Detection of Mycoplasma contamination in primary calf kidney cell cultures

A total of 31 primary cell culture preparations of calf kidney including their processing stages (kidney, washing fluid, cell suspension, cell culture monolayer) were investigated for mycoplasmas by cultural methods. Mycoplasma (M.) arginini, was isolated from 8 out of 27 investigated samples of calf kidney from 3 out of 26 washing fluids, 5 out of 20 cell suspensions, and from 9 out of 21 cell culture monolayers. Furthermore, M. arginini was repeatedly found in throat swabs of the cell laboratory technicians. The results give indications as to the source and route of mycoplasma infections of primary cell cultures.