Study of haemolytic activity of some Campylobacter spp. on blood agar plates

A total of 152 strains of Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, C. laridis and C. fetus subsp. fetus were tested for haemolysis on blood agar plates. Distinct haemolysis was detected in 92.3% (96/104) of strains of C. jejuni and 21.7% (5/23) of strains of C. coli on sheep blood heart infusion agar after incubation for 4 d microaerobically at 42 degrees C. Haemolysis was also detected on horse blood heart infusion agar. Haemolysis was not detected at 37 degrees C except with one of 50 strains of C. jejuni tested at this temperature, which was weakly positive. Campylobacter laridis was not haemolytic; C. fetus subsp. fetus, which does not grow at 42 degrees C, showed no haemolysis at 37 degrees C. Blood agar (Oxoid, BA Base No. 2) was not suitable for testing for haemolysis by these organisms. A microaerobic gas mixture containing hydrogen is better than that containing nitrogen because the medium has a brighter colour, making haemolysis easier to detect. There was no synergistic haemolysis with Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus agalactiae. The plate haemolysis test as described here may aid differentiation within the thermophilic campylobacters.