Final answer:
Virus cultures like those for diagnosing Bordetella pertussis should be transported to the lab within 24 hours to maintain viability. Other bacterial cultures on TSA plates require 18 - 24 hours of incubation, with significant attention to biosafety procedures during handling.
Step-by-step explanation:
The appropriate transport time for a virus culture, specifically in the case of diagnosing Bordetalla pertussis via a nasopharyngeal (NP) specimen, is as quickly as possible and preferably within 24 hours to maintain the viability of the culture. For other varieties of bacteria and overnight cultures on tryptic soy agar (TSA) plates such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and others, the cultures must be grown overnight, which suggests a minimum of 18 - 24 hours before transfer or analysis.