Development of improved methods for the transport and isolation of Haemophilus somnus

The survival of several strains of Haemophilus somnus under various simulated transport conditions was investigated. Recovery of H somnus from alginate swabs kept at room temperature was possible for up to 27 hours after sampling, but this period could be extended to 72 hours if the swabs were refrigerated. Storage of swabs in transport media did not prolong survival time significantly but did increase the number of bacterial contaminants, thus making recovery of H somnus less likely. The sensitivity of several strains of H somnus to a number of dyes, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents was determined and a selective isolation medium then formulated. This medium which consisted of brain heart infusion agar supplemented with 5 per cent ovine blood, 5 per cent equine serum, 0.5 per cent yeast extract, cycloheximide (100 micrograms ml-1) and lincomycin (3 micrograms ml-1), facilitated the isolation of H somnus from contaminated material. However, while this medium was effective against many contaminants, it did not prevent swarming by Proteus species.