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. 1970 Dec;20(6):880–883. doi: 10.1128/am.20.6.880-883.1970

Identification of Members of the Family Enterobacteriaceae by the R-B System

William Jeffery Martin 1, Robert J Birk 1, Pauline K W Yu 1, John A Washington II 1
PMCID: PMC377076  PMID: 4923807

Abstract

The R-B system was evaluated in parallel with conventional bacteriological procedures for the identification of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae by using bacterial strains from a variety of clinical specimens and from stock cultures. The R-B tests found to be reliable were, in decreasing order, the reactions for phenylalanine deaminase, hydrogen sulfide, and indole, the production of gas from glucose, and the decarboxylation of ornithine. The reactions in the R-B system found to be unreliable were motility, the decarboxylation of lysine, and the fermentation of both glucose and lactose. In addition, the reactions of the R-B system were more difficult to read and interpret than those of the conventional system. On the basis of this evaluation, it was concluded that the R-B system is not an acceptable alternative to the conventional methods in the identification of the Enterobacteriaceae.

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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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