identical swab was cultured on sheep, human blood and one additional agar plate used in the laboratory. Results 46/60(77%) of cultures containing only Sp were correctly identified. In specimens where Sp was present in mixed culture, the proportion of isolates in which Sp was correctly identified varied, with most variability attributed to the particular confounding organism rather than the media. There was no discernible impact of temperature-controlled (4-6°C) transport on the isolation of Sp from culture swabs. Conclusions The study clearly elucidates the ability of laboratories for isolation of S. pneumoniae on human blood agar in resource limited settings. The results highlight the difficulties inherent in correctly identifying pathogens in mixed cultures in needs improvement using standardized tests across the study centers. The study also reaffirms the ability to transport biological specimens over long geographical distances without loss.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sangeeta Joshi
- Consultant Microbiologist, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Madhuwanti N Abhyankar
- Consultant Microbiologist, Golwilkar Metropolis Health Services, (I) Pvt. Ltd., Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ranjeeta Adhikary
- Consultant Microbiologist, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - H B Beena
- Consultant Microbiologist, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - T D Chugh
- Sr. Consultant, Department of Microbiology, BL Kapoor Memorial Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - K D Gandhi
- Consultant Microbiologist, Shanti Mukund Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Vivek Hittinahalli
- Consultant Microbiologist, Yashomati Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - V A Indumathi
- M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | | | - S Muralidharan
- St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - S S Rao
- SS Microbiology Laboratory, Thane, Maharashtra, India
| | - I Roy
- Consultant Microbiologist, Sri Aurobindo Seva Kendra, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - N Saini
- Consultant Microbiologist, Pushpanjali Hospital, New Delhi, India
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