Index of Reference Laboratories with Specialist Expertise in the Diagnoses and Characterisation of Particular Microorganisms

The new Bacteriology Reference Department is made up of the Respiratory and Vaccine Preventable Bacteria Reference Unit, the Sexually Transmitted Bacteria Reference Unit, the Gastrointestinal Bacteria Reference Unit and the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections Reference Unit.

Abbv.	Laboratory	Specialism	Location
ARL	Anaerobe Reference Laboratory (Cardiff)	Anaerobe identification including Bacteroides, Clostridia, Fusobacteria, Actinomyces spp., and other closely related genera Metronidazole resistance in anaerobes C.difficile Ribotyping	Reference facilities at other locations
ARMRL	Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory	All aspects of antibiotic resistance, in particular confirmation and molecular investigation of new or unusual resistance	Centre for Infections
BRU	Brucella Reference (Liverpool & VLA)	Brucella	Reference facilities at other locations
CDRN	Clostridium difficile Ribotyping Network for England & N. Ireland	CDRN consists of nine regional microbiology laboratories in England for Clostridium difficile culture and ribotyping	Reference facilities at other locations
CRU	Cryptosporidium Reference Unit (Swansea)	Cryptosporidia	Reference facilities at other locations
EVU	Environmental Virology Unit (Reading PHL)	Enteric Viruses (including NLVs) in water and associated matrices	Specialist Services
LGP	Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Pathogens†	Bacillus, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetani neurotoxin detection, Listeria, Staphylococcal toxins, scombrotoxin, Water and Environmental, Food and Environmental Proficiency Testing Schemes, Water and Environmental microbiology. Salmonella E. coli, Shigella, Vibrio, Yersinia, Campylobacter, Helicobacter, Citrobacter	Centre for Infections
LHCAI	Laboratory of HealthCare Associated Infection†	Staphylococci, MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Enterococci, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Serratia, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Burkholderia, Acinetobacter, Hospital Infection advice	Centre for Infections
LRU	Leptospira Reference Unit(Hereford)†	Leptospira	Reference facilities at other locations
Lyme RU	Lyme disease laboratory service	Lyme disease	Reference facilities at other locations
Malaria RL	HPA Malaria Reference Laboratory (Commissioned:  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)	Malaria parasites ( Plasmodium spp.)	Reference facilities at other locations
Mycology RL	Mycology Reference Laboratory (Bristol)	Identification service for yeasts and moulds, including dermatophytes. Reference antifungal susceptibility testing. Serology for dimorphic pathogens and other unusual infections. Examination of histology slides. National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi.	Reference facilities at other locations
Men RU	Meningococcal Reference Unit (Manchester)	Meningococci	Reference facilities at other locations
NMRL	HPA National Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory †	Mycobacteria	Reference facilities at other locations
PRL	HPA Parasitology Reference Laboratory (Commissioned: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London)	Parasites and amoeba	Reference facilities at other locations
RIPL	Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratories (was SPRU)	Arboviruses, Haemorrhagic Fever viruses, Nipah and Hendra viruses, Rickettsiae and Coxiella burneti, Bacillus anthracis; Imported Fever Service	Reference facilities at other locations
RSIL	Respiratory and Systemic Infections Laboratory†	Streptococci (Groups A, B, C and G and all other streptooccal species, related genera), Streptococcus pneumoniae, potentially toxigenic corynebacteria ( Corynebacterium diphtheriae, C ulcerans, C pseudotuberculosis), Diphtheria serology, Tetanus (serology), Legionella spp, Mycoplasmas, respiratory chlamydiae, Bartonella spp, Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella spp.	Centre for Infections
STBRL	Sexually Transmitted Bacteria Reference Laboratory	Bacterial sexually transmitted pathogens: Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, Chlamydia trachomatis, haemophilus ducreyi	Centre for Infections
TRL	Toxoplasma Reference  Laboratory (Swansea)	Toxoplasma	Reference facilities at other locations
VRD	Virus Reference Department	Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Parvovirus B19, Polyoma virus (JC and BK), Influenza and Parainfluenza, human metapneumovirus, Respiratory syncytial virus A and B, B virus, NLV (SRSV), Rotavirus, Enterovirus, Polio, Coxsackie (from April 2003) Rabies (collaborating with the VLA),  Haemorrhagic fever viruses, pox viruses including smallpox, Hepatitis A,B,C,D and E, HIV 1 and 2, HTLV I and II, HSV 1 and 2, CJD	Centre for Infections

† WHO Collaborating and/or WHO Reference Centres