The Clinical Guide to Services is a comprehensive reference guide of testing services, shipping information and submission requirements. Efforts have been made to be concise and current with all information, but as testing procedures and regulations change, some information may not be current. Many of these tests are only available with prior approval from MDH. It is impossible to address all situations in this guide, so please contact us with any questions.

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Babesia spp. - Detection, Identification, or Confirmation by Microscopy

See: Parasite Examination, Blood; Parasite Identification, Blood

Babesia spp. - IgM and IgG Antibody Detection

Methodology: Indirect fluorescent antibody
Restrictions: Contact Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control at (651) 201-5414 or (877) 676-5414 before requesting this test.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Serum, adults (3 ml)
Serum, children (0.5 ml)
Shipping: Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Not available
Comments: Sent to CDC

This disease must be reported to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Bacillus anthracis - Detection in Clinical Samples

Bacillus anthracis - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Biochemical testing and Laboratory Response Network protocols
Tests May Include: Biochemical, molecular, and immunological methods
Restrictions: Contact laboratory at (651) 201-5073 before sending isolate.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Within 1-2 days of specimen receipt

This disease must be reported to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Note: This organism has been designated as a Select Agent (Select Agent Regulation, 42 CFR, 73, Final Rule). Special handling criteria apply. Please contact the laboratory for special instructions.

Bacillus anthracis - Isolation from Environmental Samples

Restrictions: Contact local law enforcement and the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control at (651) 201-5414 or (877) 676-5414 before requesting this test.
Turnaround: Not available

Bacillus cereus - Detection in Stool or Implicated Food

Methodology: Culture
Restrictions: Done for investigation of foodborne illness only. Contact Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control at (651) 201-5414 or (877) 676-5414 before requesting this test.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Stool in ParaPak C&S, Modified Carey-Blair or equivalent - fill to line (approximately 5 ml)
Implicated food - minimum of 10 g in original container or transferred to sterile container using sterile instruments.
Shipping: Ship stool at room temperature, food at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Within 4 working days of specimen receipt

Bacillus cereus - Detection of Diarrheal Type Enterotoxin in Food

Methodology: Reversed passive latex agglutination
Restrictions: Done for investigation of foodborne illness only. Contact Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control at (651) 201-5414 or (877) 676-5414 before requesting this test.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Implicated food - minimum of 10 g in original container or transferred to sterile container using sterile instruments.
Shipping: Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Within 1 working day of specimen receipt

Bacillus cereus - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Biochemical testing, Toxin testing
Restrictions: There is no restriction on confirmation/identification of referred isolate. Toxin testing is performed only for investigation of foodborne illness. Contact Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control at (651) 201-5414 or (877) 676-5414.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Within 5 working days of specimen receipt

Bacteria, Aerobic - Identification

Methodology: Biochemical testing, Typing or grouping if appropriate, Sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA if indicated
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Not available

Bacterial Identification - Anaerobic

See: Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens
Comments: Anaerobic bacteria other than Clostridium spp. not identified at MDH

Bacterial Meningitis

See: Meningitis, Bacterial; also individual agents

Baylisascaris procyonis (Neural Larva Migrans) - Antibody Detection

See: Parasite Serology

Beta hemolytic streptococcus

Blastomyces dermatitidis - Antibody Detection

See: Fungal Serology

Blastomyces dermatitidis - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Culture morphology and conversion, Nucleic acid probe
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature, sealed culture system.
Turnaround: Probe results within 1 working day of specimen receipt

This disease must be reported to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Bordetella pertussis - Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

See: Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

Bordetella pertussis - Detection in Clinical Samples

Methodology: Culture
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Required
Specimen: Nasopharyngeal swab or aspirate; calcium alginate or dacron swabs are recommended.
Shipping: Deliver to the laboratory in < 2 hours or contact laboratory for transport medium recommendations. Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Negative reports issued after 10 days of incubation
Comments: Cotton and rayon swabs are toxic to B. pertussis

This disease is reportable. Isolates must be submitted to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Bordetella pertussis - Detection of DNA in Clinical Samples

Methodology: PCR
Restrictions: Contact Infectious Disease Epidemiology Prevention and Control at (651) 201-5414 or (877) 676-5414 before requesting this test.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Nasopharyngeal swab, dry or in ≤ 2ml viral transport medium in a sterile tube. Dacron swabs are preferred. Do not use calcium alginate swabs.
Nasal wash (0.5 ml)
Throat swab, dry or in ≤2 ml viral transport medium. Do not use calcium alginate swabs.
Bronchoalveolar lavage, pleural fluid, tracheal aspirate (0.5 ml)
Shipping: Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Not available

This disease is reportable. Isolates must be submitted to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Bordetella pertussis - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Microscopic morphology, Immunofluorescence, Biochemical testing
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Not Required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Direct Fluorescent Antibody results available within 1 working day of specimen receipt. Biochemical identification of pure cultures available within 3 working days

This disease is reportable. Isolates must be submitted to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Bordetella pertussis - Molecular Subtyping

See: Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis

Botulism/Botulinum toxin

See: Clostridium botulinum

Brucella spp - Detection in Clinical Samples

Methodology: Culture and Laboratory Response Network protocols
Tests May Include: Biochemical, molecular, and immunological methods
Restrictions: Contact laboratory at (651) 201-5073 before sending isolate.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: See Specimen Requirements
Shipping: Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Negative results available after 7-21 days of incubation

This disease must be reported to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Brucella spp - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Biochemical testing and Laboratory Response Network protocols
Tests May Include: Biochemical, molecular, and immunological methods
Restrictions: Contact laboratory at (651) 201-5073 before requesting this test.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Within 1 week of specimen receipt

This disease must be reported to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Note: B. abortus, melitensis, and suis have been designated as Select Agents (Select Agent Regulation, 42 CFR, 73, Final Rule). Special handling criteria apply. Please contact the laboratory for special instructions.

Brucella spp. - Antibody Detection

Restrictions: Contact laboratory at (651) 201-5073 before requesting this test.
Fee Sticker: Not required
Specimen: Serum (2 ml)
Shipping: Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Not available
Comments: Sent to CDC.

This disease must be reported to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Bubonic plague

See: Yersinia pestis

Burkholderia mallei - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Burkholderia pseudomallei - Detection in Clinical Samples

Burkholderia pseudomallei - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate