Lyophilization of Brucella melitensis1

The preservation of Brucella melitensis was of initerest because Elberg and Faunce (1957) had shown that a nondependent mutant derived from a streptomycindepenident strain of B. melitensis was immunogeniic wheni administered as a living vaccine. Huttoni et al. (1951) and, more recenitly, Alexander and van Drimmelen (1956), showed that lyophilization was practical for preserving the viability of the Brutcella abortus (straini 19) vaccinie. Although lyophilizationi is a geinerally accepted method for maintaining viability of bacterial cultures (Harris, 1954), the conditions for the optimal preservation of bacteria by lyophilization are not identical for all species or strains of given species. This report describes the results of limited studies on the lyophilization and storage of a live vaccine strain of B. melitensis.