Supplemented with blood a medium to culture a wide variety of organisms and observe hemolytic activity of streptococci.
Heart Infusion Agar is prepared from an infusion of beef heart. The first media used for the cultivation of bacteria was prepared from meat infusions. Huntoon showed that pathogenic microorganisms could be grown from infusion agar without enrichments. This medium could be used for mass culture of microorganisms for vaccine production. It was also used for determining the presence and bacterial count of hemolytic streptococci in milk.
Storage and Stability:
Store the sealed bottle containing the dehydrated medium at 4 degrees C. Once opened and recapped, place the container in a low humidity environment at the same storage temperature. Protect it from moisture and light. The dehydrated medium should be discarded if it is not free flowing or if the color has changed from the original light beige color.