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J Clin Microbiol. 1978 November; 8(5): 480-488

Synergistic hemolysis phenomenon shown by an alpha-toxin-producing Clostridium perfingens and streptococcal CAMP factor in presumptive streptococcal grouping.

ABSTRACT

A new phenomenon of synergistic hemolysis by Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin and the streptococcal CAMP factor on human and guinea pig erythrocytes is described. A possible mode of action of the CAMP factors is suggested. On human blood agar all of the tested isolates of group B streptococci gave an arrowhead-shaped zone of hemolysis; 74% of group A gave a crescent-shaped lytic zone, whereas all isolates of groups C and G and the remaining 26% of group A streptococci gave a bullet-shaped lytic zone. By comparison, in the CAMP test incubated aerobically and anaerobically, 70 and 91%, respectively, of streptococci other than group B gave positive, arrowhead-shaped lytic zones. If all intermediate positive reactions in the CAMP tests were read as negative after aerobic incubation, only 89% of group B streptococci would be properly identified. The synergistic hemolysis phenomenon, using an alpha-toxin-producing C. perfringens and human blood agar, provided a reliable test for presumptive identification of group B streptococci, with promising potential to differentiate in the same test group A streptococci from other groups.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Gase, K., Ferretti, J. J., Primeaux, C., McShan, W. M. (1999). Identification, Cloning, and Expression of the CAMP factor gene (cfa) of Group A Streptococci. Infect. Immun. 67: 4725-4731 [Abstract] [Full Text]