Oxoid™ Staphytect Plus™ Latex Agglutination Test Pk 100

Staphytect Plus is a latex slide agglutination test 1 for the differentiation of Staphylococcus aureus by detection of clumping factor, Protein A and certain polysaccharides found in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from those Staphylococci that do not possess these properties. Staphytect Plus uses blue latex particles coated with porcine fibrinogen and rabbit IgG including specific polyclonal antibodies raised against capsular polysaccharides of Staphylococcus aureus. When the reagent is mixed on a card with colonies of Staphylococcus aureus, rapid agglutination occurs through the reaction between (i) fibrinogen and clumping factor, (ii) Fc portion of IgG and Protein A (iii) specific IgG and capsular polysaccharide. Agglutination may also occur with other species which possess clumping factor or Protein A such as Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus intermedius. If neither clumping factor, Protein A or specific capsular polysaccharides are present, agglutination will not occur and the result will be regarded as negative. The most frequent coagulase and Protein A negative isolates of staphylococci are Staphylococcus epidermidis.