Evaluation of the Staph-Ident and STAPHase systems for identification of staphylococci from bovine intramammary infections.

The Staph-Ident and STAPHase systems (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.) were compared with conventional methods for identification of staphylococci isolated from bovine intramammary infections. Adjunct testing by colony morphology, pigmentation, and biochemical tests was conducted to resolve discrepant identifications. The initial accuracies of the conventional scheme and Staph-Ident were 92.1 and 89.2%, respectively. Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. chromogenes could not be identified by means of the Staph-Ident test, but the addition of pigment production as a key character permitted identification of most strains. The final accuracy of the Staph-Ident was 94.3%. The STAPHase system was as accurate as the conventional tube coagulase method. The Staph-Ident and STAPHase systems are acceptable alternatives to conventional methods for identification of staphylococcal species isolated from bovine intramammary infections.