Reference Laboratory Reporting
Important or urgent results, including new faecal positive results, are telephoned to the consultant or registrar (if available) at the referring diagnostic laboratory. If a consultant is not available then a message will be left with a senior BMS who will be asked to communicate this result to the consultant at the first opportunity.
Please contact Lesley Allison if you would like to arrange an alternative route of result communication (for example - NHS-secure e-mail reporting of new faecal positives).
Reports are issued electronically, within five days following receipt of an isolate. Reports for positive faecal samples may take longer as an attempt is then made to culture an organism prior to typing. If an E. coli O157 or non-O157 STEC has been isolated, an interim report will be dispatched with a follow-up report dispatched following WGS.
SERL results are forwarded to Public Health Scotland (PHS) on a daily basis via ECOSS.
Turnaround times
| Submitted sample | Laboratory Test | Turnaround1 |
| Isolates of E. coli O1572 | Confirmation of identity | 3 days |
| PCR detection of virulence genes | 3 days | |
| Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) | 14 days | |
| Isolates of E. coli (not O157) | PCR detection of virulence genes | 3 days |
| Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) | 14 days | |
| Faecal Specimens | PCR detection of virulence genes | 3 days3 |
| Immunomagnetic Separation (IMS)4 | 4 days | |
| If positive and cultured, processed as isolates |
1Turnarounds are based on working days and refer to predetermined timescales for processing 95% of samples
2Assuming receipt of a pure culture
3Although it is possible to determine the presence of Shiga Toxin genes in a faecal sample within three working days, isolation, characterisation and typing of the STEC will take longer
4IMS is not on our scope for UKAS and testing is restricted to those faeces testing positive by real-time PCR (to aid in the isolation of the organism) and is not carried out on all submitted faeces