Arabinose Agar is recommended for selective isolation of Enterococcus faecium from faeces, sewage and water samples.Arabinose is the fermentable carbohydrate. Phenol red is the indicator in the medium. E. faecium ferments arabinose, producing acidic conditions, hence develop yellow coloured colony. Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus hirae does not ferment arabinose, hence appear as colourless- pink coloured colony.
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