Method for detecting the presence or absence of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a test sample

A method for detecting the presence or absence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (“MRSA”) in a first generation biological, food, or environmental specimen sample, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a powdered hydratable test mixture containing one or more growth promoting constituents that promote the growth of MRSA, at least one antibiotic component which will selectively inhibit the growth of Methicillin Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus (“MSSA”), coagulase substrates operative to react with a coagulase enzyme system produced by pathogenic staphylococci in the first generation specimen, and at least one hydrolyzable substrate which MRSA can metabolize to produce a detectable signal in a coalescence formed in a container containing said specimen sample;
• b) hydrating the test mixture in said container;
• c) forming an admixture of said first generation specimen sample and said hydrated test mixture in said container;
• d) incubating said admixture of said hydrated test mixture and said specimen sample in said container at temperatures in the range of about 20° C. to about 42° C.;
• e) observing said admixture to note the presence or absence of coalescence of said admixture in said container;
• and
• f) monitoring any coalescence in said container for the presence or absence of said detectable signal wherein the presence of a detectable signal indicates the presence of MRSA and the absence of a detectable signal indicates the absence of MRSA in the specimen sample.