INTRODUCTION
It has been recognized as an universal practice that when a
‘bacterium’ duly isolated and obtained
in a
‘pure culture medium’ it remains to be identified meticulously via certain well-defined broadly
accepted systematical laid down procedures. The following characteristic features may be studied in an
elaborated intensive and extensive manner in the course of their precise and judicious
identification,
such as :
•
Morphology,
•
Selective and diagnostic media,
•
Cultural characteristics,
•
Resistance,
•
Metabolism,
•
Additional recognized biochemical tests,
•
Profile of microbial stains, and
•
Rapid identification methods.
Importantly, the basic clinical microbiological evaluations may provide
preliminary or definitive
identification
of the microorganisms exclusively dependent upon the following five cardinal aspects,
namely :
(1) Microscopic
examination of specimens,
(2) Critical investigation with regard to the growth and biochemical characteristic features of
the
isolated microorganisms (pure cultures),
(3) Specific immunologic tests that solely detect either the
antibodies or the microbial antigens,
(4)
Bacteriophage typing (restricted to the research settings and the CDC*), and(5) Molecular techniques.