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J Bacteriol. 1969 August; 99(2): 491-495
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effect of Temperature on Survival of Airborne Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Naval Biological Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720

ABSTRACT

Aerosols of Mycoplasma pneumoniae were prepared at each of eight relative humidities between 0 and 85% and at five separate temperatures between 10 and 43 C. Survival of these organisms was found to be a function of both relative humidity and temperature. However, the temperature response was mediated by humidity in that the effects of temperature could be observed only if some water vapor was present. At all temperatures, survival of M. pneumoniae in aerosols was found to be best at the extremes of relative humidity. The effects of temperature were such that irrespective of relative humidity an increase in temperature resulted in a decreased airborne survival time.