Table 1

Phenotypical properties of bacterial isolates.

Gram stain and Colony descriptions

Haemolysis

Motility

Catalase

Oxidase

Nitrate reductase

Indole

Methyl-Red

Voges-Proskauer

Citrate Utilization

H₂S Production

Gelatinase

Urea hydrolysis

O/129 disk

ONPG

Glucose

Trehalose

Lactose

Maltose

Mannitol

Esculin

Organisms and No of strains

GN rods, short, plump, in coccoid pairs or chains of variable length (Translucent to opaque, convex, entire colonies 1.5-2 mm)

Acinetobacter spp. n: 24

GN slightly curved rods, (Large, smooth, yellowish-white mucoid 2-4 mm colonies)

Pseudomonas spp. n: 72

GN rods (Flat, greenish, 1-2 mm colonies)

P. fluorescens n: 72

GN coccobacilli (Slightly, convex, cream colored 2 mm colonies)

Psychrobacter spp. n: 48

GN rods (Opaque, circular, convex, white to pink entire colonies 2-3 mm)

Serratia spp. n: 24

GN curved or comma shaped rod (smooth, moist, opaque-white\yellow green, round 2-3 mm colonies)

Vibrio spp. n; 72

GN regular rods (Shiny, orange-yellow, circular, smooth, concave, 2 mm colonies)

Pectobacterium carotovorum n; 48

GP irregular rods with jointed rods 'V-shape' (Yellow-Greenish-metallic center,1-2 mm colonies)

Arthrobacter spp. n; 48

GP straight long-narrow rods in chain, contain oval endospore (Gray-white, dry appearance 3-4 mm)

Bacillus spp. n; 48

GP slightly slender singly rods (Whitish, round, convex, 1-2 mm colonies)

Carnobacterium spp. n; 48

GP cocci singly, in pairs (Circular, convex to slightly peaked, smooth, glossy, opaque 1-5 mm colonies)

Staphyloccocus spp. n: 48

Negative Control

(Sterilized 0.9% NaCl)

Key: GP = Gram Positive; GN = Gram Negative; ONPG: ortho -nitrophenyl-, 3-D-galactopyranoside. ND = Not done; + = 90% or more strains are positive; - = 90% or more strains are negative; V = Isolate variability (% 11.3-87.6).

Cantas et al. BMC Veterinary Research 2011 7:71 doi:10.1186/1746-6148-7-71