Factors Improving the Propagation of Simkania negevensis Strain Z in Cell Culture

The purpose of the present study was to develop an optimal method for culturing Simkania negevensis. Centrifugation was effective for the propagation of S. negevensis, but sonication was not effective. The addition of cycloheximide to the culture medium significantly decreased the number of inclusions. Pretreatment of host monolayers with diethylaminoethyl-dextran or polyethylene glycol was detrimental. The most optimal conditions were centrifugation of the inocula onto untreated Vero cells, and culture in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum without cycloheximide or antimicrobial agents.