Effect of swab type and storage temperature on the isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis from clinical specimens

Abstract

We evaluated various swabs for the recovery of Chlamydia trachomatis and found that only 7 of 14 swabs tested resulted in a greater than 50% recovery of organisms. Storage of chlamydial specimens at 4°C for more than 1 day resulted in a rapid loss of viability, whereas freezing of specimens at -70°C resulted in only a marginal decrease in the isolation rate.