Division 2.4 Storage of isolates

The isolates shall be stored at the National Reference Laboratories (NRL’s) using the method for NRL culture collection ensuring viability and no changes in properties of the strains for a minimum of five years. This is in order to allow, for instance, later testing for antimicrobial susceptibility or other types of characterisation. Also isolates sent to the CRL-AR shall be stored for a minimum of five years. Isolates shall be stored under conditions not allowing changes in properties (– 80 °C). If the laboratory in charge do not have the available storage capability, isolates shall be forwarded to the CRL-AR, which shall store these isolates.