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. 1990 May;56(5):1203–1205. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.5.1203-1205.1990

Efficacy of beta-glucuronidase assay for identification of Escherichia coli by the defined-substrate technology.

E W Rice 1, M J Allen 1, S C Edberg 1
PMCID: PMC184382  PMID: 2187409

Abstract

In 1976, Kilian and Bulow described the association of beta-glucuronidase with the genus Escherichia (97% positive) and suggested that a beta-glucuronidase assay would be a useful identification test. Since that report, papers about the sensitivity and specificity of this enzyme for the identification of Escherichia coli from clinical sources, food, seawater, potable-water supplies, and various environmental sources have appeared. A study was undertaken to determine the efficacy and specificity of the defined-substrate technology beta-glucuronidase (Colilert) assay for the identification of this species from fecal samples. A total of 460 human, 105 cow, and 55 horse E. coli isolates were tested. Results showed 95.5% beta-glucuronidase-positive isolates in 24 h and 99.5% positive after 28 h of incubation. Only one E. coli isolate was negative. There were no significant differences in the percentage of beta-glucuronidase-positive isolates among the human or animal isolates. There were no non-E. coli isolates that were positive. All subjects carried beta-glucuronidase-positive E. coli.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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