Comparison of the performance of selenite cystine and mannitol selenite enrichment broths in the isolation of Salmonella spp. from faeces.
Over a four-month period, 4,658 routine faecal samples were examined in four laboratories and the isolation rates of Salmonella spp. from mannitol selenite (MS) and selenite cystine (SC) broths plated to xylose lysine desoxycholate agar (XLD) compared. The isolation rate by MS was 1.55% and by SC was 1.48%, a small difference which is not statistically significant. Significantly fewer colonies were selected for supplementary testing from SC than MS (p = 0.029), thus reducing confirmatory work. In laboratories where SC is already used for food and environmental work, an opportunity exists to limit stocked salmonella enrichment broths to SC alone.
Nye
K J
KJ
Health Protection Agency West Midlands Public Health Laboratory, Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust (Teaching), Bordesley Green East, Birmingham B9 5SS. kathy.nye@heartsol.wmids.nhs.uk
Frodsham
D
D
Gee
B
B
Howells
K
K
Iliffe
A
A
Turner
T
T
Warren
R E
RE
Andrews
N
N
D003470:Culture Media; D003553:Cystine; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards; D008353:Mannitol; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018038:Sodium Selenite
D003470:Culture Media; D008353:Mannitol; D003553:Cystine; D018038:Sodium Selenite