Microbiology Culture Tests
Important: Packaging, Labeling, and Shipping Requirements
The tests listed in the table below require sending a micro-organism to Mayo Clinic Laboratories. See the Infectious Specimen Shipping Guidelines for special packaging and labeling requirements.
The submitting lab must determine if the organism is a Category A infectious substance or a Category B, Biological Substance before shipping. Organisms classified as Category A must be shipped separately according to the instructions in the Shipping and Courier Guides.
The Dangerous Goods section of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website provides a "Classification of Infectious Substances" document (pdf). It includes:
- Infectious substances definitions and classification
- A list of infectious substances included in Category A
- Amphotericin B Susceptibility Testing (FAMBS)
- Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Acid-Fast Bacilli, Rapidly Growing, Varies (MMLRG)
- Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Acid-Fast Bacilli, Slowly Growing, Varies (MMLSG)
- Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex, First Line, Varies (TB1LN)
- Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Nocardia species and other Aerobic Actinomycetes, Varies (MMLNS)