Public health laboratories: general clinical laboratory tests
A range of tests are available from the majority of PHE regional clinical microbiology laboratories.
A range of tests are available from the majority of PHE regional clinical microbiology laboratories. Please check user manuals of individual laboratories for a definitive list of availability at each site.
Serological tests
Tests include:
- HBsAg screen
- HBsAg confirmation
- HBV markers (HBE or anti-e, anti – HBC total, anti-HBc IgM, anti-HBs)
- HCV antibody screen
- HCV antibody confirmation
- Hepatitis D (Delta) antibody
- HEV antibody IgM and IgG
- HIV antibody screen
- HIV antibody confirmation
- HTLV 1 and 2 antibody
- Syphilis antibody confirmation
- HAV IgM and Total antibody
- Rubella virus IgM and IgG
- Erythrovirus B19 IgM and IgG
- Measles virus IgM and IgG
- Mumps virus IgM and IgG
- CMV IgM and IgG
- EBV antibody profile
- Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM
- HSV IgG
- VZV IgM and IgG
- Treponema pallidum antibody screen
- Treponema pallidum antibody confirmation
- Streptococcus serology (ASO, Anti-DNase B)
- Borrelia burgdorferi IgG
- Galactomannan serology
- H.pylori IgG
Faecal antigen detection
- H.pylori
- Rotavirus and Adenovirus
Molecular detection tests
Tests include:
- Respiratory virus PCR profile
- Influenza A (including H5) viruses
- Influenza B virus
- Parainfluenza viruseses
- Respiratory syncytial virus
- Human metapneumovirus
- Adenovirus
- Rhinovirus
- Bordetella pertussis
- VZV
- HSV types 1 and 2
- BK or JC
- Enterovirus and parechovirus
- Norovirus
- HIV
- HIV resistance
- HBV qualitative and quantitative
- HBV genotype
- HCV qualitative and quantitative
- HCV genotype
- Adeno, CMV and EBV multiplex quantitative (monoplex available)
- CMV
- Human papilloma virus
- Human papilloma virus genotype
- Chlamydia trachomatis and Nesseiria gonorrheoea (duplex)
- Treponema pallidum
- Neisseria meningitides
- Streptococcal pneumoniae
- Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae
- Aspergillus spp
- Candida spp
- Pneumocytsis jirovcii
- HIV Point mutation
- HEV
- Liverpool epidemic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Clostridium difficile ribotying
M tuberculosis complex
Direct detection, characterisation, susceptibility testing and strain typing
Non tuberculous Mycobacteria
Characterisation and susceptibility testing
Bacteriology tests
Bacteriology tests to provide microscopy, culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing for:
- gastrointestinal tract
- upper respiratory tract
- ear
- eye
- nose
- blood
- CSF
- wound
- tissue
- genital tract
- urine
- puss or fluid
- skin
- sputum
- post Mortem
- organism screening eg Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening
- Mycobacteria culture
- any other body site or specimen for culture
Mycology tests
Mycology tests to provide microscopy culture and anti-fungal susceptibility testing for fungi and yeasts.
Parasitology tests
Parasitology tests to provide microscopy and identification of medically important ova cysts and parasites.
Food, water and environmental tests
Tests include:
- hygiene screens for food samples and surface swabs
- presence of pathogens, such as salmonella species, campylobacter species, vibrio species, listeria species and Escherichia coli O157
- spoilage organisms, such as yeasts and moulds
- shelf-life testing of foods
- water quality testing of swimming and spa pools
- Legionella species detection in water and environmental samples
- bacillus anthracis detection in environmental samples
- scombrotoxin testing
- dairy product testing including determination of phosphatase
- scombrotoxin testing
- shellfish testing
- support for investigation of outbreaks