Laboratory Information

Genotyping

State or Local TB Control Programs

A genotyping laboratory, in Michigan  is under contract with CDC to provide genotyping services to TB programs in the United States. Three genotyping methods to identify TB strains:

  • Spoligotyping
  • Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit (MIRU) analysis
  • IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis

For more information, view the Guide to the Application of Genotyping to Tuberculosis Prevention and Control.

DTBE epidemiologic investigations and surveillance activities

  • The LB provides support for DTBE epidemiologic investigations and surveillance activities. TB genotyping results, when combined with epidemiologic data, help to distinguish TB patients who are involved in the same chain of recent transmission.

Drug Susceptibility Testing

CDC’s tuberculosis elimination laboratory work provides services for testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (either processed specimens or culture isolates). Any local health department, licensed physician’s office, licensed laboratory, or licensed health care facility may submit samples for testing, but they must be routed through either their state health department or other authorized facility.

Molecular Detection of Drug Resistance (MDDR) CDC offers a service to rapidly identify drug resistant, including multidrug-resistant, M. tuberculosis complex. This service utilizes DNA sequencing for detection of mutations most frequently associated with resistance to the most effective first and second-line drugs as well as new and repurposed drugs such as bedaquiline, clofazimine, and linezolid.