title: Evaluation of the API-campy system in the biochemical identification of hippurate negative campylobacter strains isolated from faeces.
abstract: The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of the API-Campy system in the biochemical identification of 62 hippurate negative campylobacter strains isolated from the faeces. The strains were identified manually as 34 nalidixic acid susceptible C coli (NAS), 20 nalidixic acid resistant C coli (NAR), and eight C lari. The 34 strains of NAS C coli were identified as such by the API-Campy system. Of the 20 strains of NAR C coli, 15 (75%) were correctly identified by the commercial system. None of the five NAR C coli strains which were also erythromycin resistant was identified as such by the system. The eight C lari strains could not be identified by the API-Campy system because the bionumber obtained does not exist in the database of the computer system. The API-Campy system could be very useful for the identification of NAS C coli. However, failure to allow for a higher percentage of resistance to nalidixic acid in this species does not permit good identification of NAR strains. More important discrepancies are observed in C lari strains. In order to improve the identification of NAR C coli and C lari stains, it is advisable to include, or recommend as complementary, the indoxyl acetate hydrolysis test.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Service, University Hospital Son Dureta (UIB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reina
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ros
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serra
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006626:Hippurates / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006626:Hippurates; C030514:hippuric acid