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Microbial diseases laboratory branch

Expanded ā€‹Carbapeā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹nemase Testing Services at the Microbial Diseases Laboratory February 1st, 2023


ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹As part of statewide and national surveillance efforts focused on antimicrobial resistant pathogens, the California Department of Public Healthā€™s Microbial Diseases Laboratory (MDL) currently offers phenotypic and molecular testing services to confirm and characterize carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). The following services are provided for infection control, surveillance and epidemiologic investigation purposes:

    1. Modified Carbapenem Inactivation Method (mCIM) testing for detection of carbapenemase-producing isolatesā€‹
    2. ā€‹Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing for carbapenemase genes blaKPC, blaā€‹NDM, blaOXA48, blaVIM, and blaIMP
    3. ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹Whole genome sequencing for carbapenemase gene detection and phylogenetic characterization (upon approval by the Healthcare-Associated Infections Program)
    4. ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹Assistance for submission for expanded antimicrobial susceptibility testing (ExAST) and other services through the Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network (ARLN)ā€‹

Effective February 1st, 2023, the MDL will offer limited expanded antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) for 18 antibiotics utilizing the SensititreTM Gram Negative GNX2F AST panel.ā€‹ ā€‹Testing will be conducted for surveillance purposes in order to further characterize antibiotic resistance patterns in pan-resistant and pan-nonsusceptible CRE, CRPA and CRAB isolates; CRE isolates that are positive for carbapenemase genes blaNDM, blaOXA-48-like, blaVIM, or blaIMP by real-time PCR; and CRPA isolates that are positive for carbapenemase production or/and carbapenemase genes blaKPC, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaVIM or blaOXA-48-like. Isolates submitted for mCIM or PCR testing that meet testing criteria may be reflexed to the SensititreTM AST.ā€‹
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ā€‹Updated testing information and guidance are provided at ā€‹ā€‹Expanded Carbapenemase Testinā€‹ā€‹g ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹Sā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ervices Frequently Asked Questions FAQā€‹. ā€‹ā€‹

ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹Additional information on CRE, CRPA and CRAB is available from the CDPH Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Programā€‹ā€‹ at Healtā€‹hcare-Associated Infections (HAI).

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Key Contact Information: 

  • ā€‹ā€‹mCIM, Real-time PCR, and SensititerTM AST Broth Microdilutionā€‹ā€‹

MDL Bacterial Diseases Section (BDS) Laboratory:
Phone: (510) 412-3903
Email: MDLBDS@cdph.ca.govā€‹

  • Whole Genome Sequencing

MDL Molecular Characterization Unit Laboratory:ā€‹ā€‹
Phone: (510) 412-3940ā€‹ā€‹
Email: ā€‹MDL.Submissions@cdph.ca.govā€‹

  • ā€‹ā€‹CDPH Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Programā€‹ā€‹

HAI Program:
Phone: (510) 412-6060
Email: HAIProgram@cdph.ca.govā€‹
ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹

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