New plate medium for facilitated differentiation of Salmonella spp. from Proteus spp. and other enteric bacteria

A new agar medium for the differentiation of Salmonella spp. from other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae is described. This medium exploits a novel phenotypic characteristic of Salmonella spp.: the formation of acid from propylene glycol. This characteristic may be used in combination with a chromogenic indicator of beta-galactosidase to differentiate Salmonella spp. from Proteus spp. and the other members of the Enterobacteriaceae. Desoxycholate may be included in the plate medium as an inhibitor of gram-positive organisms. Non-typhi Salmonella spp. yield distinct, bright red colonies on this medium, allowing facilitated identification and unambiguous differentiation from Proteus spp.