Question: are all enterobacteriaceae lactose fermenters?
Answer: Lactose usually is fermented rapidly by Escherichia, Klebsiella and some Enterobacter species and more slowly by Citrobacter and some Serratia species. Proteus, unlike the coliforms, deaminates phenylalanine to phenylpyruvic acid, and it does not ferment lactose. Typically, Proteus is rapidly urease positive.