Non-culture methods

Specimens types required for bacterial diagnosis by non-culture methods and associated turn-around times

	Bacterial pathogen	Specimens	Paired Serum
	Legionella	Urine for rapid antigen detection	Yes
	Syphilis	Single serum	Yes
	Chlamydia trachomatis C. psittaci, C.pneumoniae	see molecular methods Genital swab - Female Endo-cervical - Male Endo-urethral Urine (first-catch) Eye swab	Yes
	Toxoplasma	Single or paired sera collected 10 days apart	Yes
	Meningococcus	See molecular methods	Yes
	Streptococcus (ASOT and/or anti-streptodornase titre)	Single or paired sera collected 10 days apart	Yes
	Helicobacter pylori	single serum
	Fungal pathogen
	Aspergillus (galactomannan assay) See also Molecular section for Aspergillus and Candida PCR	CSF or serum

Legionella pneumophilia

Screening test results are usually available within 24 hours from receipt of specimen.

Positive specimens are referred to another laboratory for further investigations.

Urine antigen tests are will be done on receipt in the laboratory and will be reported within an hour.

Syphilis

Usually within 24 hours, same day provisional reports by phone or fax as requested.

Chlamydia

Serology for Chlamydia pneumoniae- usually available within one week from receipt of specimen.

Results of Chlamydia trachomatis isolation/detection will usually be available within 48 hours from receipt of the specimen.

Toxoplasma

Negative and unconfirmed positive results will usually be available within 48 hours of receipt of the specimen.

Meningococcal Serology

Specimens

Paired sera (each at least 0.5ml) should ideally be collected, kept by the submitting laboratory and sent together. The first sample should be taken within 48 hours of admission and a convalescent specimen taken 2 - 6 weeks later. Polysaccharide antibody tests are particularly prone to pose problems of interpretation if convalescent samples are obtained earlier than two weeks after onset of illness.

• Single specimens taken 2 - 6 weeks after illness onset can also provide useful results.

• Sera from rapidly fatal cases will not provide useful results (see antigen detection and PCR investigations).

Clinical details, dates of illness onset and vaccine status are crucial to interpretation of results.

Turnaround times

Completion of these tests will normally take at least two weeks. Full serological results will therefore usually not be available until at least four weeks from illness onset. (Priority is given to PCR diagnosis and culture characterisation).

Urgent specimens

If a result is regarded as being of urgency (usually to try and confirm or refute an outbreak) this should be discussed with the Meningococcal Reference Unit (MRU) staff prior to sending. Telephone 0161 276 6757.

 

Helicobacter pylori

Turnaround time is 48 hours. This serological test is not good for monitoring of eradication therapy. Contact tel nos are: 276 6479/8843/8788.