This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Starr, M P Articles by Starr, P B Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Starr, M P Articles by Starr, P B

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Clin Microbiol. 1976 September; 4(3): 270-276

Caprylate-thallous agar medium for selectively isolating Serratia and its utility in the clinical laboratory.

ABSTRACT

A defined agar medium (hereinafter designated caprylate-thallous [CT5 agar) containing 0.01% yeast extract, 0.1% caprylic (n-octanoic) acid, and 0.025% thallous sulfate is highly selective for all Serratia species and effectively discriminates against most non-Serratia strains likely to be in the same habitats. The selectivity of CT agar is demonstrated by the very high efficiency of colony formation (mean, 80.7% of that on a nonselective complex medium) on CT agar by known Serratia strains and the very low efficiency of colony formation (close to zero) on CT agar by bacterial strains known not to be Serratia. The utility of this medium in actual clinical laboratory practice is demonstrated by the more rapid and higher recovery of Serratia on this selective medium as compared to conventional procedures of in-tandem runs of 513 consecutive urine, feces, and sputum specimens. Pigmented and nonpigmented Serratia strains deliberately added to fecal specimens can be selectively and quantitatively recovered on CT agar. CT agar compares favorably with, or in some cases is an improvement over, other selective media which have been recommended for isolating Serratia. This selective CT agar medium could be quite useful in ecological surveys, especially those related to hospital-acquired infections.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Dodd, S. J., Hurst, M. R. H., Glare, T. R., O'Callaghan, M., Ronson, C. W. (2006). Occurrence of sep Insecticidal Toxin Complex Genes in Serratia spp. and Yersinia frederiksenii.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6584-6592 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Anahory, T., Darbas, H., Ongaro, O., Jean-Pierre, H., Mion, P. (1998). Serratia ficaria: a Misidentified or Unidentified Rare Cause of Human Infections in Fig Tree Culture Zones. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3266-3272 [Abstract] [Full Text]