title: Rapid identification of pathogenic neisserias using the Identicult-Neisseria test.
abstract: A rapid enzymatic method using chromogenic substrates for the rapid identification of pathogenic neisseria (Identicult-Neisseria, Scott Laboratories Inc., CA, USA) was tested in parallel with the rapid carbohydrate utilization test (RCUT) and the Phadebact Monoclonal GC Test against 198 consecutive clinical isolates of oxidase-positive Gram-negative diplococci (118 Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 76 N. meningitidis and four N. lactamica). On initial testing the Identicult-Neisseria gave a 95% overall concordance (97.5% N. gonorrhoeae, 90.8% N. meningitidis) with the RCUT and Phadebact tests; the corresponding figures after repeat testing were 98% overall concordance (98.3% N. gonorrhoeae, 97.4% N. meningitidis). Two of the three strains of N. gonorrhoeae mis-identified as N. meningitidis on primary testing were also mis-identified on repeat testing. Seven strains of N. meningitidis were mis-identified on initial testing (six as Moraxella catarrhalis and one as N. lactamica) and two on repeat testing (both as Mor. catarrhalis). We conclude that the Identicult-Neisseria is not sufficiently reliable for the culture confirmation of gonococci and meningococci.
authors.affiliation: Scottish Gonococcal Reference Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology, Edinburgh University Medical School, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moyes
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chronas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D009343:Neisseria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds