Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts-Sucrose Agar

Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts Sucrose (TCBS) Agar is a highly selective medium widely used for the isolation and cultivation of Vibrio species, including Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio alginolyticus, which are pathogenic to humans and associated with diseases such as cholera, cholera-like diarrhea, and foodborne infections.

Infections are often linked to the consumption of contaminated food, particularly raw or undercooked seafood, commonly associated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The selective nature of the medium inhibits the growth of most non-Vibrio organisms, allowing effective recovery from clinical and food samples such as stool and seafood.

Notably, Vibrio hollisae is one of the few Vibrio species that does not grow on TCBS Agar.