Despite all the new technology and products created for ADS and the lack of international standard, this review suggests that their efficacy is depending on the products used, the experimental conditions applied and the germs tested.
For Candida sp. isolates, the tests performed included germ tube test, Dalmau culture plate, sugar assimilation and fermentation tests and ChromAgar.
Most laboratories start the yeast identification process with the germ tube test and continue with more extensive testing.
The phenotypic identification of the isolates of C parapsilosis from the blood and hands of HCWs was done by the morphology of colonies, germ tube test, chromogenic medium (CHROMagar Microbiology, Paris, France) and carbon assimilation test (ID 32C; bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France).
The germ tube test has been replaced with Bichrolatex albicans, a rapid immunological test for the identification of C. albicans.
Since germ tube test is routinely used for the differentiation of C. albicans from other Candida species, identification based solely on this test leads to misidentification of some C. albicans isolates in routine diagnostic laboratories [ 5].
The report infers from circumstantial evidence that the outbreak was triggered by airborne viruses from a germ warfare test on an island in the Aral Sea.
When the germ tube test was conducted 167 (81.8%) of the latter cohort were carrying germ tube positive yeasts, and the remainder germ tube negative yeasts.
The culture plates were then examined by a single examiner and up to two different phenotypes form each sample were selected for the germ tube test (Isibor et al. 2005).
Germ tube test, morphological characteristics on corn meal agar, and CHROMagar™ Candida were performed for speciation.
