A portion (100 Al) of samples was placed into the round sample port of the test device, initiating a lateral flow through a reagent zone containing specific anti-S. enteritidis antibodies conjugated to colloidal gold particles. The antibody used in the device was developed in our lab and described in a previous study (Holt et al., 1995). Test results were interpreted as positive or negative, scored on a scale from 0 () to 3 (+++) in proportion to the color intensity determined visually using SE pure culture,after 20 min from the addition of the sample culture
(Fig. 1).