OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROBLEM OF BRUCELLA BLOOD CULTURES

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Abstract
An investigation of the role of specific homologous antibody in the obtaining of positive blood cultures from suspected cases of brucellosis has led the authors to adopt a modified culture procedure by which brucella organisms have been cultured from "normal" and clinically ill individuals. The procedure effects both removal of plasma from a[image] 5 cc. citrated venous blood specimen and concentration of the organisms by washing the cellular sediment twice with sterile dist. water. This concd, sediment is then transferred to suitable solid and liquid media and incubated at 35[degree]C under 10% CO. This procedure has yielded positive cultures from some 50 febrile bloods and approx. 100 normal bloods. The organisms have been identified as brucella on the basis of their microscopic, antigenic, and pathogenic characteristics. Tha majority were, however, non-smooth variants. During the course of this work, phage strains which were active against these and stock brucella cultures were encountered. Phage was shown to be present in several pools of unstable brucella variants isolated from normal and febrile bloods, in pools of variants from a stock B. abortus. and in 2 normal human sera. It now appears that washing of the specimens accomplishes, primarily, a removal of brucella phage. Diagnostic media should include a phage inhibitor. Acriflavine appears to show promise in satisfying this requirement.

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