Test Information Index

NOTICE: Expected delay in Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) IgM Serology Turnaround Time (TAT)

Please be advised the TAT for EBV IgM is delayed due to reagent supply issues, estimated to be resolved by mid-January. EBV IgG will continue to be reported with a note indicating EBV IgM results are to follow. The delayed TAT is expected to be four to six weeks past the stated TAT. Public Health Ontario (PHO) will prioritize testing of STAT requests using currently available reagents if the result will impact patient’s care/management. Please contact PHO’s Laboratory Customer Service for urgent requests to provide clinical information and justification for the STAT request. Thank you for your patience.

Consistent with O. Reg. 671/92 of the French Language Services Act, laboratory testing information on this page is only available in English because it is scientific or technical in nature and is for use only by qualified health care providers and not by members of the public.

This page provides a directory of resources that provide comprehensive instructions related to laboratory tests performed by Public Health Ontario. This information is for use by qualified health care providers only.

Click on an item below to access testing information including: testing indications, specimen collection and handling, requisitions and kit ordering, special requirements, test methods, turnaround times and reporting.

Acanthamoeba
Acute Severe Hepatitis of Unknown Origin in Children — see Hepatitis (Acute) – Unknown Origin in Children
Adenovirus – Enteric — see Gastroenteritis –Stool Viruses
Adenovirus-Respiratory and Conjunctival — see Respiratory Viruses (including influenza)
Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) – Food — see Food Testing
Aeromonas – Enteric culture — see Enteric - Bacterial Culture
Aluminum
Amoebic – Serology
Anaplasma (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) – Serology
Angiostrongylus
Anisakis
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing – Aerobic bacteria
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing – Anaerobes
Arthropods (e.g. Mites, Lice, Fleas, Maggots, and Ticks) – Microscopy
Ascaris – Faeces
Ascaris – Serology — see Ascaris – Faeces
Astrovirus – Enteric
Avian Influenza – Real-time PCR

Babesia – Microscopy and PCR
Babesia – Serology
Bacillus anthracis – Confirmation
Bacillus cereus group – Food — see Food Testing
Bacteria – 16S rDNA Test
Bacterial cultures – Aerobic – Reference ID/Confirmation
Bacterial cultures – Anaerobic – Reference Identification/Confirmation
Balantidium coli – Faeces
Bartonella – PCR – Lymph Node Tissue CSF
Bartonella henselae
Baylisascaris – Serology
Beach Water — see Public Beach Water
BK/JC (Polyomavirus) Virus
Bordetella – Respiratory
Bordetella – Serology — see Bordetella – Respiratory
Bottled Water — see Drinking Water Testing – Official Agencies
Brucella – Serology
Brucella species (B. abortus, B.melitensis, B. suis) – Confirmation
Burkholderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudomallei – Confirmation

Calicivirus (Norovirus, Sapovirus) – Enteric — see Gastroenteritis –Stool Viruses
California Serogroup Serology and PCR
Campylobacter – Confirmation and Speciation — see Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Campylobacter – Enteric Culture — see Enteric - Bacterial Culture
Campylobacter spp. – Food — see Food Testing
Canine Influenza A Virus
Chikungunya Virus
Chlamydia pneumoniae – Respiratory PCR
Chlamydia trachomatis – Culture
Chlamydia trachomatis – Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) PCR
Chlamydia trachomatis – Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) Serology — see Chlamydia trachomatis – Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) PCR
Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae (CT/GC) – Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT) – Urine — see Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae (CT/NG) – Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT)
Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae (CT/NG) – Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT)
Chlamydophila psittaci – Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Chlamydophila psittaci – Serology — see Chlamydophila psittaci – Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Clonorchis sinensis
Clostridioides difficile – Antigen and PCR
Clostridioides difficile – Culture and Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) Typing
Clostridium perfringens – Food — see Food Testing
Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin – EIA
Coliform – Food — see Food Testing
Coliform – Official Agency Drinking Water — see Drinking Water Testing – Official Agencies
Coliform – Private Citizen Drinking Water — see Drinking Water Testing – Private Citizen
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – PCR
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Serology
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Variant of Concern Screening and Whole Genome Sequencing Surveillance
Coxsackie — see Enterovirus
CPE – Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae – Confirmation
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
Cryptococcus Antigen – Blood and CSF
Cryptosporidium – Faeces
Cyclospora – Faeces
Cysticercosis – Serology
Cystoisospora belli (syn. Isospora belli) – Faeces
Cytomegalovirus – Detection – Real Time PCR
Cytomegalovirus – Serology

Demodex folliculorum — see Arthropods (e.g. Mites, Lice, Fleas, Maggots, and Ticks) – Microscopy
Dengue Virus
Dientamoeba fragilis – Faeces
Diphtheria – Respiratory
Diphtheria – Serology
Diphtheria culture – Skin lesions
Diphyllobothrium species
Drinking Water Testing – Official Agencies
Drinking Water Testing – Private Citizen

E. coli – Official Agency Drinking Water — see Drinking Water Testing – Official Agencies
E. coli – Private Citizen Drinking Water — see Drinking Water Testing – Private Citizen
E. coli – Suspected Sewage Contamination – Water, Sewage — see Sewage
E. coli O157 and Non-O157 Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC) – Enteric Culture — see Enteric - Bacterial Culture
E. coli O157 and non-O157 Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC) – Confirmation and Speciation — see Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Virus – Serology and PCR
Ebola — see Viral Haemorrhagic Fever including Ebola Virus Disease
Echinococcosis – Serology
Echinococcus – Cyst
Echovirus — see Enterovirus
Ehrlichia chaffeensis – Serology
Entamoeba histolytica – Abscess Liver
Entamoeba histolytica – Faeces-Para
Entamoeba histolytica/dispar – Differentiation
Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Enteric - Bacterial Culture
Enterobius vermicularis – Faeces
Enterovirus
Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) – Serology
Erythrasma – Superficial skin
ESBL – Extended Spectrum beta-lactamase – Confirmation
Escherichia coli – Food — see Food Testing
Escherichia coli O157:H7 – Food — see Food Testing

Fasciola – Faeces
Fasciola – Serology
Filaria – Microscopy
Filaria Antibody – Serology
Food Testing
Francisella tularensis – Confirmation
Francisella tularensis – Serology
Fungal – Serology
Fungal Infections – External Ear
Fungus Culture – Blood/Bone Marrow
Fungus Culture – Body Fluids
Fungus Culture – Cerebrospinal Fluid
Fungus Culture – Eye
Fungus Culture – Reference Identification
Fungus Culture – Respiratory
Fungus Culture – Subcutaneous infections/Tissues
Fungus Culture – Superficial
Fungus Culture – Susceptibility Testing

GAS – Group A Streptococcus – Outbreak — see Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcal Disease or GAS) – Typing
GAS – Group A Streptococcus – Serotyping — see Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcal Disease or GAS) – Typing
Gastroenteritis –Stool Viruses
Giardia intestinalis (syn. Giardia lamblia, G. duodenalis)- Faeces
Gnathostoma – Serology — see Worm Identification
Group A Streptococci (GAS) – Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) — see Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcal Disease or GAS) – Typing

Haemophilus ducreyi – Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Haemophilus influenzae – Confirmation and Serotyping
Hantavirus
HCV Drug Resistance
Helicobacter pylori – Serology
Hepatitis (Acute) – Unknown Origin in Children
Hepatitis A – Genotyping-Subtyping
Hepatitis A – Serology
Hepatitis B – Autopsy
Hepatitis B - DNA Viral Load
Hepatitis B – Genotyping
Hepatitis B – Serology
Hepatitis C – Autopsy
Hepatitis C – Diagnostic Serology
Hepatitis C – Genotyping/Subtyping
Hepatitis C - RNA Viral Load
Hepatitis C – Supplemental Testing — see Hepatitis C – Diagnostic Serology
Hepatitis D – Serology
Hepatitis E – Serology
Herpes B Virus – Serology and PCR
Herpes simplex – Conjunctival — see Herpes simplex – Conjunctival, Skin and genital
Herpes simplex – Conjunctival, Skin and genital
Herpes simplex (HSV) – CSF
Herpes simplex virus 1 & 2 – Serology
Heterophyes – Faeces
Heterotrophic Plate Count – Official Agency Drinking Water — see Drinking Water Testing – Official Agencies
HIV – Autopsy
HIV – Diagnostic Serology
HIV – PCR
HIV Genotyping, Resistance, Tropism and HLA-B*57:01 Abacavir Hypersensitivity Testing
HIV-1 RNA Viral Load
Hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale/Necator americanus) – Faeces
HTLV I and II – Serology
Human Metapneumovirus – Respiratory — see Respiratory Viruses (including influenza)
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) – Genotyping
Hymenolepis – Faeces

Ice – Treated
Influenza – Avian – Real-time PCR — see Avian Influenza – Real-time PCR
Influenza – Respiratory — see Respiratory Viruses (including influenza)
Isospora - Faeces — see Cystoisospora belli (syn. Isospora belli) – Faeces

Japanese B Encephalitis

Lead – Blood and Urine Testing
Legionella – Respiratory PCR and Culture
Legionella – Urine antigen
Legionella spp. – Swab
Legionella spp. – Water
Leishmania – Microscopy and PCR
Leishmania – Serology
Leptospira – Serology
Lice – ID — see Arthropods (e.g. Mites, Lice, Fleas, Maggots, and Ticks) – Microscopy
Listeria monocytogenes – Confirmation and Whole Genome Sequencing
Listeria monocytogenes – Food — see Food Testing
Lyme Disease - PCR
Lyme Disease – Serology
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis – Serology and PCR

Maggots – Myiasis — see Arthropods (e.g. Mites, Lice, Fleas, Maggots, and Ticks) – Microscopy
Malaria – Microscopy and PCR
Malaria – Serology
Measles – Diagnostic – PCR
Measles – Serology
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) – Outbreak — see MRSA – Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus – Confirmation
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) – Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE)
Metorchis – Faeces
Microsporidia – Biopsy
Microsporidia – Faeces/Bowel Aspirate
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
Molluscum contagiosum virus detection
Monkeypox Virus
MRSA – Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus – Confirmation
Mumps – Diagnostic – PCR
Mumps – Diagnostic Serology — see Mumps – Serology
Mumps – Immunity Serology — see Mumps – Serology
Mumps – Serology
Mycobacterium – Blood
Mycobacterium – Corneal scrapings
Mycobacterium – CSF, Fluids, Bone or Tissue
Mycobacterium – Faeces
Mycobacterium – Gastric Lavage
Mycobacterium – NTM-Susceptibility
Mycobacterium – PCR for MTBC/MAC
Mycobacterium – Referred Cultures
Mycobacterium – Respiratory
Mycobacterium – Superficial Abscess, Lesion, Wound or Aspirate
Mycobacterium – TB Susceptibility Testing
Mycobacterium – Urine
Mycobacterium abscessus – Molecular Subspeciation and Macrolide Resistance Testing
Mycobacterium Tissue Formalin Parafin Block — see Mycobacterium – PCR for MTBC/MAC
Mycoplasma – urogenital — see Ureaplasma/Mycoplasma – Culture and Reference Identification
Mycoplasma genitalium — see Ureaplasma/Mycoplasma – Culture and Reference Identification
Mycoplasma pneumonia – Serology
Mycoplasma pneumoniae – Respiratory PCR

Neisseria gonorrhoeae – Culture, Reference Identification and Susceptibility
Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis – NAAT — see Chlamydia trachomatis/Neisseria gonorrhoeae (CT/NG) – Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT)
Neisseria meningitidis – Real-time PCR
Neisseria meningitidis- Identification Confirmation and Serogrouping
Nocardia – Aerobic Actinomycetes
Norovirus – Enteric — see Gastroenteritis –Stool Viruses
Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) — see Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – PCR

Onchocerca – Nodule – Worm

Paracoccidioides – Serology — see Fungal – Serology
Paragonimus – Serology
Paragonimus westermani
Parainfluenza virus – Respiratory — see Respiratory Viruses (including influenza)
Parasite – Bowel
Parasite – Faeces
Parechovirus – PCR and Genotyping
Parvovirus – Serology
Pertussis — see Bordetella – Respiratory
pH – Food — see Food Testing
Phosphatase – Food — see Food Testing
Pinworm – Enterobius vermicularis
Pneumocystis jirovecii – Pneumocystis pneumonia
Poliovirus – Isolation and Characterization
Pool Water — see Recreational Water Facilities and Public Pools Spas
Powassan Virus – Serology and PCR
Poxvirus - Skin
Prenatal – Serology
Public Beach Water

Q Fever – Serology

Rabies – Serology
Recreational Water – Public Beach — see Public Beach Water
Recreational Water Facilities — see Recreational Water Facilities and Public Pools Spas
Recreational Water Facilities and Public Pools Spas
Respiratory Viruses (including influenza)
Rhinovirus — see Respiratory Viruses (including influenza)
Rickettsia – Serology
Ross River Virus
Rotavirus – Enteric — see Gastroenteritis –Stool Viruses
RSV – Culture Direct — see Respiratory Viruses (including influenza)
Rubella – Avidity
Rubella – Diagnostic RT-PCR
Rubella – Diagnostic Serology — see Rubella – Serology
Rubella – Immunity Serology — see Rubella – Serology
Rubella – Serology

Salmonella – Confirmation and Speciation — see Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Salmonella – Enteric culture — see Enteric - Bacterial Culture
Salmonella spp. – Food — see Food Testing
Sapovirus – Enteric — see Gastroenteritis –Stool Viruses
Sarcocystis – Faeces
SARS – RT-PCR
Scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei) – Scrapings — see Arthropods (e.g. Mites, Lice, Fleas, Maggots, and Ticks) – Microscopy
Schistosoma – Serology
Schistosoma haematobium – Urine
Schistosoma spp. – Faeces
Sewage
Shiga Toxin — see Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Shigella – Confirmation and Speciation — see Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Shigella – Enteric culture — see Enteric - Bacterial Culture
Shigella spp. – Food — see Food Testing
Slide Examination – Genital Smear
Spa — see Recreational Water Facilities and Public Pools Spas
Sporotrichosis – Serology — see Fungus Culture – Subcutaneous infections/Tissues
St. Louis Encephalitis Virus
Staphylococcus aureus – Food — see Food Testing
Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxin – Food — see Food Testing
Streptococcus agalactiae – Serotyping
Streptococcus pneumoniae – RT-PCR
Streptococcus pneumoniae – Serotyping
Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcal Disease or GAS) – Typing
Strongyloides – Serology
Strongyloides stercoralis – Faeces/other Effluents
Suspicious Packages (for Investigation of Agents of) Bioterrorism – RT PCR
Syphilis – Chancre – Direct Fluorescence
Syphilis – CSF
Syphilis – Serology

Taenia – Faeces
Tetanus – Serology
Tick Identification – Surveillance — see Arthropods (e.g. Mites, Lice, Fleas, Maggots, and Ticks) – Microscopy
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) Serology and PCR– Referred Out
Torovirus – Enteric — see Gastroenteritis –Stool Viruses
Total Gram Negative Count – Food — see Food Testing
Toxocara – Serology
Toxoplasma – Microscopy and PCR
Toxoplasma – Serology
Trichinella – Biopsy
Trichinella – Serology
Trypanosoma – Microscopy and PCR
Trypanosoma American or African – Serology
Tularemia (Francisella tularensis) Serology

Ureaplasma/Mycoplasma – Culture and Reference Identification

Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) – Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) – Confirmation
Varicella – Serology
Varicella Zoster Virus Detection
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus
Vibrio – Confirmation and Speciation — see Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Vibrio – Enteric culture — see Enteric - Bacterial Culture
Vibrio spp. – Food — see Food Testing
Viral Haemorrhagic Fever including Ebola Virus Disease
Virus Detection – CSF
Virus Detection – Tissue
VRE – Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci – Outbreak — see Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) – Confirmation

Water – Private Citizen Drinking Water — see Drinking Water Testing – Private Citizen
Water – Suspected Sewage Contamination — see Sewage
Water Activity – Food — see Food Testing
West Nile Virus – Serology and PCR
Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) Virus – Serology and PCR
Whipples disease – PCR
Whooping Cough — see Bordetella – Respiratory
Worm Identification

Yeast and Mould – Food — see Food Testing
Yellow Fever Virus
Yersinia – Confirmation and Speciation — see Enteric – Bacteria – Confirmatory Testing
Yersinia – Enteric culture — see Enteric - Bacterial Culture
Yersinia – Food — see Food Testing
Yersinia – Serology
Yersinia pestis

Zika Virus - Serology and PCR
Zinc Protoporphyrin – Blood testing