ENTEROTOXIGENIC BACTERIAL CULTURE & TESTING (VDH REQUEST ONLY)

Laboratory: Microbial Reference

Test Description: Culture and identification of fecal toxin producing bacteria including enterotoxigenic Bacillus cereus, enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus

Order Approval Required? Yes

Specimen Type: Unpreserved stool / Vomitus sample (for Staphylococcus aureus only)

Collection Container: Sterile container

Optimal Volume: At least one gram of unpreserved stool is required for testing

Collection Guidelines:

• Specimens should be collected within 48 hours after illness onset
• Refrigerate samples promptly after collection and maintain at 2-8°C up to two weeks from the collection date
• All specimen containers received from submitters should be labeled with at least two patient identifiers

DCLS approved submitters can request collection kits at DCLS_SSSKits@dgs.virginia.gov.

Storage Instructions:

• Store raw (unpreserved) stool specimens at 2-8°C
• Specimens should be sent with minimal delay but must be tested within two weeks of collection

Transportation Instructions:

• Transport: 2-8°C
• Specimens should be sent with minimal delay but must be tested within two weeks of collection

Test Methodology:

• Isolation, enumeration, and identification of Bacillus cereus group, Clostridium perfringens from stool samples
• Isolation and identification of Staphylococcus aureus from stool and vomitus samples

Causes for Rejection:

• Broken transport container
• Stool submitted in preservative / transport media
• Samples with no name or without two patient identifiers or mismatched samples and test request forms
• True duplicate specimens (same collection date, source, and patient identifiers) may be rejected
• Specimen received out of the appropriate temperature range

Culture and Organism Identification if applicable

Culture Negative or Positive for S. aureus, B. cereus group (with estimated enumeration), or C. perfringens (with estimated enumeration)