​​​​​The National PHL Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) Reference Center for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTBC) provides quality-assured drug susceptibility testing for eligible US public health laboratories with low volumes of testing. The Reference Center serves as an extension of CDC’s Division of TB Elimination Laboratory Branch providing services that are harmonized with and complementary to those available at CDC. California Department of Public Health’s Microbial Diseases Laboratory serves as the Reference Center.

Enrollment Criteria

Enrollment is restricted to public health laboratories performing TB DST on fewer than 50 isolates per year. Participation in the reference center is voluntary. CDC’s testing services remain available to all US TB Programs. Jurisdictions that are not eligible to enroll may still submit specimens and/or isolates to CDC for the Molecular Detection of Drug Resistance (MDDR) or second-line DST.

Testing Services ​

The National PHL DST Reference Center for MTBC will provide the following services at no cost to eligible submitting PHLs:

  • First-Line DST using MGIT with a panel of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.

  • Second-Line DST using MGIT with a panel of ethionomide, capreomycin, amikacin, moxifloxacin, kanamycin and rifabutin

  • Molecular detection of drug resistance will be performed by pyrosequencing on specimen sediments and isolates from patients that meet pre-determined criteria for suspicion of drug resistance.

Resources for Submitting Laboratories

Contact

Please direct questions to Sarah Buss (sarah.buss​@aphl.org​)