I have employed API20 E strips for the routine indentification of
Enterobacteriacea for perhaps 12 years now.
In use the strips are easy to use and can be innoculated very quickly,
although care has to be taken to adequately hydrate the incubation
trays. It is critical to get the overlays correctly applied for
anaerobic tests and in a similar manner to adequatley charge the
cupules requiring a large aerobic surface.
For the major genera present in food environments this system apperas
quite robust ( ie Salmonella Enterobacter Citrobacter Ecoli etc) and
is rendered more robust by performing the various addtional tests
required in the methodology.
The only dificulties I have experienced are as follows ;
1) The VP reaction is sometimes difficult to interpret in that
sometimes a faint colour is detectable even with NCTC VP negative
strains. This could be a reagent age related but we have observed the
phenomena with completely new virgin kits and reagent.
2) The ODC reaction requires experience to interpret. Some people have
difficulty in differentiating between orange and REd after 24 hours (
me included. ODC is a major taxnomic marker and spilts the famiy
roughly 50 50
3) Get the oxidase reaction correct for obvious reasons. Not all
oxidase reagents are equal.
Good bugging
Milton
In article <8o2sgq$3iv$1 at nnrp1.deja.com>,
Riyaz Andrabi <riyazandrabi at my-deja.com> wrote:
> Hi
> I want to know what are your experiences in working with api-20e kit.I
> tried a lot to contact Biomereux, France for the purchase of this
> identification kit, but they never communicated back.Please let me
know
> if there are other suppliers of this kit and if so please convey me
> their addresses.Thanks
>> Riyaz Andrabi
>> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/> Before you buy.
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
