The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 13, Issue 4 609-612, Copyright © 1980 by Society for General Microbiology
Effect of temperature, humidity and exposure to oxygen on the survival of anaerobic bacteria
S. Hoffmann and T. Justesen
The relative effect of humidity, temperature and exposure to oxygen on the
survival of 11 strains of Bacteriodes spp., Fusobacterium necrophorum,
Eubacterium lentum, Clostridium ramosum, Peptococcus asaccharolyticus and
Peptostreptococcus anaerobius was evaluated. Suspensions of the test
strains were applied to membrane filters either in empty sterile petri
dishes or on plates of non-nutrient agar to provide dry or moist
conditions. The filters were stored aerobically or anaerobically in an
atmosphere containing 10% CO2 at either 4 degrees C or 35 degrees C. After
holding periods of 0.375-384 h, the filters were transferred to nutrient
plates inside an anaerobic glove box. After incubation the growth on the
filters was compared with that on control filters that had not been stored.
Survival was better at 4 degrees C than at 35 degrees C. For the
gram-negative organisms, survival was better under moist than under dry
conditions, whereas for gram-positive organisms this finding was sometimes
reversed. The results indicate that, generally, anaerobic bacteria kept
under aerobic conditions survive best under moist conditions at 4 degrees
C.
