The samples were applied to culture media using standard techniques. Culture media included Bordetella Agar (DifcoTM Bordet Gengou Agar Ref#248200, Becton Dickinson, Le Pont de Claix, France (BD) with 15% sheep blood), BBLTM Columbia Agar with 5% sheep blood (Ref# 211124, BD) and BBLTM Columbia colistin nalidixic acid (CNA) agar with 5% sheep blood (Ref 212104, BD) in order to provide appropriate media for a variety of aerobic bacterial species.
The inoculated agar plates were incubated at 36–38 °C and examined for bacterial growth after 24, 48, and 72 h. Bacterial growth was semiquantitatively assessed. Degree of contamination was defined as negligible (<10 colony forming units (CFU)), moderate (10–50 CFU), or severe (>50 CFU). If bacterial growth was identified, bacterial species were further classified using matrix-assisted laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF, Microflex LT and MALDI Biotyper Identification-Software 3.1, Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany; Library: Bruker Taxonomy Tree (8599 Spectra)).
The inoculated agar plates were incubated at 36–38 °C and examined for bacterial growth after 24, 48, and 72 h. Bacterial growth was semiquantitatively assessed. Degree of contamination was defined as negligible (<10 colony forming units (CFU)), moderate (10–50 CFU), or severe (>50 CFU). If bacterial growth was identified, bacterial species were further classified using matrix-assisted laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF, Microflex LT and MALDI Biotyper Identification-Software 3.1, Bruker Daltonik GmbH, Bremen, Germany; Library: Bruker Taxonomy Tree (8599 Spectra)).