22 January 2010

Ongoing demand for accurate methods to both isolate and identify Salmonella enteritidis has been reaffirmed with the publication of a recent Health Protection Agency (HPA) report that details an ‘upsurge’ in food related cases of infection. Suitable for culturing organisms from both clinical and food samples, Lab M’s Harlequin™ Salmonella ABC chromogenic medium differentiates Salmonella spp. from other members of the Enterobacteriaciae family, making it an ideal tool for health and safety monitoring. The HPA publication, a ‘National increase in Salmonella enteritidis Phage Type 14b infections in England’, reports a total of 443 cases of S. enteritidis (PT) 14b in 2009, compared with 137 the previous year. 

Lab M offers a variety of different salmonella culture media. Pre-enrichment to recover sublethally damaged organisms becomes straightforward with inhibitor-free Buffered Peptone Water. Media such as Rappaport Vassiliadis Broth, Mueller Kaufmann Tetrathionate Novobiocin Broth (MKTTn) and Selenite Broth can then be used for further enrichment. And, for selective isolation, Harlequin™ Salmonella ABC is designed to harness the ability of the bacteria to produce alpha-galactosidase in the absence of beta-galactosidase, distinguishing them from other Enterobacteriaciae. In addition to this advanced chromogenic medium, Lab M also offers the more traditional XLD Agar and Brilliant Green Agar.