Comparison of the sensitivity of two methods for isolation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

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Abstract
Throat swab specimens from 1494 Marine Corps recruits were inoculated into vials containing diphasic (broth/agar) Mycoplasma medium and also onto PPLO [pleuro pneumonia-like organism isolation] agar plates, which were subsequently overlayed with sheep erythrocytes in saline agar. Strains of M. pneumoniae were isolated from 89 (6%) of the specimens by 1 or both methods. Of the 89 positive specimens, 81 (91%) were cultured with diphasic medium; only 42 (47%) were cultured with the overlay method (.chi.2 = 7.44, P < 0.01). The diphasic system for isolation of M. pneumoniae should be the method of choice in clinical and research application.