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New Test Method for Culture analysis of Fungi from swab samples
1. Scope
This test method describes how swab samples are prepared and analyzed for culturable fungi.
1.2. This method does not include swab samples for culturable bacteria analyses.
1.3. This method specifically focuses on serially diluting a swab sample, agar plate inoculation and incubation, and counting and identifying fungal colony forming units.
1.4. From macroscopic examination and optical microscopy fungal colonies can potentially be identified down to species level.
1.5. Selection of growing media, incubation temperature and time is dictated by types of fungi being targeted (i.e., heterotrophic, pathogenic, xerophilic, hydrophilic, etc.)
1.6. Fungal colony forming units can be enumerated to calculate concentration in CFU/surface area.
1.7. This method does not address analysis of culturable fungi from swabs with biochemical methods that include but not restricted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), mycotoxins, and enzymatic assays.
Keywords
culture , fungi, swab
Rationale
The following document is the initial starting rough draft of a method designed to standardize the culture preparation and analysis of fungi from swab samples. It is in no way complete and has been purposely left vague as a means of a structural starting point to be shaped by the D22.08 committee. There will be many discussions and opinions as to different aspects of the analysis, this method is only a starting point and has been intentionally left with room to determine those details by the committee.
