RAPID DIAGNOSIS FOR STREPTOCOCCUS AGALACTIAE AND STREPTOCOCCUS UBERIS

The TKT-ferric citrate medium lends itself well for use in a rapid screening method for Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus uberis isolation and identification from milk samples in that: (a) nonprofessional technicians can rapidly identify positive colonies as S. agalactiae or S. uberis on initial isolation; (b) additional confirmatory tests (CAMP, etc.) are usually unnecessary, thereby reducing labor and media costs; and (c) the medium is selective for streptococci and inhibitory to contaminants thereby increasing the number of isolations.