TABLE 5.
Recovery efficiency of the foam-spatula protocol when sampling Vectran fabric type A inoculated with B. atrophaeus spores by different methodsb
| Inoculation method | Actual CFU in inoculum (nominal, 1,600) | No. of replicates | Recovered CFU |
Recovery efficiency (%) | 95% CIa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | Range | |||||
| Spray diffuser | 1,600.5 | 7 | 48.1 | 20.0-85.0 | 3.0 | 2.6-3.5 |
| Spray gun | 1,601.9 | 10 | 298.8 | 200.0-328.3 | 18.7 | 17.8-19.6 |
| Spotting | 1,551.8 | 13 | 204.4 | 136.7-246.7 | 13.2 | 12.5-13.9 |
a
CI, confidence interval, in percentage of recovered spores.
b
The nominal spore concentration was 4 × 104 CFU per m2.