DEVELOPMENT OF RHAMNOSE MACCONKEY(RMAC) CULTURE MEDIUM WHICH IS SELECTIVE SEPARATION CULTURE MEDIUM FOR ENTEROHEMORRHAGIC ESCHERICHIA COLI O26 AND RHAMNOSE MACCONKEY CULTURE MEDIUM CONTAINING CEFIXIME AND POTASSIUM TELLURITE ADDED THERETO (CT-RMAC)

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the subject culture medium capable of selectively separating enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26 and useful for a rapid testing method, etc., with a high precision for infectious diarrhea by adding rhamnose as a saccharide component to a basal culture medium for detecting the Escharichia coli. SOLUTION: This selective separation culture medium is obtained by adding rhamnose as a saccharide component in an amount of 0.1-50 g based on 1,000 ml of a culture medium, further, as necessary, adding a tellurite such as potassium tellurite in an amount of 0.1-25 mg based on 1,000ml of the culture medium and further adding an antibiotic substance such as cefixime capable of inhibiting the growth of intestinal floras in an amount of 0.01-1.0 mg based on 1,000 ml of the culture medium to a basal culture medium for detecting the Escherichia coli. The resultant culture medium is capable of culturing a sample and selectively separating enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26 to be a causative bacterium of infectious diarrhea at a frequency next to enterohemorrhagic Esherichia coil O157 and is useful for a rapid testing method, etc., with a high precision for infectious diarrhea.