Selective medium for isolation of Clostridium botulinum from human feces

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Abstract
A selective medium, C. botulinum isolation (CBI) agar, was developed for the isolation of C. botulinum from human feces. This medium contains cycloserine (250 .mu.g/ml), sulfamethoxazole (76 .mu.g/ml) and trimethoprim (4 .mu.g/ml) as selective inhibitory agents. Qualitative tests indicated complete recovery of C. botulinum types A, B, F and G on CBI medium. It was more difficult to recognize type G colonies on the medium because of their lack of lipase activity. Except for a few Clostridium spp., the growth of other obligate anaerobes and of the faculative anaerobes tested on CBI medium was suppressed. Quantitative studies of C. botulinum on the selective medium yielded counts comparable to those obtained on egg yolk agar control plates. Isolation of C. botulinum types A, B and F from seeded fecal specimens was easily achieved with CBI medium. The use of CBI agar should aid the rapid isolation of C. botulinum from fecal specimens associated with foodborne and infant botulism.