The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 48, Issue 7 695-696, Copyright © 1999 by Society for General Microbiology

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Identification of clinically isolated vancomycin-resistant enterococci: comparison of API and BBL Crystal systems

J. M. Hamilton-Miller and S. Shah
Department of Medical Microbiology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London.

Twenty-eight phenotypically separate strains of clinically isolated vancomycin-resistant enterococci have been investigated with two API identification kit systems (20 Strep and Rapid ID 32 Strep) and two BBL Crystal kits (Gram Positive and Rapid Gram Positive). All strains were identified as Enterococcus faecium by a reference laboratory. The Rapid ID 32 kit positively identified 15 of 28 strains (54%), but only two (7%) were identified correctly: 11 were identified as 'doubtful' or 'to genus level' and two gave 'unacceptable' profiles. The API 20 Strep kit identified 27 strains (96%), but only 16 (57%) were identified correctly as E. faecium. The Rapid ID 32 kit erred by either positively misidentifying vancomycin-resistant E. faecium as E. casseliflavus or E. gallinarum, or indicated that this was the most likely identification, while the API 20 Strep kit more commonly produced a misidentification as E. casseliflavus. The Crystal Gram Positive and Rapid Gram Positive kits correctly identified 26 (93%) and 27 (96%) of the strains, respectively.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Wellinghausen, M. Bartel, A. Essig, and S. Poppert Rapid Identification of Clinically Relevant Enterococcus Species by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization J. Clin. Microbiol., October 1, 2007; 45(10): 3424 - 3426. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. R. Jackson, P. J. Fedorka-Cray, and J. B. Barrett Use of a Genus- and Species-Specific Multiplex PCR for Identification of Enterococci J. Clin. Microbiol., August 1, 2004; 42(8): 3558 - 3565. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. P. Bosshard, S. Abels, M. Altwegg, E. C. Bottger, and R. Zbinden Comparison of Conventional and Molecular Methods for Identification of Aerobic Catalase-Negative Gram-Positive Cocci in the Clinical Laboratory J. Clin. Microbiol., May 1, 2004; 42(5): 2065 - 2073. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Angeletti, G. Lorino, G. Gherardi, F. Battistoni, M. De Cesaris, and G. Dicuonzo Routine Molecular Identification of Enterococci by Gene-Specific PCR and 16S Ribosomal DNA Sequencing J. Clin. Microbiol., February 1, 2001; 39(2): 794 - 797. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. K. Chen, L. Pearce, A. McGeer, D. E. Low, and B. M. Willey Evaluation of D-Xylose and 1% Methyl-alpha -D-Glucopyranoside Fermentation Tests for Distinguishing Enterococcus gallinarum from Enterococcus faecium J. Clin. Microbiol., October 1, 2000; 38(10): 3652 - 3655. [Abstract] [Full Text]