Francisella tularensis – Confirmation

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.

Testing Indications

Submitting laboratories must contact Public Health Ontario laboratory Customer Service Centre by telephone prior to submission of the isolate.

Specimen Collection and Handling

Specimen Requirements

Test Requested Required Requisition(s) Specimen Type Minimum Volume Collection Kit

Francisella tularensis – Confirmation

Pure viable subculture of organism on Columbia sheep blood agar plate

N/A

Columbia sheep blood agar plate

Submission and Collection Notes

1

Complete the Reference Bacteriology Requisition for identification and confirmation including:

  • test Requested
  • culture information (e.g. colonial and gram morphology, catalase and oxidase)
  • clinical/epidemiology 
  • contact information
2

Specimens received on either dry or gel-based swabs will not be accepted and will be cancelled.

Storage and Transport

Label the specimen with the patient’s full name, date of collection and one other unique identifier such as the patient’s date of birth or Health Insurance Number, admission/identification or accession number. Failure to provide this information may result in rejection or testing delay.

Special Instructions

Culture must be viable. Use a fresh subculture and ship in conditions to ensure viability on receipt.

Francisella tularensis must be handled in accordance with the Canadian Biosafety Standards and shipped in accordance with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

Requisitions and Kit Ordering

Test Frequency and Turnaround Time (TAT)

Daily testing (Monday to Friday) at Public Health Ontario’s laboratory is performed using the Canadian Laboratory Response Network (CLRN) PCR assay. Turnaround time for test results is up to 3 days from receipt by PHO’s laboratory.

Isolates that are positive for Fracisella tularensis by the CLRN PCR assay are forwarded to the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) for confirmatory testing. Turnaround time for test results is up to 3 days from receipt by NML.

STAT and Critical Samples Testing

Urgent testing is available upon request by calling the Customer Service Centre 416-235-6556 or 1-877-604-4567.

 

Test Methods

F. tularensis is confirmed using the CLRN real-time-PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) method at Public Health Ontario’s laboratory.

Algorithm

Any isolate that is positive by the CLRN real-time PCR assay is considered as presumptively positive for Francisella tularensis and  is forwarded to the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) for confirmatory testing.

Reporting

Results are reported to the ordering physician or health care provider as indicated on the requisition. 

Specimens that are positive for Francisella tularensis are to be reported to the Medical Officer of Health as per Health Protection and Promotion Act.

References

LAB-SD-125, Reference Bacteriology and Antimicrobial Susceptibility: New Requisition and Testing Algorithm for Improved Test Utilization

contact lab

Contact Laboratory Customer Service

Laboratory Services

customerservicecentre@oahpp.ca

Updated 26 Oct 2022