Clinical Utility of BDTM mCCDA ClearHT Agar Medium for Campylobacter jejuni.

Campylobacter spp. has been the leading cause of bacterial food poisoning in Japan since 2000. The predominant Campylobacter spp. testing method employs selective medium to isolate Campylobacter spp. In the present study, we evaluated the Campylobacter-isolating capacity and clinical utility of BDTM mCCDA Clear-HT, an agar medium containing a chromogenic substrate, on 230 diarrhea stool samples. After 48 hours incubation, 50 samples (21.7%) were positive with BDTM mCCDA Clear-HT, while 61 samples (26.5%) were positive using modified Skirrow agar medium. In this study, BDTM mCCDA Clear-HT had a lower detection rate of Campylobacter jejuni more than Vitalmedia modified Skirrow agar medium.

Clinical Utility of Pourmedia ViGBS Agar Medium for Group B Streptococcus Screening.

Group B Streptococcus (hereinafter GBS) is the main pathogen in neonatal sepsis and meningitis, accounting for approximately one quarter of the cases. 1) Prevention of infection is therefore crucial. The GBS carriage testing of pregnant women is necessary to prevent infections. In this study, we examined the clinical utility of Pourmedia ViGBS agar medium (Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd.) in GBS screening, using a total of 197 vaginal and urine samples. Of these samples, 32 (16.2%) tested GBS positive with Pourmedia ViGBS agar medium, and 29 (14.7%) tested GBS positive with Nissui separated plate sheep blood agar/Drigalski agar medium (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.). These results indicate the usefulness of Pourmedia ViGBS agar medium as a GBS screening selective agar medium.

[The Evaluation of the MRSA Selective Agar Medium Using Chromogenic Enzyme Substrate from Clinical Specimens].

We evaluated MRSA-CI agar (Kyokuto Pharmaceutical Industrial Co., Ltd.) and BD BBL CHROMagar MRSA II agar (BD Japan) for the detection of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We used 129 specimens in this study. The positive rate of MRSA-CI agar was 19.4% (25/129 samples), whereas BD BBL CHROMagar MRSA II was 17.8% (23/129 samples). It is suggested that MRSA selective agar medium including enzyme substrate compounds is a useful medium to detect MRSA.

[Trend of susceptibility testing of clinical isolates of Candida species from aseptic samples in hospitals in Saitama prefecture].

We investigated the susceptibility of Candida species from clinical aseptic samples, including blood, at some hospitals in Saitama prefecture. Candida spp. detected from aseptic samples in the 6 institutes in Saitama prefecture from November 2007 to July 2011 were studied. The number of isolates was 85, which are 43 (50.6%) of Candida albicans, 24 (28.2%) of Candida parapsilosis, 5 (5.9%) of Candida glabrata, 5 (5.9%) of Candida tropicalis, 4 (4.7%) of Candida guilliermondii, 2 (2.4%) of Candida fermentati, 1 (1.2%) of Candida famata and Candida lusitaniae, respectively. All isolates were susceptible to amphotericin B. However, resistant isolates against micafungin were 3 in 5 of C. glabrata. We analyzed susceptibility of Candida spp. in Saitama prefecture in the article, and our study might be useful for the fungal therapy in the region.

[Clinical utility of Pourmedia GBS agar on screening for vaginal colonization of Group B Streptococcus].

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are normal flora of the vagina and intestinal, but if the pregnant woman was infected with GBS in the vagina, miscarriage or premature would occur or the newborn would be developed to severe GBS infection. It is recommended that the inspection of GBS on all pregnant women by Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We examined the comparison of detection rate between Pourmedia GBS agar (Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd.) and Nissui Separated Plate Sheep Blood Agar/BTB Lactose Agar medium (Nissui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) on 112 sample. The positive rate of Pourmedia GBS agar was 21.4% (24/112 samples), Whereas Nissui Separated Plate Sheep Blood Agar/BTB Lactose Agar medium was 17.8% (20/112 samples). It was found that the detection rate was improved by using Pourmedia GBS agar on GBS screening test of vaginal swab.