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Campylobacter Selective (Skirrow) Agar This is one of several selective media available for the isolation of Campylobacter spp in clinical, food and environmental laboratories. Based on Columbia Agar enriched with Lysed Horse Blood. Polymyxin B, Trimethoprim & Vancomycin are added as the selective agents. Sodium Thiosulphate, Pyruvic Acid and Ferrous Sulphate are also included to enhance the aerotolerance of Campylobacter spp. NB: This medium should be incubated at 42°C to optimise selectivity. -
Cetrimide Agar is intended primarily for use in the isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from pharmaceutical products and is recommended by the United States Pharmacopoeia for this purpose. The medium is made selective by the addition of cetrimide to inhibit the growth of most other organisms while allowing Pseudomonas aeruginosa/ and other Pseudomonas spp. to develop a classical colonial appearance, producing green pigmentation and fluoresce when examined under ultra violet light. -
This is a medium intended for the cultivation and isolation of Bordetella pertussis & Haemophilus spp. The base medium contains Charcoal and is enriched with 10% Horse Blood. It can also be used as a maintenance or transport medium for these organisms. -
Charcoal Agar with 10% Horse Blood & Cephalexin This is one of two media generally used for the selective isolation of Bordetella pertussis. The medium is made selective by the inclusion of Cephalexin, to suppress the unwanted naso-pharyngeal flora often present in specimens submitted for the isolation of Bordetella pertussis, and further enriched with 10% Horse Blood. NB: Although coliforms are inhibited by this medium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and some fungi will grow. -
A highly nutritious medium used for the isolation and cultivation of fastidious microorganisms, especially Neisseria and Haemophillus species from a variety of clinical specimens. The media is further enriched with Suplex (Polyvitex) that provides vitamins, amino acids, co-enzymes, glucose and other factors which improve the growth of Neisseria and Haemophillus species. -
A highly nutritious medium enriched with Horse Blood, where the blood has been “chocolated” by heating the medium to 60°C. Suitable for the isolation of most pathogens including the most fastidious and is particularly useful for the cultivation of Haemophilus spp. and Neisseria spp. -
CHROMagar™ Candida Plus is the first chromogenic isolation medium for the detection and differentiation of C. auris in addition to other major clinical Candida spp. such as C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata. Candida spp. are yeasts involved in various infections called Candidiasis. These infections can be severe with significant morbidity in nosocomial infections or in immunocompromised patients. Although C. albicans is still the main species involved, the use of antifungal agents has given rise to other species such as C. tropicalis, C. krusei and C. glabrata. In 2016, WHO added C. auris to this list with over 90 % of strains resistant to fluconazole. CHROMagar™ Candida Plus allows for the recognition of minor candida species in a mixed population containing the predominant species, thereby allowing patient specific treatment plans to be formulated at the earliest possible opportunity. Most bacterial species will be inhibited due to the inclusion of the selective mix: C. albicans Green colonies C. tropicalis Metallic blue colonies C. glabrata Mauve to pink colonies C. auris Light blue colonies with blue halo E. coli Inhibited Limitations The final identification must be confirmed by biochemical tests or by mass spectrophotometry (eg MALDI-TOF). These can be done directly from the suspicious colonies observed on the medium. -
CLED Agar Mackey and Sandy’s formulation this medium is popular for Urine Culture in the clinical laboratory. The lack of electrolytes inhibits the spreading of Proteus spp. and Bromothymol Blue indicator allows easy differentiation of Lactose and Non-Lactose fermenting organisms. Cystine is also present to benefit those organisms that have a particular Cystine requirement. Streptococcus pyogenes and many other fastidious organisms that do not require the presence of blood can grow on this medium. -
CLED Agar (Bevis) A modification by Bevis of the original CLED medium of Mackey & Sandys. This formulation uses a double indicator system (Andrade’s (Acid fuchsin) and Bromothymol blue) to improve differentiation of Lactose and Non-lactose fermenting organisms. The lack of Sodium Chloride also prevents the swarming of Proteus spp. -
Colorex 0157 with Cefixime & Tellurite This medium replaces the conventional Sorbitol MacConkey Agar that is reputed for high levels of false positives and the difficulty of colonial interpretation and differentiation. Colorex O157 is a chromogenic medium with a very high specificity (98% according to K.A. Bettelheim, 1998 J.Appl.Microbiol.85:425-428) for E.coli O157. To reduce the level of background flora, the medium is made selective by the addition of Cefixime and Potassium tellurite. Positive colonies exhibit a mauve colouration enabling easy interpretation amongst blue or colourless colonies of other bacteria. -
COLOREX™ STEC is a chromogenic medium(1) for the detection of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (including serotypes O26, O111 & O157). Over the past few years there has been an increase in the number of food poisoning outbreaks where non-O157 Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) have been shown to be etiological agent. The medium contains several selective agents to reduce the level of background flora from the specimen or food sample. Positive STEC colonies exhibit a mauve colouration enabling easy interpretation amongst other Gram negative bacteria that will exhibit blue or colourless colonies, if they are able to grow on the medium. Gram positive bacteria will be inhibited. -
Colorex™Acinetobacter MDR is a chromogenic medium for the detection of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter spp. Positive colonies exhibit a distinct red colouration with a pale grey centre enabling easy interpretation amongst blue, violet or colourless colonies that may be produced by other Gram –ve bacteria. Gram +ve bacteria and yeast are inhibited on this medium. Limitations: 1. Some Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas and Burkholderia spp. may form pale red colonies on this medium but are readily distinguishable due to differences in colonial morphology compared to the Acinetobacter spp. An oxidase test will readily differentiate any Pseudomonas spp. 2. Some Enterobacteriaceae isolates may form blue colonies on this medium. 3. Definitive MDR characterisation may require additional antibiotic susceptibility testing. -
Chromogenic medium for detection of Clostridium difficile. Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) is the leading cause of nosocomial infectious diarrheoa in adults. These infections occur mostly in patients who have both medical care and antibiotic treatment and have become more frequent and more difficult to treat in the last years due to the emergence of highly toxigenic C.difficile strains. Although PCR has become the leading C.difficile detection technique, culture is essential for strain typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. CHROMagarTM C.difficile is a new fluorogenic culture medium, extremely sensitive and selective, especially designed to simplify and speed up (24h) the culture of C.difficile. -
Colorex C3GR is a chromogenic screening medium for the detection of β-Lactamase producing Gram-negative bacteria in clinical specimens. The selectivity of the medium allows for detection of ESBL and/or AmpC producing isolates that exhibit a reduced susceptibility to 3rd generation cephalosporin antibiotics. The chromogenic reactions allow for species differentiation on presumptive positive isolates. -
Colorex™ Campylobacter is a chromogenic media for the isolation and presumptive identification of Campylobacter spp, from clinical specimens and food samples. Any presumptive Campylobacter colonies will produce a red colouration whilst most other organisms will be inhibited. Typical colour reactions are as follows – Campylobacter jejuni – Red colonies; Campylobacter coli – Red colonies; Campylobacter lari – Red colonies; Other Gram –ve bacteria – Blue colonies or inhibited; Gram +ve bacteria & yeasts – Inhibited. Presumptive positive Campylobacter colonies must be confirmed using serological and biochemical techniques according to the method / procedure being followed. -
In recent years there has been an increase in the number of immuno-compromised patients, which has in turn led to an increased rate of infections associated with Candida species. There were 2151 reported cases of candidaemia in 2016 with C.albicans accounting for 42%, C.glabrata for 25%, C.parapsilosis for 9% and C.tropicalis for 3% of infections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.(1) COLOREX™ Candida was formulated specifically for the detection and isolation of clinically significant Candida spp. by means of colonial colour and morphology within 48hrs. COLOREX™ Candida allows for the recognition of a minor Candida population within a mixed population as well as the pre-dominant species thereby allowing for a patient specific treatment plan at the earliest possible opportunity. Most bacterial species will be inhibited due to the inclusion of chloramphenicol. C.albicans – Green colonies C.tropicalis – Metallic blue colonies C.glabrata – Mauve to pink colonies C.krusei – Large fuzzy pink colonies Limitations Definitive identification requires additional testing of isolates (e.g. MALDI-TOF). C.glabrata and C.parapsilosis cannot be readily distinguished on this particular medium. C.dubliniensis will form dark green colonies on COLOREX™ Candida so additional testing is required to confirm presence in the specimen. C.auris isolates will grow on this medium but the colony colour may vary from white to pale purple/pink so further testing will be required to confirm identification.
