THAYER MARTIN MEDIUM BASE

Description

Carpenter and Morton reported an improved medium to isolate gonococci in 24 hours. Later on the efficiency of GC medium supplemented with haemoglobin and yeast concentrate was demonstrated for isolating gonococci. Subsequently Thayer and Martin Medium was developed for the primary isolation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis from specimens containing mixed flora collected from throat, vagina, rectum an d urethra. Thayer and Martin used Vancomycin, Colistin and Nystatin. Martin and Lester used an additional antibiotic Trimethoprim to make the medium selective. This medium may inhibit Haemophilus species. Some strains of Capnocytophaga species may grow on this medium when inoculated with oropharyngeal specimens.