Anaerobic Fermentation of Mannitol by Staphylococci.

Mannitol fermentation has long been considered an important test in studying staphylococci, and yet reports on its correlation with other tests vary widely. Hallman (Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med., 36, 789) found a 91 per cent correlation with the coagulase test on 487 strains. On the other hand, Plastridge et al. (Storrs Agr. Expt. Sta., Bull. 231) found that 74 per cent of their 211 coagulasenegative strains fermented mannitol. Colwell (J. Bact., 37, 245) reported that of 28 mannitol-fermenting strains only 2 would ferment anaerobically. Unfortunately, her tests were not correlated with the coagulase test. Study of a small collection of mannitol-fermenting staphylococci has revealed that the anaerobic fermentation of mannitol correlated 100 per cent with the coagulase test (see table).