Differential identification of Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonei

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Abstract
M. fortuitum and M. chelonei are distinguished unambiguously by the combined use of 5 test characters: nitrate reductase, .beta.-glucosidase, acid production from fructose, penicillinase and trehalase. Typically, M. fortuitum was nitrate reductase positive, .beta.-glucosidase positive, penicillinase negative, and trehalase negative and produced acid from fructose; M. chelonei was nitrate reductase negative, .beta.-glucosidase negative, penicillinase positive and trehalase positive and did not produce acid from fructose.