Presumptive identification of "Streptococcus milleri" in 5 h.

Rapid miniaturized tests for acetoin production, arginine hydrolysis, and sorbitol fermentation were used for presumptive identification of non-beta-hemolytic "Streptococcus milleri" isolates in 5 h. All 77 "S. milleri" strains tested were Voges-Proskauer positive, arginine hydrolysis positive, and sorbitol fermentation negative. On the basis of these reactions, "S. milleri" was differentiated from isolates of other viridans group streptococcal species and from Streptococcus bovis.