HEMMES MEDIUM

Salmonella and Shigella are gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-sporulating, non-motile rods in the family Enterobacteriaceae. They are widely distributed in animals affecting mainly the stomach and the intestines. Arizona group was originally named Salmonella Arizonae. It has been found mainly in reptiles and birds and occasionally in human patients with diarrhea or septicemia. These organisms are difficult to differentiate biochemically from Escherichia coli. Hemmes Medium is used for screening and differentiating Salmonella and Shigella. The differentiation is based on seven reactions namely-dextrose, lactose, and sucrose fermentation, hydrogen sulphide production, urease detection, indole production and motility testing. Thus it is also named as Hemmes-7 Medium Base. It is prepared according to the formulation of Hemmes.

for biochemical di?erentiation of Salmonella and Shigella on the basis of dextrose, lactose, surcrose fermentation, motility, H2S, indole and urease production