Urine as a holding medium for Neisseria gonorrhoeae

An earlier technique for culturing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from uncentrifuged first-voided urine from males demonstrated a sensitivity of 92-99% as compared with the gram stain of urethral exudate and the urethral swab culture. In this study the utility of urine as a holding medium for N. gonorrhoeae was tested. Determination of a reliable minimal survival time for N. gonorrhoeae in urine was made by collection of 2-60 ml of first-voided urine prior to treatment from 97 men known to have genitourinary gonorrhea. The urine specimens were held at room temperature (approximately 22 C), while separate modified Thayer-Martin culture plates were inoculated from each specimen immediately after collection and at carefully timed intervals up to 48 hr afterward. N. gonorrhoeae was recovered from 95% of the urine specimens for up to 12 hr after the specimens were collected.