What are transport media used for?

Examples of common transport media and their intended use: 

• Cary-Blair Medium: A semi-solid bacterial transport medium used for transporting fecal and rectal samples for recovery of enteric pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Vibrio cholerae 
• Amies Transport Medium: A liquid or semi-solid bacterial transport medium used for transporting swab specimens and recovery of aerobes and anaerobes 
• Amies Charcoal Transport Medium: A semi-solid bacterial transport medium used for the transport of swabs and recovery of anaerobes and Neisseria gonorrhea 
• Leibovitz Emory Transport Medium: A liquid viral transport medium used for transport and recovery of viruses
• Alkaline Peptone Water: A liquid bacterial transport medium used for transport and recovery of V. cholera
• Stuart Transport Medium: A semisolid bacterial transport medium used for transporting swabs and recovery of anaerobic, fastidious, and non-fastidious bacteria
• Chlamydia Transport Medium: A liquid viral and bacterial transport medium used for transporting swabs for recovery of Herpes Simplex Virus and Chlamydia trachomatis
• Mycoplasma Transport Broth: A liquid bacterial transport medium used for transporting body fluid or swabs for recovery of Mycoplasma, Gardenerella vaginalis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Ureaplasma among others
• Buffered Glycerol Medium: Liquid bacterial transport medium used to transport fecal and rectal samples for recovery of enteric pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp. in fecal sample