Tests Performed by the Delaware Public Health Laboratory

The Delaware Public Health Laboratory performs the following tests:

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Detection

Syphilis serology:

• RPR screening test, qualitative and quantitative
• TPPA confirmatory test
• VDRL, quantitative (cerebral spinal fluids only)

Chlamydia and Gonorrhea:

• Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT)
• Gonorrhea culture

HIV:

• HIV antibody - Rapid Test and Immunoblot

Molecular Assays by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

• Bordetella pertussis
• Bioterrorism agents 
• Food Outbreak agents-Shigatoxin, E.coli, Salmonella, Shigella
• Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) (human and animal brains only, mosquitos)
• Influenza A H1N1, H1, H3, H5 and B
• Mumps
• Norovirus
• Ricin
• Varicella
• West Nile Virus (WNV) (human and animal brains only, mosquitos)

Culture & Other Methods

Bacteriology (identification and susceptibility)::

• Stool culture
• Urine culture
• Strep culture
• Wound or miscellaneous culture

Serotyping:

• Salmonella - Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) included
• Shigella - PFGE included
• Neisseria meningitidis
• Vibrio cholerae
• Shigatoxin Escherichia coli - PFGE included
• Haemophilus influenzae type B

Mycobacteriology:

• Specimen digestion and concentration
• AFB smear and culture
• Mycobacterium identification by Accuprobe
• Antimicrobial susceptibility testing
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex Nucleic acid amplification
• Quantiferon

Food Microbiology (epidemiologic outbreak investigation only):

• Bioterrorism Agents - culture and Real Time PCR
• Bacillus cereus - culture
• Listeria species - culture and PCR
• Salmonella species - culture, PCR, PFGE and serotyping
• Shigatoxin Escherichia coli - culture, PCR, PFGE and serotyping
• Shigella species - culture, PCR, PFGE and serotyping
• Staphylococcus aureus - culture
• Vibrio species - culture

Viral Culture:

• Herpes - tissue culture inoculation and identification
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) - shell vial
• Influenza A & B - shell vial
• Adenovirus- shell vial
• Parainfluenza 1, 2, & 3- shell vial
• Arbovirus - EEE & WNV

Eastern Equine Encephalitis & West Nile Virus:

• Enzyme Immunoassay - Antibody (Sentinel chickens)

St. Louis Encephalitis Virus & West Nile Virus:

• Antibody - Microsphere Immunoassay (CSF and serum - humans)

Rabies:

• Rabies antigen stain

Blood Lead:

• ICP/MS

Tests Performed by the State Clinic Labs:

• Urine dip
• Pregnancy
• Sickle Cell testing solubility
• HIV rapid
• Direct gram stain for gonorrhea
• KOH prep
• Hemocue

Courier Route schedules for specimen pick-up.

Newborn Screening Disorder List.

Test Requisition Form for submitting routine clinical specimens.

Specimen Collection Procedures.

Visit our Laboratory Preparedness page for testing forms and procedures related to agents of biological and chemical terrorism.

Return to the Delaware Public Health Laboratory home page.

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