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This blog was designed for the Biomedical Technology students at the Durban University of Technology, in Durban, South Africa. It consists of short notes on aspects that I feel that my students grapple with, and aims to provide a better explanation than that they would receive in lectures. It is also a very personal blog, where I feel comfortable 'talking' to my students.

Please email me sherlien@dut.ac.za




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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The ELEK test

This test is done to determine if Corynebacterium diphtheriae releases toxin. It is performed after the organism is identified as being C diphtheriae.

Add K tellurite and rabbit serum to molten agar. Dispense this agar to a sterile petri dish using aseptic technique. Place a filter paper strip impregnated with antitoxin across the middle of the plate. Allow the filter paper to sink to the bottom of the the plate. Wait till the plate solidifies and is dry.

do a line streak of the test organism, positive and negative controls at right angles to the filter paper. Incubate
Examine for lines of white precipitation at 45 degree angles a small distance away from the filter paper.
If the positive control is adjacent to the test, and the test is positive, you will see a wave like formation. Very very pretty, dont you think??? Nasty bug though

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