[Detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin by latex agglutination inhibition test].

Latex agglutination inhibition test was developed for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin. Water soluble carbodiimide was used for coupling enterotoxin to latex particles. Test samples were added to the anti-enterotoxin serum at first. Then, enterotoxin-linked latex particles were added to the mixture. When enterotoxin was present in the test sample, it reacted with anti-enterotoxin antibodies and inhibited antitoxin to agglutinate enterotoxin-linked latex particles. The inhibition of latex agglutination resulted in tho formation of sedimentation in the button of the well of microtiter or microcentrifuge tube. The test was read after 8 hours or overnight incubation at room temperature and the concentration of staphylococcal enterotoxin B as low as 0.5 micrograms/ml could be detected.