m-Enterococcus Agar is used for the selective isolation and enumeration of enterococci by membrane filtration in a laboratory setting. m-Enterococcus Agar is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions in humans.
m-Enterococcus Agar was first described by Slanetz et al. for the enumeration of enterococci by the membrane filtration technique. In 1957, Slanetz and Bartley modified this medium by adding triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC). Increased recovery and larger colonies were obtained by incubating the inoculated membranes on the agar surface instead of on pads saturated with liquid medium. The membrane filtration method is simple to perform, does not require confirmation, and permits a direct count of enterococci in 48 hours. m-Enterococcus Agar is also referred to as m-Azide Agar.
The presence of enterococci is a valuable bacterial indicator for determining the extend of fecal contamination of recreational surface waters. m-Enterococcus Agar is recommended for the detection of fecal streptococci using the membrane filtration technique for water testing. The food industry also has applications for testing enterococci using m-Enterococcus Agar.
