TABLE 2.

Efficiency of surface sampling methods for detection of E. herbicola in laboratory studies^a

Sampling method and surface material	Culture analysis		QPCR analysis
	Mean no. of CFU/ sample ± 1 SE	Sampling efficiency ± 1 SE (%)	Mean no. of templates/ sample ± 1 SE	Sampling efficiency ± 1 SE (%)
Sponge
Metal file cabinet	5.90 × 102 ± 6.57 × 101	<0.005	1.94 × 108 ± 2.79 × 106	44.8 ± 0.6
Glass	3.64 × 104 ± 7.61 × 103	0.006 ± 0.001	3.22 × 108 ± 7.06 × 106	47.3 ± 1.0
Wood laminate	<25	<0.005	5.01 × 107 ± 2.88 × 106	11.4 ± 0.7
Vinyl tile	<29	<0.005	9.48 × 107 ± 4.22 × 106	25.8 ± 1.1
Plastic seat	4.83 × 102 ± 2.27 × 102	<0.005	9.15 × 107 ± 2.12 × 107	18.1 ± 4.2
Finished concrete	6.66 × 101 ± 6.66 × 101	<0.005	3.17 × 106 ± 8.23 × 105	0.7 ± 0.2
Nylon cushion	1.42 × 102 ± 5.59 × 101	<0.005	4.87 × 107 ± 7.55 × 106	11.3 ± 1.8
Swab
Metal file cabinet	3.68 × 103 ± 6.63 × 102	<0.005	1.72 × 108 ± 2.29 × 107	39.5 ± 5.3
Glass	3.20 × 104 ± 1.15 × 104	0.005 ± 0.002	3.55 × 108 ± 5.64 × 107	52.2 ± 8.3
Wood laminate	2.97 × 101 ± 2.97 × 101	<0.005	1.25 × 108 ± 2.91 × 107	28.6 ± 6.6
Vinyl tile	2.06 × 101 ± 1.28 × 101	<0.005	1.51 × 108 ± 1.28 × 107	41.1 ± 3.5
Plastic seat	7.09 × 102 ± 9.39 × 101	<0.005	1.57 × 108 ± 7.55 × 106	31.2 ± 1.5
Finished concrete	<9	<0.005	3.78 × 106 ± 7.10 × 105	0.8 ± 0.1
Nylon cushion	1.71 × 101 ± 4.99 × 100	<0.005	1.67 × 107 ± 6.05 × 105	3.9 ± 0.1

^aThe sponge and macrofoam swab methods were used to sample triplicate areas of 930 cm² and 317 cm², respectively, of surface materials inoculated with 10⁸ E. herbicola cells.