Use of a semiselective medium to culture Legionella pneumophila from contaminated lung specimens

Abstract

Legionella pneumophila was successfully isolated, using a semiselective medium, from two of three lung specimens heavily contaminated with other organisms. This medium is composed of charcoal yeast extract agar, supplemented with vancomycin and polymyxin B. L. pneumophila was observed at 8 days on plates containing ≤40 units of polymyxin B and ≤1 μg of vancomycin per ml.