Abbreviated Salmonella Screening Procedures with PathoTec Urease and Lysine Decarboxylase Test Papers

Salmonellosis has been the object of considerable discussion and research activity during the past several years (2). The reported (6) frequency of Salmonella isolations appears to indicate that domestic poultry is the largest single reservoir of these organisms. However, many other species of domestic animals have been identified as vectors of the infection. Salmonella has been reported in feedstuffs, particularly animal by-products, in both this country and Europe. The public-health and economic implications of salmonellosis focus attention on the importance of accurate, rapid Salmonella detection screening procedures. Because time and skilled personnel are in short supply in many laboratories, PathoTec? (General Diagnostic Division, Warner-Chilcott Labs., Morris Plains, New Jersey) was tested in our research laboratory to evaluate the reliability and convenience of a shortened screening procedure to identify Salmonella presumptively.