[Method of combined micro- and macrocultivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in egg medium using agar gel disks]

A procedure for combined micro- and macrocultivation of tubercle bacilli in the egg media by using agar gel disks was developed and experimentally tested. The essence of the procedure lies in plating mycobacteria on agar gel disks applied to the egg medium in Petri dishes followed by incubation at 37 degrees C for 5-7 days. Later on the agar gel disks are removed from the medium and examined microscopically for growth of tubercle bacilli in microcolonies (microcultivation). Then the gel disks are applied to the medium in the dishes from which they were removed and again incubated until macroscopically evident growth of tubercle bacilli is observed (macrocultivation).