COMPARISON OF THE E-TEST AND A PROPORTION DILUTION METHOD FOR SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING OF MYCOBACTERIUM-KANSASII

The newly developed E test was compared with a conventional proportion dilution method for determining the sensitivity of Mycobacterium kans asii to amikacin, streptomycin, fusidic acid, rifampicin, clarithromyc in, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and fleroxacin. There was no more than o ne strain with different rating, except for ciprofloxacin. In this cas e, the breakpoint concentration had an unfavourable position at the to p of the strip, and susceptible isolates in the dilution test were def ined resistant in the E test. It is concluded that the E test is suita ble for testing slowly growing mycobacteria other than tubercle bacill i, and may replace the more laborious dilution methods, particularly f or testing M. kansasii.