Specialist and Reference Microbiology Tests and Services
The Centre for Infections provides a comprehensive range of microbiological tests and services as indicated below (please see HPA terms and conditions).
To find a particular organism, use the A to Z index below or simply scroll down the page.
A |
B |
C |
D-G |
H |
I-L |
M-N |
P-R |
S |
T-Z |
The request form you should use is provided as a link against each test/service.
Further information regarding these or other tests can be obtained from the Laboratory's User Manual or direct from the Laboratory. Links to both the relevant User Manual and Laboratory web-page (where you will find contact details) are provided against each test/service. Information on primary diagnostic testing methods is available at http://www.hpa-standardmethods.org.uk/pdf_sops.asp.
Please also refer to our guidance on packaging samples and guidance on using our request forms.
| Agent/Organism | Service - A | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
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Acinetobacter spp |
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Actinomyces spp (Anaerobic) |
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Contact Laboratory |
ARL | |
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Actinomycetes (Aerobic) |
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Amoebae |
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Contact Laboratory
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Anaerobes (Bacteroides, Clostridia, Fusobacteria, Actinomyces spp., other closely related genera) |
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Contact Laboratory
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ARL | |
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Antibiotic resistance molecular investigations |
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Antibiotic susceptibility testing |
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Antifungal drug susceptibility |
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Contact Laboratory
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Arboviruses (Alphaviruses, Flaviviruses, Nairoviruses, Phleboviruses, Hantaviruses) |
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Aspergillus |
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Contact Laboratory
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| Agent/Organism | Service B | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
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Bacillus anthracis |
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Bacillus |
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Bartonella (Cat Scratch Disease) |
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Blastomyces dermatidis |
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Contact Laboratory
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Bordetella pertussis & other bordetellae |
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Borrelia spp (See Lyme Disease) |
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Botulism (See Clostridium botulinum) |
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Brucella spp |
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Burkholderia cepacia complex |
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Burkholderia mallei and B. pseudomallei |
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 Request Form H2 (PDF, 88 KB) |
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| Agent/Organism | Service C | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Campylobacter spp |
Identification |
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Candida spp |
Identification / confirmation |
Contact Laboratory
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Chlamydia trachomatis |
Culture Genome detection |
STBRL User Manual (PDF, 132 KB) |
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Chlamydia (Respiratory) |
Serodiagnosis only |
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Citrobacter |
Identification and Serotyping |
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CJD prevalalence studies National Anonymous Tonsil Archive (NATA) |
Contact Laboratory
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Cladophialophora bantiana |
Identification / confirmation |
Contact Laboratory
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Isolation, identification and toxin detection |
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Clostridium difficile |
16S/23S PCR ribotyping Antibiotic susceptibility testing Toxin A and B assay on isolates |
Contact Laboratory
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Typing |
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Clostridium perfringens |
Molecular identification and typing Enterotoxin detection |
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Confirmation / dentification of isolates by toxin gene detection Detection of neurotoxin in serum |
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Serology |
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Coccidioides immitus |
Serology Identification / confirmation |
Contact Laboratory
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C. ulcerans, C. pseudotuberculosis |
Identification / confirmation and toxin testing Immunity and vaccination studies |
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Coxiella burnettii |
Phase I and II serology PCR Isolation |
A-Z Link
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| Serology |
Contact Laboratory
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Coxsackie A/B virus |
Detection / typing/ characterisation (especially A serotypes and all other non-polio enteroviruses) |
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Cryptococcus spp |
Identification / confirmation |
Contact Laboratory
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Cryptosporidium spp |
Detection Identification / confirmation Typing |
Contact Laboratory
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| Agent/Organism | Service D - G | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
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Dengue virus |
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Dermatophytes |
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Contact Laboratory
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Diphtheria (See Corynebacterium diphtheriae) |
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Electron microscopy |
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Encephalitis |
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Contact Laboratory
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Endocarditis |
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Enterobacter spp |
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Enterococcus spp |
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Enterococcus faecium |
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Enterovirus |
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Escherichia |
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Escherichia coli |
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Other enterovirulent E.coli |
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Gram-negative bacteria (fermenters and non-fermenters) |
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Gram-positive rod (except C.diptheriae) |
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| Agent/Organism | Service H | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
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Haemophilus ducreyi |
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Haemophilus spp (Invasive isolates) |
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Haemophilus influenzae (Invasive isolates) |
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Haemorrhagic fever viruses |
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Contact Laboratory
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Helicobacter |
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Hepatitis A virus |
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Hepatitis B virus |
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Hepatitis C virus |
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Hepatitis D virus |
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Hepatitis E virus |
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Herpes B virus |
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Contact Laboratory
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HHV-6 |
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Contact Laboratory
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HHV-7 |
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Contact Laboratory
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HHV-8 |
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Histamine (Scombrotoxin) |
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Histoplasma capsulatum |
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Contact Laboratory
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Histology slides |
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Contact Laboratory
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HIV 1 & 2 |
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| HIV Resistance Testing | Request Form S9 - HIV Genotypic Resistance Testing (PDF, 82 KB) |
VRDVRD User Manual - UPDATED MAY 12 2009 (PDF, 533 KB) |
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HSV 1 & 2
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AVU |
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HTLV I and II |
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| Agent/Organism | Service I - L | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
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Identification of new pathogens |
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Infection control |
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Contact Laboratory
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Influenza |
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Influenza (swine) |
Request Form E15: Swine-Lineage Influenza A (H1N1) Serology (PDF, 82 KB) |
A-Z Link | ||
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Klebsiella spp |
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Legionella |
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Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 |
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Leptospira spp |
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Listeria |
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Contact Laboratory
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| Agent/Organism | Service M - N | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
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Malaria |
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Moulds |
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Contact Laboratory
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Measles |
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MRSA (See Staphylococcus aureus) |
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Mumps |
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User Manual (PDF, 341 KB) |
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User Manual (PDF, 341 KB) |
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QuantiFERON®-TB test guidelines (PDF, 22 KB) |
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Mycoplasma spp |
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Mycoplasma genitalium |
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STBRL User Manual.pdf |
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National Standard Methods |
For information on primary diagnostic methods see here |
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae |
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STBRL User Manual.pdf |
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Neisseria meningitidis |
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Contact Laboratory
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Nipah and Hendra viruses |
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Nocardia |
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Norovirus Like (NLV) (See SRSVs (Norovirus)) |
| Agent/Organism | Service P - R | Request Form | Laboratory Link and User Manual | Other HPA work |
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Parasites, intestinal protozoa and helminths, Blood and tissue protozoa and helminths |
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Contact Laboratory
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Parvovirus B19 |
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Penicillium marneffei |
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Contact Laboratory
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Plasmodium spp |
Contact Laboratory
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Poliovirus |
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Polyomavirus BK (See BK virus) |
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Polyomavirus JC (See JC virus) |
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Poxviruses, orthopox, parapox |
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Contact Laboratory
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa |
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PVL disease (See Staphylococcus aureus) |
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Recreational water quality & safety |
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Contact Laboratory
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Rotavirus |
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Respiratory virus, other |
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Rickettsiae |
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Rubella |
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Agent/Organism
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Service T - Z |
Request
Form |
Laboratory Link and User Manual
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Other HPA work
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Tetanus (See Clostridium tetani ) |
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Toxocara spp |
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Contact Laboratory
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Toxoplasma gondii |
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Contact Laboratory
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Treponema pallidum |
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TSE/vCJD (See CJD ) |
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TB (Tuberculosis) (See Mycobacterium spp) |
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Ureaplasma |
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Vibrio spp. |
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Vibrio cholerae |
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Vibrio cholerae O1 |
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Viral gastroenteritis
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Request Form E6 (PDF, 87 KB) |
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VTEC (See E.coli VTEC ) |
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Water borne disease |
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Contact Laboratory
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Yeasts |
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Contact Laboratory
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Yersinia |
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Last reviewed: 10 March 2010
- Guidance on packaging samples
CfI has produced a short film clip to provide guidance for referring laboratories on how to package samples to the required standard.
Added/updated: 19 January 2010 - Guidelines for using our Request Forms - Requesting Specialist Reference Microbiology Tests and Services
Added/updated: 12 March 2008 - Notes on requesting specialist reference microbiology tests and services
Added/updated: 19 March 2008 - Health Protection Agency's Terms & Conditions of Business.
Added/updated: 3 March 2008
