UTMB Laboratory Services is pleased to announce the availability of in-house PCR testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and enteroviruses, effective Wednesday February 1, 2017.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).  The test is approved by the FDA for use on sputum.  Other specimen types will be sent to outside reference laboratories, pending their validation by the UTMB laboratory.

PCR is not a replacement for AFB smears and culture; it is an adjunct for greater sensitivity and faster turnaround time.  Sputum with an Mtb PCR order must also have an order for AFB culture.

As with all laboratory testing, good quality specimens are important.  Please submit at least 3 ml of sputum, not saliva.  If sputum is good quality and sufficient quantity, PCR testing for in-patients will be performed 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, with turnaround time within four hours.  Poor quality or low quantity specimens must be processed for AFB smear and culture by the laboratory prior to performing PCR.  Processing is performed once a day, Monday through Friday (ergo, delayed PCR results).

Enteroviruses.  The PCR test is FDA cleared for use on cerebrospinal fluid as an aid in the diagnosis of enteroviral meningitis.  The test detects all enteroviruses (echoviruses, coxsackieviruses, enteroviruses) but does not differentiate the specific strain.

Please submit at least 0.5 ml of CSF.  PCR testing for in-patients will be performed 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, with turnaround time within four hours.

For additional information, please contact the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, or Director On Call, at 409-772-1125.