Oxoid™ Sheep Blood Agar Base 500g

Sheep Blood Agar Base (Dehydrated) is a highly nutritious medium designed for the cultivation and isolation of fastidious microorganisms from clinical specimens, particularly when used with sheep blood. The formulation enhances hemolytic reactions, ensuring accurate differentiation, especially for streptococci.

Developed to improve on standard blood agar formulations, this base allows for maximum recovery of organisms without interference in hemolysis patterns. It is based on the formulation of Blood Agar Base No. 2 (CM0271), which, when used with sheep blood, occasionally produced mixed hemolytic reactions (alpha and beta hemolysis) in certain Group A streptococci (e.g., Streptococcus pyogenes). These inconsistencies were attributed to trace levels of fermentable carbohydrates in the yeast extract and physiological differences between sheep and horse blood¹.

The revised formulation eliminates these issues, making it fully compatible with sheep blood. Comparative studies have shown that this medium supports improved growth of fastidious organisms, particularly streptococci, and allows for clear beta-hemolytic reactions in Streptococcus pyogenes.

Key Features:

• Enhanced compatibility with sheep blood to eliminate mixed hemolysis

• Optimized for clinical use, especially in the recovery of fastidious bacteria

• Reliable hemolytic differentiation, especially for beta-hemolysis in Group A streptococci