Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacterial species that is generally found on the skin, mucous membranes and nasal passages in abundance. An injury to the aforementioned sites enables these agents to produce an infection. S. aureus is mainly responsible for food poisonings and suppurative infections but is also one of the major causative agents of nosocomial infections.

Traditional differentiation of S. aureus from other members of the genus has mainly involved slide or tube coagulase tests which are regarded by some workers as being unreliable and laborious to perform. MASTASTAPH™(RST101) is a rapid, latex test offering a convenient, reliable alternative to traditional methods.

MASTASTAPH™ is based on the test principle described by Essers and Radebold who showed that the presence of bound coagulase (clumping factor) and Protein A (constituent of the S. aureus cell wall) could be detected using human plasma coated latex particles. MASTASTAPH™ latex reagent contains particles coated with fibrinogen and IgG. If mixed on a reaction card with S. aureus organisms, cell bound coagulase reacts with fibrinogen and/or protein A reacts with IgG causing rapid agglutination of the latex particles.

The MASTASTAPH™ is

Convenient

• Simple 3 step test procedure using liquid, ready to use reagents

Reliable

• Identifies both clumping factor and protein A

Easy to read

• Clear, well defined agglutination patterns

Rapid

• Most positives occur within 20 seconds

Also available at Mast Group Ltd is the MASTALEX™ - MRSA (RST501) for the detection of penicillin binding protein 2A and confirmation of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

For more information, please contact sales@mastgrp.com