Streptococcal Kit for Detection of Resistant Organisms

A new improved Streptococcal Grouping Kit enhances the extraction and detection of group D antigen from enterococcal organisms and is targeted at vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).

Pathogenic streptococci possess specific carbohydrate antigens that permit their classification into Lancefield groups: A, B, C, D, F, and G. In the past, a minority of vancomycin-resistant group D enterococcal organisms have resulted in false negative or weak reactions. This is because VREs contain significant alternations to cell wall structure, making them more resistant to the extraction of the group D antigen.

The new Streptococcal and Dryspot Streptococcal Grouping Kits, from Oxoid Limited (Basingstoke, UK), incorporate a new, improved enzyme extraction reagent that significantly improves the sensitivity of the kits for group D organisms. In trials, the kits demonstrated 92% sensitivity and 99.8% specificity, and 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity, respectively, for group D streptococci.




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