Quality control of batches of bacteriological examination kits «Selective differential-diagnostic medium for recovery of Bacillus anthracis and closely related bacilli of Bacillus cereus group»

Possibilities of quality control of experimental series of a set of reagents for bacteriological studies «Selective differential diagnostic environment for the isolation of the causative agent of anthrax and closely related bacilli of the Bacillus cereus group» is justified. Findings of the investigation of growth properties of the selective medium showed typical colonial morphology of virulent strains of Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis 81/1, B. anthracis 1(CО), B. anthracis 1193, B. anthracis И-363, B. anthracis 1283) and its vaccine strains B. anthracis CTI-1, B. anthracis Ihtiman, B. anthracis Sterne 34 F2, B. anthracis 55, B. anthracis 71/12 - II Tsenkovsky’s vaccine). The colour of the batches of selective medium and Hottinger’s agar around the Bacillus anthracis colonies was unchanged. Whereas, the colour of selective medium around colonies of closely related saprophytes of genus Bacillus discoloured to bright-yellow, allowing to differentiate colonies of anthracic micro germs and closely related microorganisms. Presence of inhibiting properties of the selective medium was confirmed using heterologous germ cultures (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Proteus vulgaris HX-19) which showed no growth in all series of the tested medium. Meanwhile, the typical colonial morphology of strains of these microorganisms was observed on Hottinger’s agar.

Bacillus anthracis, selective medium, differential-diagnostic medium, Hottinger agar, heterologous culture, virulent strains