Diagnostic criteria for differentiation of pseudomonads pathogenic for man.

To determine the most useful diagnostic characters for the differentiation of pseudomonads pathogenic for man, including Pseudomonas maltophilia (Alcaligenes bookeri), P. stutzeri (Bacillus denitrificans), P. pseudomallei (Malleomyces pseudomallei), and apyocyanogenic strains of P. aeruginosa, a comparative examination was made of 58 strains of these bacilli for their morphological and biochemical characteristics. It was concluded that the criteria for differentiating these bacteria are type of flagellation, growth on S S Agar, fluorescein production, oxidation of carbohydrates in the medium of Hugh and Leifson, nitrogen gas production, gluconate oxidation, gelatinase activity, urease activity, lysine decarboxylase activity, arginine dihydrolase activity, oxidase reaction, sensitivity to polymyxin, requirement for methionine as a growth factor, and assimilation of organic compounds as the sole source of carbon and energy.