[Method of storage and transportation of bacterial culture using paper disks]. / Sposob khraneniia i peresylki kul'tur bakterii s ispol'zovaniem bumazhnykh diskov.

A method for bacterial culture storage and transportation is suggested consisting in impregnation of filter paper disks with broth culture and drying. Bacterial cultures can be stored in this mode for at least a year at 4 degrees C.

[The ability to grow on Levine's or Endo's media as a test for the identification of enterococci]. / Sposobnost' k rostu na sredakh Levina ili Endo kak test dlia identifikatsii énterokokkov.

The suggested test for the identification of enterococci is based on their ability, unlike other streptococci, to grow in Levine's or Endo's media. A total of 128 enterococcal and 251 other streptococcal cultures were examined. The studies have demonstrated reliability of the suggested test, which permits, as a rule, cutting down the time for identification by 1 day and simplifying the investigation.

[Screening carriers of the HBs-antigen with the use of a "group" passive hemagglutination reaction test]. / Skrining nositelei HBs-antigena s pomoshch'iu postanovki reaktsii passivnoi gemaggliutinatsii "gruppovym" sposobom.

The passive hemagglutination test (PHAT) with a mixture of tested sera is suggested to be used in screening of HBsAg carriers. A pool of 4 sera is used in a test, diluted twofold with physiologic saline; thus the end dilution of each serum is 1:8. Examinations of 296 serum samples by the current and the 'group' methods have yielded the results that coincide. The 'group' PHAT method cuts down the consumption of the diagnostic agent 4-fold and is less labor-consuming.

[A new modification of Pizu's medium for the rapid identification of Corynebacterium diphtheriae based on the AGV medium]. / Novaia modifikatsiia sredy Pizu dlia uskorennoi identifikatsii Corynebacterium diphtheriae na osnove sredy AGV.

Various nutrient bases (dry nutrient agar, erythrol agar, medium for toxigenicity determination, casein-yeast and AGV media) have been examined to choose a base for Pizu's medium instead of agar D that is no longer manufactured. AGV medium has been found the best nutrient base. The method for the preparation of Pizu's medium has been simplified. The modified Pizu's medium permits the detection of cystinase in C: diphtheriae in 3-5 hrs both in pure and mixed cultures.

[Determination of the toxigenicity of Corynebacterium diphtheriae by using paper indicator disks]. / Opredelenie toksigennosti Corynebacterium diphtheriae s pomoshch'iu indikatornykh bumazhnykh diskov.

The method for the determination of the toxigenicity of C. diphtheriae by means of discs impregnated with diphtheria antitoxin is proposed. The discs can be prepared long before use and stored for a year. The determination of toxigenicity with these discs is not inferior in its sensitivity to the routine procedure of the immunoprecipitation test. The disc method decreases the consumption of unavailable diphtheria antitoxin by 10 times, that of culture media by 2-2.5 times: besides, it is less labor consuming.