TABLE 2.

Survival of Salmonella after months of desiccation in the absence of exogenous nutrients

Strain (phenotype)	CFU/colonya	% Survivalb
ATCC 14028 (wild type+)
Initial colony	2.3 × 109 ± 0.14 × 109
3 mo desiccation	1.6 × 109 ± 0.15 × 109	68
9 mo desiccation	2.2 × 108 ± 0.19 × 108	9.7
ΔagfD (fimbriae−, cellulose−)
Initial colony	3.3 × 109 ± 0.14 × 109
3 mo desiccation	2.0 × 108 ± 0.28 × 108	6.2
9 mo desiccation	8.7 × 106 ± 1.4 × 106	0.27
ΔagfA (fimbriae−)
Initial colony	3.2 × 109 ± 0.64 × 108
3 mo desiccation	3.4 × 108 ± 0.12 × 108	11
9 mo desiccation	3.8 × 107 ± 0.34 × 107	1.2
ΔbcsA (cellulose−)
Initial colony	2.3 × 109 ± 0.18 × 109
3 mo desiccation	4.8 × 108 ± 0.37 × 108	21
9 mo desiccation	1.6 × 108 ± 0.17 × 107	6.8

^aAverage number of viable cells (CFU) per dried colony plus or minus the standard error. At least four individual colonies were tested.

^bPercent survival of cells in desiccated colonies determined relative to values from initial colonies.