Preparation of a suitable agar containing Human blood for microbial growth

Abstract

This study was to determine if the washed human blood (expired, overfilled and under filled) can be used as an alternative enrichment agent in the preparation of Blood Agar Plate (BAP) culture media and comparing the routine culture with use of chocolate Human Blood Agar (HuBA) using Beta hemolytic microbes. The cultural characteristics and hemolytic reactions of the selected microorganisms were to be assessed and compared with their growth in HuBA, washed HuBA and Human Chocolate Agar (CA) then the routine culture using both BA and CA in relation to citrated sheep Blood agar (CSBA). This was aimed at producing a suitable Agar containing human blood especially for the use in laboratories of developing countries aimed at utilizing the blood units disposed from Uganda blood transfusion Services using the overfilled, inadequate together with the TTI positive units. Success was attained in developing a blood agar for microbial growth using washed red blood cells and whole blood from expired/disposed human blood and in performance comparison of the prepared blood agar, washed human blood and unwashed human blood together with chocolate agar it was found out that washed human blood produces a more convenient Blood Agar for hemolytic microbiological studies due to the reduction of growth inhibitors and dilution of the blood cell concentration.