Purpose
- Get guidance for detecting Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
- Learn about testing for other kinds of diarrheagenic E. coli.
- Submit a STEC specimen to ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø for further characterization.
Overview
Testing for STEC
Clinical and public health laboratories can use the following resources for detection and characterization of STEC infections:
Testing for other E. coli
Most U.S. clinical laboratories do not use tests that can detect diarrheagenic E. coli other than STEC, although some have nucleic acid amplification tests available that can detect enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and other pathotypes.
Public health laboratories can perform additional testing for non-STEC pathotypes; however, these labs usually do so only when investigating an outbreak of diarrheal illness of unknown origin.
In this situation, specimens may be submitted via state health departments to ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø for testing.
Submitting specimens
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø offers confirmatory identification, serology, serotyping, subtyping, and virulence profiling for STEC.
- Learn who may submit a specimen
- Select a test order
- Download a submission form
- Find packing and shipping instructions
- Learn how to avoid time-consuming errors with our training materials
- Get answers to commonly asked questions
Note: ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø accepts specimens for analysis only from state public health laboratories and other federal agencies. Private healthcare providers and institutions can submit specimens to their state public health laboratory for processing.