72-Hour transport recovery of antimicrobial resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates using the InTray (R) GC method

Recovery of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates exposed to a range of transport times and temperatures was quantitatively assessed for two transport devices, BioMed Diagnostics' InTray GC (R) and Copan Diagnostics' Liquid Amies Elution Swab (ESwab (R)) Collection and Transport System. Respective devices were inoculated with N. gonorrhoeae, exposed to simulated transport conditions and spread-plated from serial dilutions in duplicates onto chocolate agar in order to count CFU (colony-forming units) in the range of 25-250. Baseline CFU/mL averages of time-zero transport for each device was compared to either 24 hour (Eswab) or 72 hour (InTray GC) CFU/mL average to assess recovery of six clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae, and differences showing no greater than a 3 log(10) (+/- 10%) decline between comparative time points qualified as acceptable. Our findings suggest that the InTray GC system has the potential to transport clinical isolates for <= 72 hours with acceptable N. gonorrhoeae recovery.