Demonstration of Serologically Different Capsular Types Among Strains of Staphylococcus aureus by the Serum-Soft Agar Technique.

Colonies of Staphylococcus aureus exhibiting diffuse-type growth in regular serum-soft agar containing 7.5% sodium chloride were isolated. After isolation, further identification of the encapsulated strains of S. aureus was performed. With this procedure, 19 encapsulated strains were obtained from 103 clinical specimens (18.4%). With these strains, three serologically distinct diffuse types of organisms were observed by the conversion of diffuse to compact type colonial morphology in serum-soft agar containing specific antidiffuse sera. Capsule-inhibiting activity of antisera was adsorbable with homologous encapsulated organisms and not adsorbed with either heterologous encapsulated organisms nor the derived compact variant, suggesting a specific activity for the antispecific capsular antibody. Fourteen strains were similar to the Smith diffuse-type strain, four strains were the same as NS58D, and one was identical to NS41D. These were provisionally designated as capsule types A, B, and C, respectively.