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Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel  

 
IMPORTANT! Pre-approval needed from state or local health department. Local or State Health Department. Send approval to NPHL@unmc.edu or call (402) 559-9444.

NPHL has moved to an electronic ordering system, NUlirt, and it is now the preferred method to order all tests. Once ordered, print a "batch list" (see NUlirt Guide).

Forms Required - Nulirt batch list or NPHL Test Request Form (completed in entirety) must accompany the specimen to include the following information: symptoms and date of onset, pregnancy status, travel and vaccine history. Testing will not be performed without all required information.

Please call NPHL Client Services at (402) 559-2440 or toll free at (800) 334-0459 for further clarification.

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Test: Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel  
Synonym: GI Panel, GIP, BioFire panel  
Method: Film Array multiplexed PCR  
Availability: Performed daily, each shift.  Results within 3 hours of receipt; during peak seasons or outbreaks within 24 hours  
Specimen: Stool in maintenance media (Cary Blair, Enteric Plus)
Fresh stool received in lab within 2h  
Collection Device: Collect in a stool container. Transfer to transport media such as Cary-Blair or Enteric Plus transport media. Fresh stool not in transport will be added to the medium prior to testing, however, it must be received into the laboratory within 2 hours of collection.
Specimen Labeling: Test subject to CLIA regulations and required 2 patient identifiers on specimen container and requisition forms  
Volume: 1.0-5.0 mL of fresh stool; stool in Cary-Blair or Enteric Plus transport media (to fill line).  
Storage/Transport:

Prior to and during shipment: Unpreserved at ambient 15-25°. If transport delayed greater than 2 hours, preserve in enteric transport media, Para-Pak Enteric Plus, or Cary Blair equivalent. Ship maintenance media at ambient 15-25°.
Shipping instructions, including specimen handling requirements during transport:
All screw-top tubes must be sealed with parafilm or tape. 
Package and ship as UN3373 Category B, Biological Substance. Place in biohazard bag with absorbent material. Transport by NPHL ground courier (NPHL brown shipper not required). If courier not available, contact Client Services (866) 290-1406 to arrange pickup. 
See instructions and shipping address: http://nphl.org/

 
Unacceptable: Leaking container, multiple specimens (>1 per inpatient stay or collected >5 days after hospital admission), or delayed transport to lab without use of appropriate preservative, stool in formalin, PVA or SAF. Stool contaminated with urine. Diapers are not acceptable.  
Specimen Stability: Unpreserved stool stable at ambient 15-25°only for 2 hours. Maintenance media stable at ambient temperature for up to 4 days.  
Reference Interval: Not Detected.  
Reportable Disease: Detected pathogens listed on Nebraska reportable Disease Title 173 Regulations are reported (do not report EAEC, EPEC, ETEC, adenovirus, astrovirus or saprovirus). Please forward isolate, if cultured or maintenance media positive for Salmonella, Shigella (except S sonnei), Vibrio, Yersinia, Ecoli O157 and STEC, Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora) to NPHL.  Include copy of patient report and NUlirt batch list or NPHL test order form.  
Comments: Targets detected:
Bacteria - Campylobacter sp.,Plesiomonas shigelloides; Salmonella sp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio sp., Vibrio cholera, Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), Shiga-like toxin producing E. coli (STEC) stx1/stx2, E. coli 0157, Shigella/Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) Virus - Adenovirus F 40/41, Astrovirus, Norovirus GI/GII, Rotavirus A, Sapovirus Parasites - Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia  
Revised: 1/8/2020 
If you have questions about proper specimen collection, please call NPHL Client Services at (402) 559-2440 or toll free at (800) 334-0459.

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