We describe the search toward a fast and reliable strategy to detect and confirm the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in screening samples. First, we evaluated the sensitivities and specificities of oxacillin resistance screening agar (ORSA) with enrichment (tryptic soy broth [TSB] and ORSA [TSB-ORSA]) and without enrichment (ORSA), MRSA ID (MRSA_ID) plates, and CH...

Since the bone marrow puncture and its study is a time-consuming and costly process and in addition, the direct agglutination test has a high sensitivity and is easier and quicker to perform for the diagnosis of Kala-azar, and considering the less value of bone marrow puncture for the definite diagnosis of endemic hepatosplenomegaly in Meshkinshahr, this study was performed to determine the dia...

A comparison of the direct agglutination test and the indirect hemagglutination test for the detection of blood serum antibodies to Escherichia coli organisms indicated that these serological tests were comparable. In some instances the indirect hemagglutination test provided higher endpoint readings. Preparation of the antigens for the indirect hemagglutination test was more time consuming tha...

In two recent articles in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Qian et al. (4) and Lagace-Wiens et al. (2) describe a direct coagulase and a thermostable DNase test, respectively, for direct identification of Staphylococcus aureus from positive blood culture bottles. In a prospective study from April 2003 until February 2004, we investigated the accuracy of the Slidex Staph Plus agglutination ...

OBJECTIVE To prepare and evaluate a glycerol-preserved antigen from an Iranian strain of Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) for use in glycerol-preserved direct agglutination tests (GP-DAT) as an alternative to freeze dried direct agglutination tests (FD-DAT) that use freeze-dried antigen. METHODS Glycerol-preserved DAT antigen was prepared and stored at different temperatures. We tested antig...

When Escherichia coli spheroplasts made by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and lysozyme were agglutinated by concanavalin A (con A), the degradation of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) was found to occur proportionally to the degree of the agglutination, which was determined by microscopic examination or by a newly devised assay based on the slower settling of aggregates. Methyl-alpha-d-glucos...

The Wellcolex Colour Salmonella Test was evaluated for detection of Salmonella spp. in enrichment broths of 1,010 stool samples. In 39 specimens, Salmonella spp. could be isolated from the selenite F broth (SF). Wellcolex agglutination indicative of the presence of Salmonella spp. was noted with the SF in 36 cases, 34 of which were in agreement with the subculture results. Therefore, relative t...