Skip all navigation Skip to page navigation

DHHS Home | Assistance | Divisions | About DHHS | DHHS Contacts

NC Department of Health and Human Services
State Laboratory of Public Health
 N.C. Public Health Home
 
 

Microbiology: Organisms Required / Requested

Tables of organisms required and requested to be sent to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health.

Required by Law

Organism Culture
Neisseria meningitidis From a normally sterile site, and if serotyping is not performed by the submitting lab.
Bloody diarrhea Culture minimally for E. coli O157. Test for other STEC if possible. Also test for shiga toxin production if possible and send all positives to the state lab.
Haemophilus influenza From a normally sterile site, and if serotyping is not performed by the submitting lab.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Test for RLFP or send the isolate to the state lab.

Requested for Epidemiology Purposes*

Organism Culture
Salmonella – any species Send pure culture for confirmation, serotyping, and whole genome sequencing (WGS).
Shigella – any species Send pure culture for confirmation and serotyping.
E. coli O157 and other STEC Send pure culture for confirmation, serotyping, and whole genome sequencing (WGS).
Campylobacter species Send pure culture for speciation (may be sent to CDC for some species identification).
Yersinia species Send pure culture for speciation.
Vibrio species Send pure culture for speciation and Vibrio cholera serogrouping.
Listeria monocytogenes Send pure culture for confirmation and whole genome sequencing (WGS).

*Please let us know if you have difficulties sending these isolates to us and we can try to help.

  • STEC = Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
  • WGS = Whole genome sequencing provides DNA “fingerprint” useful in linking outbreaks.

SLPH Microbiology Information