RECOVERIES OF STRIGOMONAS ONCOPELTI, LEPTOSPIRAE AND REITER'S TREPONEME FROM DESICCATES AFTER STORAGE FOR FIVE YEARS

Abstract

Summary.Desiccates of Strigomonas oncopelti, four species of leptospirae and the Reiter treponeme have yielded viable organisms after storage for five years at 4°. At room temperature only the treponeme was successfully preserved.Among the microorganisms about whieh there is only scanty information on preservation by drying arc those listed in the title of this note. These organisms were dried sonic years ago, and reports of their recoveries after 12-18 months of storage were made (Annear, 1961; Annear, 1962a; Annear, 1962b). The present note summarises the recoveries obtained after approximately five years of storage (Table 1). Several desiccates of each organism were examined. The drying methods and procedures for recovering the organisms are described in the papers cited above.

Recovery of Leptospires After Dry Storage For Ten Years

“…Although this may be true, it is difficult to gauge the extent of this failure since there has been little documentation of it. On the other hand, successful recoveries of leptospires after drying and storage have been claimed by Annear (2,3,6) and by Otsuka and Monako (8).…”

“…In one of these reports (3), it was recorded that dried cultures were prepared by drying liquid leptospiral suspensions in vacuo on the walls of small glass tubes and that viable organisms were recovered from these preparations after storage for 5 years (6). Subsequent tests showed the organisms to be viable after several additional years of storage at 4 C, but these experiments have now terminated since no further tubes remain for testing.…”