Product overview

The 92 serotypes are divided into 25 types and 21 groups. Each group consists of 2-5 serotypes which are very similar. 

Use the following antisera in sequence to move from rapid screening to high-resolution identification. The combination of the results defines the serotype: 

• Omni antiserum: Confirms Streptococcus pneumoniae presence before serogrouping / serotyping. 

• Pool antisera: Narrows candidates to specific serotypes and serogroups using pre-defined pool mixes (A–I: all serotypes and P–T: 23 vaccine-related serogroups/ types). Using both pools accelerates identification (the “chessboard” principle in Pneumotest kit). 

• Group antisera: Confirms the serogroup. Further serotyping should be done with group specific factor antisera.  Group antisera reacts with all serotypes within the serogroup.  

• Type antisera: Confirms the exact serotype. 

• Factor antisera: Differentiates closely related serotypes within a serogroup (e.g., 6A vs 6B) 

How to use

Equal quantities of antiserum and a pure pneumococcal isolate are mixed on a slide. Under a phase control microscope, a positive reaction is indicated when the capsule enclosing the pneumococcus swells and becomes visible. The bacteria will frequently also agglutinate. 

Product range

Omni antiserum

Pool type  group and factor antisera Pool antisera Individual pools Type antisera Group antisera Factor antisera

Omni antiserum

Omni antiserum contains a mixture of polyclonal antibodies against all 92 documented serotypes. The product is supplied in a vial with 1 mL ready-to-use antiserum, sufficient for approx. 300 tests. When omni antiserum is used as the method for identifying pneumococci, it should be noted that alpha-haemolytic streptococci can cross-react. 

Article number	Product	Number of tests	Packing
2438	Omni (all 92 serotypes)	300	1 mL vial

Pool, type, group and factor antisera  

Each product is sufficient for approx. 300 tests.  

Pool, type and factor antisera are produced by immunizing rabbits . Pool antisera are a mixture of antisera. Pools A-I contain antisera against all serotypes, while pools P‑T are mixtures of antisera against the 23-valent vaccine serotypes. By combining the two pool systems using the Pneumotest kit, the 23-valent vaccine serotypes can be serotyped easily to type/group level. Factor antisera are then used if full serotyping is required. 

All the products are free of cross-reactions to the documented 92 serotypes, but factor antisera are only free of cross‑reactions within the specific group.  

Pool antisera

 Pool composition reference  

Pool	Types	Groups
Pool A	1, 2, 4, 5	18
Pool B	3, 8	6, 19
Pool C	20, 31, 40	7, 24
Pool D	36, 37	9, 11, 16
Pool E	21, 39	10, 12, 33
Pool F	27	17, 22, 32, 41
Pool G	29, 34, 42	35, 47
Pool H	13, 14	15, 23, 28
Pool I	38, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48	25
Pool P	1, 14	7, 19
Pool Q		6, 18, 23
Pool R	3, 4	9, 12
Pool S	5, 8	10, 15, 17
Pool T	2, 20	11, 22, 33

Pneumotest-kit

Article number	Product	Pools	Number of tests	Packing
36158	Pneumotest-kit incl. 12 pools	12 (A-F+ H, P-T)	300	1 box

Individual pools

Article number	Product	React with type:	Number of tests	Packing
16725	Pool A	1,2,4, 5,18F,18A, 18B,18C	300	1 mL vial
16728	Pool B	3,6A,6B, 6C,6D,8,19F,19B, 19C	300	1 mL vial
16730	Pool C	7F,7A,7B, 7C,20,24F, 24A,24B,31, 40	300	1 mL vial
16731	Pool D	9A,9L,9N, 9V,11F,11A, 11B,11C,11D, 16F,16A,36, 37	300	1 mL vial
16733	Pool E	10F,10A,10B, 10C,12F,12A, 12B,21,33F, 33A,33B,33C, 33D,39	300	1 mL vial
16734	Pool F	17F,17A,22F, 22A,27,32F, 32A,41F,41A	300	1 mL vial
16735	Pool G	29,34,35F, 35A,35B,35C, 42,47F,47A	300	1 mL vial
16736	Pool H	13,14,15F, 15A,15B,15C, 23F,23A,23B, 28F,28A	300	1 mL vial
16737	Pool I	25F,25A,38, 43,44,45, 46,48	300	1 mL vial
16739	Pool P	1,7F,7A, 7B,7C,14, 19F,19A,19B, 19C	300	1 mL vial
16740	Pool Q	6A,6B,6C, 6D,18F,18A,18B, 18C,23F,23A, 23B	300	1 mL vial
16741	Pool R	3,4,9A, 9L,9N,9V 12F,12A,12B	300	1 mL vial
16742	Pool S	5,8,10F, 10A,10B,10C, 15F,15A,15B, 15C,17F,17A	300	1 mL vial
16743	Pool T	2,11F,11A, 11B,11C,11D, 20,22F,22A, 33F,33A,33B, 33C,33D	300	1 mL vial

Type antisera

Article number	Product	Incl. in pool	Number of tests	Packing
16744	Type 1	A,P	300	1 mL vial
16745	Type 2	A,T	300	1 mL vial
16746	Type 3	B,R	300	1 mL vial
16747	Type 4	A,R	300	1 mL vial
16748	Type 5	A,S	300	1 mL vial
16751	Type 8	B,S	300	1 mL vial
16752	Type 13	H	300	1 mL vial
16753	Type 14	H,P	300	1 mL vial
16754	Type 20	C,T	300	1 mL vial
16755	Type 21	E	300	1 mL vial
16756	Type 27	F	300	1 mL vial
16757 *	Type 29	G	300	1 mL vial
16758	Type 31	C	300	1 mL vial
16759	Type 34	G	300	1 mL vial
16760	Type 36	D	300	1 mL vial
16761	Type 37	D	300	1 mL vial
16762	Type 38	I	300	1 mL vial
16763	Type 39	E	300	1 mL vial
16764	Type 40	C	300	1 mL vial
16765 *	Type 42	G	300	1 mL vial
16766	Type 43	I	300	1 mL vial
16767	Type 44	I	300	1 mL vial
16769	Type 45	I	300	1 mL vial
16770	Type 46	I	300	1 mL vial
16771	Type 48	I	300	1 mL vial

*For the indicated products, it is not possible to produce a specific antiserum without losing titer of the homologous antibody. Therefore, the following cross-reactions will occur:

Antiserum	Cross-reacting type
Type 29	35B
Type 42	20, 31 33A, 35A, 35B, 35C

Group antisera

Article number	Product	React with type:	Incl. in pool	Number of tests	Packing
16900	Group 6	6A,6B,6C,6D	B,Q	300	1 mL vial
16902	Group 7	7F,7A,7B, 7C	C,P	300	1 mL vial
16903	Group 9	9A,9L,9N, 9V	D,R	300	1 mL vial
16904	Group 10	10F,10A,10B, 10C	E,S	300	1 mL vial
16905	Group 11	11F,11A,11B, 11C,11D	D,T	300	1 mL vial
16906	Group 12	12F,12A,12B	E,R	300	1 mL vial
16907	Group 15	15F,15A,15B, 15C	H,S	300	1 mL vial
16908	Group 16	16F,16A	D	300	1 mL vial
16909	Group 17	17F,17A	F,S	300	1 mL vial
16910	Group 18	18F,18A,18B, 18C	A,Q	300	1 mL vial
16911	Group 19	19F,19A,19B, 19C	B,P	300	1 mL vial
16912	Group 22	22F,22A	F,T	300	1 mL vial
16913	Group 23	23F,23A,23B	H,Q	300	1 mL vial
16914	Group 24	24F,24A,24B	C	300	1 mL vial
16915  *	Group 25	25F,25A	I	300	1 mL vial
16916	Group 28	28F,28A	H	300	1 mL vial
16917	Group 32	32F,32A	F	300	1 mL vial
16918	Group 33	33F,33A,33B, 33C,33D	E,T	300	1 mL vial
16919 *	Group 35	35F,35A,35B, 35C	G	300	1 mL vial
16920	Group 41	41F,41A	F	300	1 mL vial
16921	Group 47	47F,47A	G	300	1 mL vial

*For the indicated products, it is not possible to produce a specific antiserum without losing titer of the homologous antibody. Therefore, the following cross-reactions will occur:

Antiserum	Cross-reacting type
Group 25	38
Group 35	42, 47F

Factor antisera

Article number	Product	React with type:	Number of tests	Packing
16922	Factor 6a	33D	300	1 mL vial
16923	Factor 6b	6A	300	1 mL vial
16924	Factor 6c	6B,6D	300	1 mL vial
73266	Factor 6d	6C,6D	300	1 mL vial
16925	Factor 7b	7F, (7A)	300	1 mL vial
16926	Factor 7c	7A	300	1 mL vial
16927	Factor 7e	7B	300	1 mL vial
16931	Factor 7f	7C	300	1 mL vial
16933	Factor 7h	19B,19C	300	1 mL vial
16934	Factor 9b	9L,9N	300	1 mL vial
16935	Factor 9d	9A,9V	300	1 mL vial
16936	Factor 9e	9N	300	1 mL vial
16937	Factor 9g	9V	300	1 mL vial
16939	Factor 10b	10F,10B,10C	300	1 mL vial
16940	Factor 10d	10A,10B	300	1 mL vial
16941	Factor 10f	10C	300	1 mL vial
16942	Factor 11b	11F,11B,11C, 11D	300	1 mL vial
16944	Factor 11c	11A,11C,11D	300	1 mL vial
16945	Factor 11f	11B,11C	300	1 mL vial
16946	Factor 11g	11F,11B	300	1 mL vial
16947	Factor 12b	12F,12B	300	1 mL vial
16948	Factor 12c	12A,12B	300	1 mL vial
16949	Factor 12e	12B	300	1 mL vial
16950	Factor 15b	15F,15B	300	1 mL vial
16951	Factor 15c	15F,15A	300	1 mL vial
16952	Factor 15e	15B,15C	300	1 mL vial
16953	Factor 15h	15B	300	1 mL vial
16954	Factor 16b	16F	300	1 mL vial
16955	Factor 16c	16A	300	1 mL vial
16956	Factor 17b	17F	300	1 mL vial
16957	Factor 17c	17A	300	1 mL vial
16958	Factor 18c	18F,18C	300	1 mL vial
16959	Factor 18d	18A	300	1 mL vial
16960	Factor 18e	18F,18B,18C	300	1 mL vial
16961	Factor 18f	18F	300	1 mL vial
16962	Factor 19b	19F	300	1 mL vial
16963	Factor 19c	19A	300	1 mL vial
16964	Factor 19f	19C	300	1 mL vial
16965	Factor 20b	33A	300	1 mL vial
16966	Factor 22b	22F	300	1 mL vial
16967	Factor 22c	22A	300	1 mL vial
16968	Factor 23b	23F	300	1 mL vial
16969	Factor 23c	23A	300	1 mL vial
16970	Factor 23d	23B	300	1 mL vial
16971	Factor 24c	24A	300	1 mL vial
16972	Factor 24d	24F,24A	300	1 mL vial
16973	Factor 24e	24B	300	1 mL vial
16974	Factor 25b	25F	300	1 mL vial
16975	Factor 25c	25A	300	1 mL vial
16976	Factor 28b	28F	300	1 mL vial
16977	Factor 28c	28A	300	1 mL vial
16978	Factor 29b	35B	300	1 mL vial
16979	Factor 32a	32F,32A	300	1 mL vial
16980	Factor 32b	32A	300	1 mL vial
16981	Factor 33b	33F,33A	300	1 mL vial
16982	Factor 33e	33C	300	1 mL vial
16983	Factor 33f	33B, (33C),33D	300	1 mL vial
16984	Factor 35a	35F,35A,35B, 35C	300	1 mL vial
16986	Factor 35b	35F	300	1 mL vial
16992	Factor 35c	35A,35B,35C	300	1 mL vial
16994	Factor 41a	41F,41A	300	1 mL vial
16995	Factor 41b	41F	300	1 mL vial
16996	Factor 42a	35C	300	1 mL vial
16997	Factor 43b	47A	300	1 mL vial
16998	Factor 47a	47F,47A	300	1 mL vial