Patent ID: 8871465

Claim:
A method for identifying bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group, comprising the following steps: (a) providing a sample containing bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group and Gram-positive bacteria other than those belonging to the Bacillus cereus group, a reaction medium comprising at least one fluorescent phosphatidylcholine phospholipase C (PC-PLC) substrate and an inhibitor of Gram-negative bacteria, wherein said reaction medium does not contain an inhibitor of Gram-positive bacteria, and wherein the pH of the reaction medium is between 6.8 and 8.0; (b) inoculating the reaction medium with said sample; (c) incubating the inoculated reaction medium; and (d) identifying the bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group by detecting hydrolysis of the PC-PLC substrate, wherein detection of the hydrolyzed PC-PLC substrate at between 6 and 30 hours results in identification of said bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group, and wherein said method allows for detection of bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group before the hydrolysis of the PC-PLC substrate by Gram-positive bacteria other than those belonging to the Bacillus cereus group.