A simple identification system for slowly growing mycobacteria. II. Identification of 25 strains isolated from surface water in Valencia (Spain).

Abstract

Based on a twenty-year experience, a simple identification system for slowly growing mycobacteria has been presented for clinical laboratories not specialized in this work. With this system (12 tests: tolerance to 0.02% picric acid, colony pigmentation in the dark, nitrate reduction, resistance to ethambutol, tween hydrolysis at 7 and 14 days, resistance to hydroxylamine, PAS degradation, tolerance to p-nitrobenzoic acid, production of nicotinic acid and colony morphology) we have identified 15 strains of Mycobacterium gordonae and 10 of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex, isolated from surface water in Valencia, Spain.