What are the Applications of Chocolate Agar in Disease Outbreak Investigations?
During a disease outbreak, rapid and accurate identification of the causative agent is paramount. Chocolate agar enables epidemiologists to culture and identify fastidious organisms that might be involved in the outbreak. For instance, during an outbreak of meningococcal disease, chocolate agar can be used to isolate and identify Neisseria meningitidis from clinical specimens like cerebrospinal fluid or blood.