ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING IN MASTITIS - A COMPARISON OF A COMMERCIAL TEST KIT WITH KIRBY-BAUER METHODS

Mastik(TM) (Lotek, Inc., Pomfret, Conn.), formerly Mastassay(R) (Pitma n-Moore, Inc., Mundelein, III.), was compared to the Kirby-Bauer disc method of antibiotic susceptibility testing for determining mastitis. Results indicate Mastik is an acceptable substitute and may have certa in advantages over the Kirby-Bauer disc assay; however, the Mastik sys tem used here should not be used as a substitute for isolation and ide ntification of causative bacteria by standard media such as blood agar and MacConkeys.