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Volume 10, Number 6—June 2004
Research

Swab Materials and Bacillus anthracis Spore Recovery from Nonporous Surfaces

Laura Rose*Comments to Author , Bette J. Jensen*, Alicia Peterson*, Shailen N. Banerjee*, and Matthew J. Arduino*
Author affiliations: *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Main Article

Table 3

Percent recovery of premoistened swabs

Recovery method
 Mean
 Median
 SD
 Range
 95% CIa
 pb
All swabs
All
 14.3
 9.4
 14.9
 0.4–63.9
 11.2 to 17.4
Extractionc
 19.7
 14.4
 15.5
 4.8–63.9
 16.3 to 23.1
 < 0.01
No extraction
 3.5
 2.7
 3.1
 0.4–13.5
 2.5 to 4.4
Vortex
 26.7
 23.7
 18.9
 1.4–29.0
 20.8 to 32.6
 < 0.01
Sonication
 12.7
 13.0
 5.6
 4.8–63.9
 11.0 to 14.5
Cotton swabs
All
 20.0
 13.3
 18.1
 2.6–62.5
 13.5 to 26.5
Extraction
 27.7
 20.0
 17.7
 7.3–62.5
 16.7 to 38.7
 < 0.01
No extraction
 4.7
 4.0
 2.2
 2.6–9.7
 3.3 to 6.1
Vortex
 41.7
 43.7
 14.6
 23.9–62.5
 33.7 to 51.8
 < 0.01
Sonication
 13.6
 13.3
 3.2
 7.3–19.5
 11.3 to 15.3
Macrofoam swabs
All
 22.5
 16.7
 17.5
 1.8–63.9
 16.3 to 28.8
Extraction
 30.7
 29.7
 15.9
 7.0–63.9
 20.8 to 40.5
 < 0.01
No Extraction
 6.3
 6.5
 3.9
 1.8–13.5
 3.9 to 8.7
Vortex
 43.6
 44.9
 11.1
 30.4–64.0
 36.8 to 50.5
 < 0.01
Sonication
 17.7
 16.7
 5.9
 7.0–29.0
 14.0 to 21.3
Polyester swabs
All
 7.7
 6.4
 5.3
 0.5–16.5
 5.8 to 9.6
Extraction
 10.6
 11.1
 4.1
 4.8–16.5
 8.1 to 13.1
 1.0
No Extraction
 2.0
 2.0
 1.0
 0.5–3.4
 1.4 to 2.5
Vortex
 9.9
 10.0
 3.8
 4.8–14.4
 7.5 to 12.3
 1.0
Sonication
 11.2
 12.3
 4.4
 4.8–16.5
 8.5 to 13.9
Rayon swabs
All
 7.0
 6.0
 6.8
 0.4–24.0
 4.6 to 9.4
Extraction
 10.0
 8.1
 6.4
 1.4–24.1
 6.0 to 14.0
 1.0
No extraction
 1.0
 0.9
 0.7
 0.4–2.9
 0.5 to 1.4
Vortex
 11.5
 11.5
 7.9
 1.4–24.1
 6.6 to 11.2
 1.0
Sonication 8.5 7.5 4.4 2.5–18.9 5.7 to 11.3

aCI, confidence interval.
bAdjusted for multiple comparisons by Bonferroni correction.
cVortex and sonication methods combined.

Main Article

Page created: February 22, 2011
Page updated: February 22, 2011
Page reviewed: February 22, 2011
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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