Bacteriology

The Bacteriology Section of the NCVDLS provides a high quality, detailed, and timely service to our veterinary clients, livestock and poultry producers, and lay clients.  Major services available through the section include the detection, isolation, and identification of a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi from clinical specimens. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is performed on most potentially pathogenic aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria. Specific antimicrobial panels are used for companion animals, food animals and poultry to provide useful information.

Parasitology services are also offered in this section and include: fecal flotation, quantitative analysis by the modified McMaster’s method, Tritrichomonas foetus isolation and identification and the use of an indirect assay for detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia.  

Specimens are processed during routine business hours continuously throughout the day. As a general rule, aerobic bacteria require 2-4 days for identification and susceptibility testing, while anaerobic cultures may take as long as14 days for complete identification. Certain bacterial and fungal pathogens may take longer to grow and identify. Please consult the Lab User Guide for details regarding specimen selection, test offerings and turnaround times.

We make every effort to provide laboratory reports with useful interpretations relevant to the individual case history. For case consultation, Dr. Karen Post is available by e-mail or telephone.