Evaluation of new computer-enhanced identification program for microorganisms: adaptation of BioBASE for identification of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae.

We report the use of BioBASE, a computer-enhanced numerical identification software package, as a valuable aid for the rapid identification of unknown enteric bacilli when using conventional biochemicals. We compared BioBASE identification results with those of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's mainframe computer to determine the former's accuracy in identifying both common and rare unknown isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae by using the same compiled data matrix. Of 293 enteric strains tested by BioBASE, 278 (94.9%) were correctly identified to the species level; 13 (4.4%) were assigned unacceptable or low discrimination profiles, but 8 of these (2.7%) were listed as the first choice; and 2 (0.7%) were not identified correctly because of their highly unusual biochemical profiles. The software is user friendly, rapid, and accurate and would be of value to any laboratory that uses conventional biochemicals.