Coagglutination test for rapid detection of Salmonella enterotoxin

The Staphylococcal Coagglutination (CoA) test using Staphylococcus aureus (Cowan type-1) cells coated with antiserum against purified Salmonella enterotoxin was standardized and carried out to screen Salmonella serotypes for their enterotoxigenicity. Of the 101 cell-free culture supernatants from an equal number of Salmonella strains belonging to 15 different serotypes tested, 76 were found to be enterotoxigenic. All of the 24 strains which gave positive reactions in the rabbit ligated ileal loop test were also positive with this test. As little as 7.5 ng of purified Salmonella enterotoxin could be detected by the CoA test. The presence of enterotoxin in polymyxin B extract of cells and cell-free preparation of a S. typhimurium strain was detected as early as after 1.5 and 3.0 h of incubation, respectively. Besides the test standardized with the antiserum to purified V. cholerae toxin (CT) could detect purified toxin in a quantity as little as 5.0 ng and also enterotoxigenicity in an E. coli strain (LT+). The usefulness of the test as a routine, rapid and economic one for the detection of enterotoxin of Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae and E. coli is discussed.