Laboratory Identification
of Mycobacteriacontinued
Clinical Microbiology Review 208
Incubation
Rate of growth
Automated systems for
recovery
Methods for identification
35 °C in 5%–10% CO 2. (Exception: If M. marinum, M. ulcerans, orM. haemophilumsuspected, incubate
at 25°–30°C.)
Slow. On solid media, most require 2–6 wk incubation; rapid growers 2–3 days. More rapid growth in
liquid media.
Liquid broth inoculated, placed in blood culture instrument for automatic or continuous monitoring.
Growth indicated by consumption of O 2 or production of CO 2. Earlier detection than manual methods.
Colony morphology, growth rate, optimum temp for growth, photoreactivity, biochemical tests,
chromatography, nucleic acid hybridization, PCR, automated DNA sequencing.
