Per Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 441A.235, it is the duty of the director or other person in charge of the medical laboratory to submit microbiologic cultures, subcultures, culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) or other specimens of clinical material to the State Public Health Laboratory or other laboratory designated by the health authority for diagnosis, confirmation or further testing.

It is highly recommended that laboratories perform reflex cultures on specimens positive for CIDTs. These isolates are needed for epidemiologic investigations.

SNPHL is a branch of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory and has been designated by the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) to receive the following specimens from Clark County laboratories:

** POSSIBLE SELECT AGENT

• Sequester all culture materials
• Complete SNPHL Presumptive Select Agent chain of custody and requisition forms
• Contact SNPHL at (702) 759-1020 to arrange for pickup
• Package as Infectious Substance Category A

• Complete customized SNPHL test requisition form for all submitted specimens. Include copy of patient demographic and work card indicating isolate identification and testing performed. If isolate is a possible select agent, the submitting laboratory must also complete a chain of custody form.

• Subculture organism to appropriate media slant or plate that supports organism growth, e.g. blood, chocolate or tryptic soy agar slant. Utilize specialized media for fastidious organism, e.g. Regan-Lowe for Bordetella; MTM for Neisseria; Campylobacter agar for Campylobacter. Label with patient’s full name and/or ID number and date of subculture.
  NOTE: IF submitting possible Select Agent, do not wait for subculture, send original plates to SNPHL.

• Transport at room temperature in appropriate growth environment, e.g., CO2 pack for Neisseria or Microaerophillic pouch for Campylobacter. Place all plates, slants, etc. in sealed biohazard bag. Organism should be received at SNPHL within 48 hours of subculture.

• Packaging of possible Select Agent isolates, Mycobacterium cultures and Shiga-toxin producing E coli (STEC) positive isolate or broth must conform to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations for transport of Infectious Substances, Category A. Contact SNPHL for specific Category A packaging instructions.

• Contact SNPHL at (702) 759-1020 to arrange for courier service which is available Monday-Friday, 8 am to 3 pm (closed legal holidays). Special arrangements can be made for after hour’s pickup.

• There is no charge to the submitting laboratory for reportable disease testing.

NOTE: SNPHL will provide pickup and testing for reportable disease isolates. The submitting laboratory is still responsible for reporting to the SNHD Office of Epidemiology at (702) 759-1300. For isolates that require immediate notification, please refer to SNHD Reportable Diseases, Conditions and Events document: http://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/disease-reporting/disease-reporting.php.

• SNPHL will provide a final report for specimens submitted. Reports will be delivered electronically, by fax or as established by the submitting laboratory.
• For SNHD epidemiological statistics, surveillance and reports,

• For SNHD epidemiological statistics, surveillance and reports, please refer to the SNHD website link: http://southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/stats-reports/index.php.

For General Questions, please email snphl@snhd.org

For Outreach Questions, please email snphloutreach@SNHD.ORG

Revised April 2024