The family Enterobacteriaceae contains some organisms living in the intestines without harming the host and some organisms that are harmful to the host.
1) What is meant by the term "enteric pathogen"?
2) Why are anaerobic organisms generally not seen in a routine fecal specimen or culture?
3) What are the indole test, methyl red test, voges-proskauer test and citrate test (IMViC) reactions? Describe in detail all four reactions (what media is used, important ingredients, what each reaction measures, and what positive and negative results mean).
4) Create a flowchart for the isolation and identification of specific enteric bacteria from fecal samples.