A Study of Features used in the Diagnosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Thirty-three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, previously described as a species group by a quantitative study, were subjected to an extended schedule of tests used in bacterial classification and identification. Adansonian analysis by electronic computer confirmed previous results, indicating that the 33 strains should be treated as a species group. The 172 features coded for each strain were analysed by computer, yielding a ‘probability of occurrence’ of each feature within the species, P. aeruginosa. This output was then used to select features appropriate for diagnostic purposes. From the analyses it was also possible to measure the sensitivity of several methods for determining the presence or absence of characteristics such as pigment production and oxidation of gluconate to ketogluconate. The general applicability of the use of the computer to cooperative pooling of data by bacteriologists is discussed.