Test Order

Human, Animal, and Food/Environmental/Medical Devices/Biologics

This test order is currently not accepting any specimens until further notice.

Not Applicable

Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and related organisms are sensitive to oxygen and may lose viability quickly. Prior to shipping, organisms should be stored in a microaerobic environment between 37-42°C and subbed every 2-4 days. Storage at 25°C may be optimal for some Campylobacter species. Prepared isolates can also be stored long-term frozen at -70 °C or lower (i.e., more than one month). Shipping conditions that maximize viability include:

- Solid agar transport media slants (HIA or chocolate agar, or Wang’s transport semisolid media) that should be inoculated with fresh bacterial growth and incubated in a microaerobic environment for 18-24 hours prior to shipment.
- Semisolid or liquid transport media (Cary Blair or Amies) that should be inoculated heavily with fresh bacterial growth.
- Trypticase soy broth (TSB) supplemented with 20% glycerol with bacterial suspension that has been frozen for at least 18-24 hours prior to shipment and shipped with sufficient dry ice to prevent thawing. Isolates should be prepared for shipment and shipped within 4 hours of preparation. Shipping fresh bacterial growth and shipping quickly help ensure isolate viability upon arrival.

If isolates are shipped refrigerated, inoculate preferred solid or semisolid/liquid media. If isolates are shipped frozen, suspend bacterial growth in trypticase soy broth (TSB) supplemented with 20% glycerol.

Preferred solid agar transport media includes heart infusion agar (HIA), Wang's medium, blood agar, Columbia agar, or chocolate agar.
Screw cap tubes are preferred.
Preferred semisolid or liquid transport media includes modified Cary Blair, or Amies transport medium (with or without charcoal).

Test subject to CLIA regulation requires two primary patient identifiers (e.g., patient first and last name, date of birth, unique patient identifier from time of collection, such as medical record number) on the specimen container and on the test requisition.

CDC does not accept routine shipments on weekends or holidays. Please make sure packages arrive Monday – Friday. Ship isolates refrigerated overnight with refrigerated or frozen cold packs ensuring that the specimen tube does not come into direct contact with the cold packs to prevent freezing, or ship frozen with dry ice. There are no time constraints for submitting sequence data.

Ship To:
[Insert CDC Point of Contact]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
RDSB/STATT Unit 18
1600 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
[Insert CDC Point of Contact’s Telephone Number]

All samples must be shipped in accordance with all applicable local, state and federal regulations.

Genetic Identification, Phenotypic Identification

13 Weeks

The original isolate should be retained by the submitter for the duration of testing at CDC.

Turnaround times for routine isolates may be extended during major foodborne outbreak activities or due to limited availability of resources.

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