Culture Requirements

Question 1

H. influenzae

Answer 1

Chocolate agar with factors V (NAD+) and X (hematin)

Question 2

N. gonorrhoeae, N. meningitidis

Answer 2

Thayer-Martin (or VPN) media - Vancomycin (inhibits gram + organisms), Polymyxin (inhibits gram - organisms except Neisseria), and Nystatin (inhibits fungi);
“to connect to Neisseria, please use your VPN client”

Question 3

B. pertussis

Answer 3

Bordet-Gengou (potato) agar (Bordet for Bordetella)

Question 4

C. diphtheriae

Answer 4

Tellurite agar, Loffler medium

Question 5

M. tuberculosis

Answer 5

Lowenstein-Jensen agar

Question 6

M. pneumoniae

Answer 6

Eaton agar, requires cholesterol

Question 7

Lactose-fermenting enterics

Answer 7

Pink colonies on MacConkey agar (fermentation produces acid, turning colony pink); E. coli is also grown on eosin-methylene blue (EMB) agar as colonies with green metallic sheen

Question 8

Legionella

Answer 8

Charcoal yeast extract agar buffered with cysteine and iron

Question 9

Fungi

Answer 9

Sabouraud agar.

“Sab’s a fun guy!”