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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La Crosse Encephalitis

See: Arbovirus test listings

Legionella pneumophila - Detection in Clinical Samples

Methodology: Direct immunofluorescence
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Required
Specimen: Lower respiratory secretions (>1 ml)
Pleural fluid (>1 ml)
Lung tissue in just enough sterile saline to keep moist
Shipping: Send to the laboratory as soon as possible.
Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Within 1 working day
Comments: Direct Fluorescent Antibody detects L pneumophila serogroups 1-6 only.

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

Legionella pneumophila - 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: Sputum (0.5 ml)
Bronchoalveolar lavage, pleural fluid, tracheal aspirate (0.5 ml)
Lung tissue in just enough sterile saline to keep moist
Nasopharyngeal or throat swab in transport medium
Turnaround: Not available
Comments: This test is for Research Use Only
This disease must be reported to MDH as required by State Rule 4605.7040

Legionella species - Detection in Clinical Samples

Methodology: Culture, Immunofluorescence
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Required
Specimen: Lower respiratory secretions (>1 ml)
Pleural fluid (>1 ml)
Lung tissue in just enough sterile saline to keep moist
Shipping: Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Not available
Comments: Direct fluorescent antibody detects L. pneumophila serogroups 1-6 only.

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

Legionella species - Detection in Environmental Samples

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

Legionella species - Detection of DNA in Clinical Samples

Methodology: PCR, DNA sequencing
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 or throat swab, dry or in transport medium
Sputum (0.5 ml)
Bronchoalveolar lavage, pleural fluid, tracheal aspirate (0.5 ml)
Lung tissue in just enough sterile saline to keep moist
Shipping: Ship at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Not available
Comments: This test is for research use only.

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

Legionella species - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Morphology, Growth characteristics, Biochemical testing
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Not Required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Not available

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

Leishmania spp. - Antibody Detection

See: Parasite Serology

Leishmania spp. - Detection in Clinical Samples

Methodology: Direct microscopic examination, culture
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Required
Specimen: Aspirate smears
Impression smears of biopsy material - air dried
Tissue from biopsy in smallest amount of preservative-free saline
Aspirate or scraping from skin lesion
Shipping: Ship material for culture immediately at room temperature.
Ship smears dry in a protective mailer.
Turnaround: Direct smear within 1 working day. Negative culture results available after 2 weeks of incubation

Leptospira spp. - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Serologic and molecular methods
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Not Required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Not available
Comments: Sent to CDC

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

Leptospira spp. - IgM and IgG Antibody Detection

Methodology: Microscopic agglutination or ELISA
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 (1ml)
Shipping: Ship frozen or refrigerated.
Turnaround: Not available
Comments: Sent to CDC

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

Leptospirosis

See: Leptospira spp.

Listeria monocytogenes - Molecular Subtyping

See: Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis

Listeria monocytogenes - Detection in Clinical Samples

Methodology: Culture
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Required
Specimen: Blood - send inoculated blood culture bottle
CSF, body fluids (1 ml)
Stool in ParaPak C&S, Modified Carey-Blair or equivalent - fill to line (approximately 5 ml)
Shipping: Ship blood culture or stool in transport medium at room temperature.
Ship other clinical samples at refrigeration temperature.
Turnaround: Negative results available after 4-7 days of incubation

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

Listeria monocytogenes - Identification/Confirmation of Referred Isolate

Methodology: Biochemical testing, Serotyping, Nucleic acid probe
Restrictions: None
Fee Sticker: Not Required
Specimen: Actively growing pure culture on suitable medium
Shipping: Ship at room temperature.
Turnaround: Identification from pure culture within 3 working days

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