The biochemical differentiation between Salmonella and Citrobacter

Abstract

A number of bacterial isolates which could not be identified as either Salmonella or Citrobacter by conventional biochemical tests and could not be typed as Salmonella with available antisera, were further examined biochemically and by lysis with phage Felix 0.1. Glycerol-positive salmonellae and lysine-positive citrobacters were encountered, which could be confused with the other genus, but when the reactions of such strains were examined in the other tests, accurate identifications could be done. Of the tests examined, glycerol fermentation, the beta-galactosidase test, lysine decarboxylation, sorbose fermentation, galacturonate fermentation and lysis by the phage could be used in the differentiation. These tests in combination, rather than 1 or 2 single tests gave reliable and conclusive differentiation.