Feasibility of Screening for Penicillinase-Producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae from Primary Culture Plates by Using a Rapid Microacidometric Test

摘要

We have shown that it is possible to screen for penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae directly from primary culture plates. Experiments involving the cocultivation of four genera of beta-lactamase-positive (β-lac⁺) bacteria and a beta-lactamase-negative (β-lac⁻) N. gonorrhoeae on modified Thayer-Martin medium indicated that suppressed or inhibited β-lac⁺ bacteria did not give false-positive results when isolated β-lac⁻ colonies of gonococci were tested. Colonies were assayed for β-lac production by an adaptation of a microacidometric method in which bacteria could be tested before or after the addition of oxidase reagent.