Identification of Salmonella spp. with Rambach agar in conjunction with the 4-methylumbelliferyl caprylate (MUCAP) fluorescence test

Abstract

The utility of Rambach agar to identify Salmonella spp. was examined relative to its usefulness in clinical microbiology. Forty-four of 54 (82%) salmonella organisms isolated from faecal cultures and 66 of 82 (84%) salmonella stock cultures produced bright red colour colonies after 24 h incubation at 37 degrees C, whereas 48 of 54 (89%) salmonellae isolated from faecal cultures, and 74 of 82 (90%) salmonella stock cultures, yielded the bright red colour when the incubation time was extended to 48 h. Apart from Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi A the sensitivity of Rambach agar to detect salmonella strains belonging to five serogroups was 83% and 92% after 24 and 48 h of incubation, respectively. In contrast, other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae tested failed to give the bright red colour, except for one strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and another of Acinetobacter baumannii. The non-salmonella strains either gave a different colour--blue, green or orange--or were colourless. To supplement the use of Rambach agar in the detection of Salm. typhi and Salm. paratyphi A and other late or negative acid-producing salmonella species on this medium, the 4-methylumbelliferyl caprylate fluorescence (MUCAP) test was carried out, and this showed positive results with all the salmonella strains tested. These results suggest that while Rambach agar can not pre-identify Salm. typhi and Salm. paratyphi A, the use of a simple and rapid (MUCAP) test in combination would make it very useful to identify all Salmonella spp. after 24 h incubation.