BD BBL™ Streptocard™ acid latex test kit provides a rapid platform for the serological identification of beta-haemolytic streptococci belonging to Lancefield groups A, B, C, D, F and G.

• Streptocard acid extraction reagent 1: One dropper bottle containing 2.7 ml of the reagent with 0.098% sodium azide as a preservative
• Streptocard acid extraction reagent 2: one dropper bottle containing 2.7 ml of extraction reagent 2
• Streptocard acid extraction reagent 3: Two dropper bottles each containing 6.8 ml of the reagent with 0.098% sodium azide as a preservative

Streptocard grouping method involves chemical extraction of group specific carbohydrate antigens using specially developed nitrous acid extraction reagents. The extraction reagents 1 and 2 provided in the kit contain a chemical substance able to extract the streptococcal group specific antigens at room temperature. Extraction reagent 3 contains a neutralizing solution. The neutralized extracts can be easily identified using blue polystyrene latex particles sensitized with purified group specific rabbit immunoglobulins. These blue latex particles agglutinate very strongly in the presence of homologous antigen and will not agglutinate when homologous antigen is absent.

Clinical, epidemiological and microbiological studies shown that the diagnosis of streptococcal infections based on clinical symptoms always requires microbiological verification. Betahaemolytic streptococci are the most frequently isolated human pathogens among the representatives of the genus Streptococcus. The extracted antigen in conjunction with latex agglutination offers a rapid, sensitive and specific method for identification of streptococcal groups A, B, C, D, F and G from primary culture plates.