Keeping labs proficient in the detection of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli On September 5, 2023 Alberta Health Services declared a Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) (link), outbreak originating from six locations of a Calgary daycare and five additional sites that…
Category Archive: Clinical Microbiology
Fusarium Meningitis Outbreak
Keeping labs proficient in the detection of invasive fungi In June 2023, the US CDC published the first of communications regarding an outbreak of meningitis by Fusarium species in patients who had been exposed to contaminated epidural anesthesia in Matamoros,…
Posted in Article, Clinical Microbiology
Development of proficiency testing program for the detection of influenza and RSV viruses using molecular and/or antigenic detection methods
This year, in collaboration with BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), CMPT developed and established the respiratory virus proficiency testing panel customized to provide PT samples to various testing sites including point of care and hospitals.
Posted in Article, Clinical Microbiology
New Virology Program Expert Committee
CMPT would like to welcome our new Virology Expert Committee; Nancy Matic, MD, FRCPC, (D)ABMM Dr. Matic studied Microbiology (Honours Bachelor of Science) at the University of Guelph and earned her MD from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She then…
Issues with Piperacillin-Tazobactam (PIP-TAZ) Breakpoints
In CMPT Challenge M221-5 (July, 2022), a simulated blood culture with Acinetobacter baumanii, antimicrobial susceptibilities for piperacillin-tazobactam (Pip-Taz) were ungraded due to lack of consensus by the participants. It was unknown what breakpoints were being used for reporting this agent.…
Covid-19 rapid antigen detection kits and CMPT PT samples
Early this year, CMPT in collaboration with BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) created a COVID-19 proficiency testing program geared to point of care (POC) testing sites. As testing became widespread and rapid testing systems began to proliferate, the College…
