Table 1.
Swab extraction and recovery efficiency in the swabbing trialsa
| Type of swabd | Swab description | Swab extraction efficiencyg |
Recovery efficiency per sampling spotg |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFU (106) | %b | CFU (106) | %c | ||
| HM-foame | 20-mm rough bud; thin solid plastic handle | 9.5 ± 1.48A | 86.2 ± 13.38A | 2.33 ± 0.39D | 22.8 ± 3.9D |
| HM-nylone | 20-mm medium soft bud; thin solid plastic handle | 8.9 ± 7.66B | 80.5 ± 6.94B | 4.53 ± 0.93C | 45.0 ± 9.3C |
| HM-polyestere | 15-mm medium-soft bud; tubular PP handle | 10.5 ± 1.16A | 94.7 ± 10.56A | 5.06 ± 0.91B | 50.2 ± 9.1B |
| HM-cottone | 12-mm firm cotton bud; solid wooden handle | 6.1 ± 0.80C | 54.9 ± 7.23C | 5.70 ± 0.96B | 56.6 ± 9.6B |
| Johnson's budf | 15-mm medium-soft cotton bud; tubular PP handle | 8.1 ± 1.21B | 73.9 ± 10.94B | 6.96 ± 1.29A | 64.1 ± 12.9A |
| Tulips budf | 15-mm soft cotton bud; tubular PP handle | 9.1 ± 0.71A,B | 82.8 ± 6.45A | 7.06 ± 0.76A | 70.6 ± 7.6A |
a
Different swabs used in the swabbing trials and the assessment of extraction efficiency of directly applied spores on the swab head and the recovery efficiency of Bacillus subtilis spores from inoculum-seeded 5-cm-diameter spots on a stainless steel laminar airflow workbench.
b
Based on a seeded inoculum of 11.05 ± 0.54 × 106 CFU per swab; six replications.
c
Based on a seeded inoculum of 10.07 ± 1.57 × 106 CFU per spot; six replications.
d
HM, Hi-Media source.
e
Presterilized and individually packed.
f
To be autoclaved.
g
Significant at P = 0.001. Values followed by the same letter are not significantly different.