The Liofilchem Latex Agglutination Kit reaches Thailand through BCST, giving food microbiology laboratories, environmental monitoring teams, and quality assurance facilities a rapid, on-site method for presumptive confirmation of target organisms directly from selective or enrichment culture.

Latex Agglutination Kit Thailand — What This Test Does

Latex agglutination is one of the most established confirmation methods in microbiological testing. The principle is simple and reliable. Latex particles carry specific antibodies against the target organism. When a bacterial suspension from a culture mixes with the latex reagent, the antibodies bind to the target antigens. As a result, the latex particles clump together visibly within one to two minutes. A positive test shows clear agglutination. A negative test shows no clumping.

Consequently, laboratories eliminate negative samples from further testing rapidly. They direct confirmatory resources only toward positive results. This reduces the overall time and cost of the identification workflow — particularly in high-throughput food safety testing environments where large numbers of samples pass through screening methods daily.

Furthermore, the Liofilchem Latex Kit range integrates directly into existing ISO-compliant testing workflows. Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and Legionella testing workflows under ISO 6579, ISO 11290, ISO 21528, and ISO 11731 all involve selective culture steps from which direct latex agglutination confirmation is appropriate. Therefore, the latex kit adds a fast confirmation layer without disrupting the established method structure.

How To Choose The Right Kit

Select the kit that matches your target organism and testing workflow from the dropdown above. The guide below identifies the correct choice for each application.

E. coli O157 Latex Kit — LFC-96165 For presumptive identification of Escherichia coli O157 from selective culture.

E. coli O157 — specifically the serotype O157:H7 — is the most clinically significant Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotype. It does not ferment sorbitol, which distinguishes it from most E. coli strains on sorbitol MacConkey agar. Colonies with non-sorbitol-fermenting morphology on selective agar are the primary screening target for this kit.

The E. coli O157 Latex Reagent carries polyvalent antisera raised against the somatic O157 antigen. A Control Latex with non-specific rabbit antibodies is included. Both must be tested simultaneously — the control prevents misinterpretation of non-specific reactions.

Kit contents: E. coli O157 Latex Reagent (2.5 ml), Control Latex (2.5 ml), Positive Control antigen (1 ml), 20 agglutination slides, mixing sticks. Result time: Within 2 minutes. SKU: LFC-96165

Important limitation: Atlantibacter hermannii cross-reacts with O157 antisera. All positive results require confirmation by further identification and serotyping.

Legionella Latex Kit — LFC-96162 For presumptive identification of Legionella pneumophila serogroups and other Legionella species from selective culture.

This kit provides three-way serogroup differentiation in a single test. Three separate reagents identify L. pneumophila serogroup 1, L. pneumophila serogroups 2–15, and ten other commonly isolated Legionella species independently. Consequently, the result informs both the species and the serogroup — critical information for risk assessment and regulatory reporting in water safety programmes.

The ten additional Legionella species detectable include L. micdadei, L. bozemanii (1 and 2), L. dumoffi, L. longbeachae (1 and 2), L. jordanis, L. gormanii, L. anisa, and L. feelei. Furthermore, due to cross-reactivity between serogroups 6 and 16, the kit potentially detects serogroup 16 as well.

This kit serves as the laboratory culture confirmation step in water safety monitoring programmes. It works alongside rapid screening methods — such as the Hydrosense lateral flow tests also available from BCST — to provide a complete two-stage Legionella detection workflow.

Kit contents: Legionella Latex Reagent Sg1 (2.5 ml), Sg2-15 (2.5 ml), Species (2.5 ml), Positive Control (1 ml), 0.85% Saline (2 × 5 ml), 25 agglutination slides, 75 mixing sticks. Result time: Within 2 minutes. SKU: LFC-96162

Salmonella Latex Kit — LFC-96161 For presumptive identification of Salmonella spp. from selective and enrichment culture.

The Salmonella Latex Reagent carries polyvalent antisera raised against a wide range of Salmonella antigens — detecting most Salmonella spp., predominantly motile organisms. The kit suits screening applications where rapid elimination of Salmonella-negative samples saves confirmatory testing resources. Additionally, it works from both solid selective media and liquid enrichment broths — covering the two most common culture formats in ISO 6579-compliant Salmonella testing workflows.

Kit contents: Salmonella Latex Reagent (2.5 ml), Positive Control (0.5 ml), 0.85% Saline (5 ml), 25 agglutination slides, 50 mixing sticks. Result time: Within 2 minutes. SKU: LFC-96161

Important limitation: Some non-motile strains may not be detected. All positive results require confirmation by further identification and serotyping.

Staph Latex Kit — LFC-96163 For presumptive identification of Staphylococcus aureus from selective and enrichment culture.

The Staph Latex Reagent uses a dual detection mechanism. Latex particles carry human fibrinogen — which binds bound coagulase (clumping factor) present on S. aureus — and human IgG, which binds Protein A expressed by S. aureus. Both mechanisms must activate together for agglutination to occur. Therefore, specificity is high.

This kit suits food safety laboratories screening for S. aureus in food products, food contact surfaces, and food handlers under ISO 6888-compliant workflows. As a result, Salmonella-negative and staph-negative samples exit the confirmation workflow rapidly — concentrating resources where they are needed.

Kit contents: Staph Latex Reagent (5 ml), Positive Control (1 ml), 25 agglutination slides, 100 mixing sticks. Result time: Within 2 minutes. SKU: LFC-96163

Important limitation: The kit does not distinguish S. aureus from other coagulase-positive staphylococci such as S. intermedius. Confirmation by further tests is required for all positives.

Note: MSDS available upon request from BCST.

Strep-Check Kit — LFC-96160 For presumptive identification of Lancefield group streptococci — Groups A, B, C, D, F, and G — from selective and enrichment culture.

Lancefield grouping classifies streptococci by the polysaccharide and teichoic acid antigens in their cell wall. Groups A, B, C, D, F, and G are the clinically and industrially significant groups — all beta-haemolytic except Group D, which is alpha-haemolytic. The Strep-Check Kit identifies all six groups simultaneously using six colour-coded latex reagents in a single test run. Consequently, group identity is available within one minute of reading.

The Strep-Check Kit requires an extraction step before testing — the bacterial extract is prepared by incubating colonies or broth culture with the Extraction Enzyme at 37°C for 10 minutes. This extraction step releases the group-specific antigens from the cell wall, enabling accurate agglutination. Furthermore, the Extraction Enzyme reconstitutes in sterile distilled water and retains activity for up to 3 months refrigerated, or up to 6 months frozen in 0.4 ml aliquots.

Kit contents: Six latex reagents (A, B, C, D, F, G — 2.5 ml each), Extraction Enzyme (2 × 10 ml after reconstitution), Positive Control (1 ml), 60 agglutination slides, mixing sticks. Result time: Within 1 minute after extraction. SKU: LFC-96160

Sampling Procedure — Applicable To All Variants

All five kits share the same fundamental approach. Allow all reagents to reach room temperature before use. Invert gently immediately before use to ensure an even suspension. Prepare the bacterial suspension or broth transfer as described for each kit. Apply the latex reagent to the suspension on the agglutination slide. Mix with a clean mixing stick. Rock gently. Read within the specified time. Discard all used materials as biologically contaminated waste according to your institution’s procedures.

Product Specification

Safety Classification

All Liofilchem Latex Kits are for professional laboratory use only. These products are intended for industrial diagnostics in food microbiology and environmental monitoring applications. They are not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions in humans. All reagents are preserved with 0.099% sodium azide — handle and dispose of according to your institution’s biohazard waste procedures. SDS documents are available for all variants from BCST upon request.

Important Note

Results from latex agglutination are presumptive. All positive results require confirmation by further identification tests and serotyping of pure cultures before final reporting. Interpret results in the context of all available laboratory data and your facility’s standard operating procedures.

Available in Thailand exclusively through BCST — Biochem Scitech Co., Ltd. Select your target organism from the dropdown above and contact BCST for pricing, SDS documentation, and technical support.