Value of desiccated swabs for streptococcal epidemiology in the field

Streptococcal surveys in foreign countries or remote areas may be greatly enhanced by the use of calcium alginate swabs desiccated in sterile silica gel. Delays of up to 4 weeks before return to a base laboratory are feasible, and the need for fresh media or laboratory facilities in the field may be eliminated. Comparison of direct plating on crystal violet blood agar versus delayed silica gel preservation during surveys in Uganda, Haiti, Colombia, and Miami, Fla., showed no significant loss of positive cultures from skin lesions and suggests that desiccated swabs increase the recovery of bacitracin-sensitive Streptococcus pyogenes (presumptive group A) from throats.