Evaluation of API SerImm Sure strips for screening and grouping Salmonella isolates

Two new latex agglutination products in which the reagents are dried in macrocupules in plastic strips were evaluated. API SerImm Sure Salmonella Poly for screening and API SerImm Sure Salmonella for grouping (Analytab Products, Plainview, NY) were tested with 63 recent isolates and 72 stock strains of Salmonella groups A-E and 43 stock strains of Salmonella groups F-67. Of the homologous strains, the polyvalent reagent correctly identified 89%, and the grouping reagents 90%. The most commonly occurring serotypes of groups A-E were identified. The major problems were failure to identify Group B 1,4,12,27, and group D29,46 strains, and lack of macrocupules with normal serum-latex controls. The major advantage of the products is convenience, since the SerImm Sure packaging eliminated the need to dilute anti-sera and prepare slides.