A sample of water was enumerated using a counting chamber (haemocytometer) and 220 bacterial cells were counted in 25 small squares (each of volume 2.5 x 10-7 cm3).  Viable counts were carried out on the same culture using both the pour plate method (incorporating 1 mL samples of a range of dilutions into plate count agar plates) and the Miles & Misra spread plate method, where 0.02 mL samples were spread on sectors of a plate count agar plate. For the pour plate count the average of triplicate samples was 178 colonies per plate of the 10-4dilution. For the Miles and Misra count the average of triplicate samples was 21.3 colonies per sector of the 10-4 dilution.  Calculate the total count and the viable pour plate and spread plate counts and suggest possible reasons for the difference between the three different counts.

Microbiology for Surgical Technologists (MindTap Course List)
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ISBN:9781111306663
Author:Margaret Rodriguez, Paul Price
Publisher:Margaret Rodriguez, Paul Price
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A sample of water was enumerated using a counting chamber (haemocytometer) and 220 bacterial cells were counted in 25 small squares (each of volume 2.5 x 10-7 cm3). 

Viable counts were carried out on the same culture using both the pour plate method (incorporating 1 mL samples of a range of dilutions into plate count agar plates) and the Miles & Misra spread plate method, where 0.02 mL samples were spread on sectors of a plate count agar plate. For the pour plate count the average of triplicate samples was 178 colonies per plate of the 10-4dilution. For the Miles and Misra count the average of triplicate samples was 21.3 colonies per sector of the 10-4 dilution. 

Calculate the total count and the viable pour plate and spread plate counts and suggest possible reasons for the difference between the three different counts.

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