Effect of incubation temperature on T-agglutination typing of Streptococcus pyogenes.

The temperature of incubation affected the typability of beta-hemolytic group A streptococci by T-agglutination tests. When strains could not be typed after routine incubation at 30 C, they were incubated at 22 to 25 C, and nearly a 10% increase in typability was achieved. The clinical source of the strains was related to their typability. Incubation at the lower temperature was required for successful typing of higher percentages of strains from the skin and other clinical sources than from the throat. Sixty per cent of the skin strains were represented by six serotypes. Of these, 53% of the strains required incubation at 22 to 25 C before they could be typed.