Lactose-fermenting Salmonella.

Salmonella species are generally considered to be unable to ferment lactose and sucrose according to Bergey's Manual. Recently, however, J. M. Bulmash, McD. Fulton, and J. Jiron (J. Bacteriol. 89:259, 1965) and L. J. Kunz and W. H. Ewing (J. Bacteriol. 89:1629, 1965) have reported two separate species of Salmonella capable of fermenting lactose and sucrose. The organism reported here again illustrates that certain strains of Salmonella are capable of fermenting lactose and sucrose rapidly and can resemble very a strain of Citrobacter freundii. Because of the fulminating nature of the infection, further biochemical investigation of the organism was indicated. Inconsistencies were noted between expected results of C. freundii and those obtained with the organism under investigation with regard to the ability to decarboxylate certain amino acids. Results of serological agglutinations with Salmonella polyvalent antiserum indicated a serological resemblance to a Salmonella species. The organism was forwarded to W. H. Ewing,