Evaluation of a ten-minute chromogenic substrate test for identification of pathogenic Neisseria species and Branhamella catarrhalis.

A ten-minute chromogenic substrate test was evaluated for its ability to rapidly identify pathogenic Neisseria spp. and Branhamella catarrhalis. Identifications obtained with this system were compared to those obtained using conventional procedures. The test correctly identified 98.9% of 90 Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 98.3% of 60 Neisseria meningitidis, 96.2% of 26 Neisseria lactamica, and 100% of 36 Branhamella catarrhalis strains. Eight Neisseria subflava strains that grew on modified Thayer-Martin agar were prolyl aminopeptidase positive and were misidentified as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Other strains of saprophytic Neisseria spp. also reacted with the chromogenic substrates. The system was accurate and reliable for identifying the commonly encountered pathogenic species. In light of recent reports describing new species and atypical Neisseria strains, however, careful attention to the salient features of both common and atypical organisms is necessary for proper use of rapid enzymatic identification tests.