Enumeration of Enterococcus sp. using a modified mE method.

A modified mE medium (mEI) containing the chromogenic substrate indoxyl-beta-D-glucoside to detect beta-D-glucosidase activity was evaluated with respect to specificity and recovery of enterococci from environmental waters. Extending incubation from 24 to 48 h improved enterococci recovery but 77% of the colonies classified as non-target were confirmed as enterococci. Randomly chosen enterococcal isolates from sewage, exposed in microcosms containing 0.22 micron membrane filtered fresh or estuarine water, exhibited differences in persistence as a function of exposure treatment. Decreasing the concentration of or eliminating indoxyl-beta-D-glucoside from mE did not significantly affect recovery of purified isolates.