Lab Matters Fall 2024 | Page 72

APHL 2024 POSTER ABSTRACTS

time in fatty deposits , causing chronic exposure concerns . PAHs remaining undetected could lead to unprecedented levels of PAHs left unaddressed within human populations . This emphasizes the need for a more comprehensive exposure analysis method . Comprehensive blood serum analysis for PAHs , when paired with urinalysis for OHPAHs , can provide a more holistic analysis of human exposure to PAHs . We are building a comprehensive method for quantifying PAHs in human blood serum on gas chromatography paired with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry ( GC / QQQ-MS ). This method will be applied to Biomonitoring California exposure studies to better understand how PAHs can affect human exposure and health .

Presenter : Eimi Percival , eimi . percival @ dtsc . ca . gov

From Detection to Prevention - Carbapenemase-producing Organisms in Orange County

V . Mofidi , L . Mikhail , M . Crumpler , K . McLean , Orange County Public Health Laboratory

Carbapenem drugs are effective antimicrobial agents toward Gram negative bacteria . However , emerging carbapenem-resistant organisms ( CRO ) have been a pressing public health challenge in recent years . Plasmid-mediated carbapenemase producing organisms ( CPO ) are highly contagious because in healthcare settings and long-term care facilities they have the potential to spread through environmental sources or from person to person . Rapid detection of CRO in healthcare settings is the first line of infection control and containment .

In 2016 , carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales ( CRE ) became laboratory reportable in Orange County ; mandating that local laboratories detecting any carbapenem-resistant isolates from admitted patients must report it to the Orange County Communicable Disease Control Division ( CDCD ). Additionally , as part of the Enhanced CRO Surveillance Program established in 2017 , a pure isolate of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( CRPA ), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales ( CRE ) and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii complex ( CRAB ) from any body site was requested to be submitted to Orange County Public Health Laboratory ( OCPHL ) for phenotypic and genotypic testing in order to identify carbapenemase producing organisms and detect specific carbapenemase genes . Results generated by OCPHL provide valuable surveillance information that assists in controlling and preventing the spread of the resistant strains as well as monitoring epidemiological trends in Orange County .

Since 2017 , 15 regional hospitals and reference laboratories , in addition to 16 long-term care facilities have been participating in the CRO surveillance program . OCPHL established a CPO workflow and collected data from the CRO surveillance program . During January 2017 to December 2023 , several systems of carbapenemase detection were validated and the CPO workflow was established based on the most efficient and accurate systems .

Presenter : Vida Mofidi , vmofidi @ ochca . com

Fungal Detection , Coming to a Lab Near You

R . Rodriguez Stewart 1 , B . Skaggs 1 , R . Tacharoenmuang 2 , P . Teepruska 2 , D . Pangjai 2 , R . Autthateinchai 2 , S . Srichaiyos 2 , P . Sewisit 2 , S . Lockhart 1 , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) 1 , Thailand Department of Medical Sciences Ministry of Public

Health 2

Fungal infections are increasing worldwide but the ability to diagnose them is not as widespread . Gaps in diagnostic testing negatively affect patient treatment and fungal disease surveillance . CDC ’ s Mycotic Diseases Branch is committed to increasing global capacity to detect and treat fungal infections by offering training in fungal identification ( ID ) and antifungal susceptibility testing ( AFST ) methods to domestic and international partners . We partnered with CDC Thailand ’ s Applied Science Hub and the Thai Ministry of Health to provide fungal ID and AFST training with laboratory staff from Thailand and Vietnam . The training was the first in a series of “ train the trainer ” fungal ID trainings . Trained laboratory staff received all lecture materials , written resources and continued direct technical assistance to implement testing and train others in their home laboratories . The training comprised lectures and laboratory sessions . Laboratory sessions consisted of identifying an unknown fungal isolate using culture and several biochemical tests and assessing the isolate ’ s susceptibility to various antifungals using AFST . The methods taught were chosen based on the perceived availability of materials and implementation feasibility at the participants ’ home laboratories . Pre- and post-training knowledge assessments indicated improved understanding of fungal test methods based on the increase in correctly answered questions from 58 % to 89 %. A course evaluation survey also confirmed knowledge gains in the trained methods and indicated that participants felt confident training others . The evaluation survey also highlighted how the laboratory session enhanced their learning and areas of improvement , such as the need to overcome the English-Thai language barrier . This work describes infrastructure and resources for delivering effective training to improve capacity of global public health laboratories . Participants ’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive , emphasized by their interest in followup courses . Assessment and survey results show that conducting international trainings increases awareness of fungal diagnostic methods . Despite the morbidity and mortality associated with fungal infections , the gaps in diagnostic testing lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment for patients and an unknown burden of global fungal infections . Building awareness and capacity for the detection of fungal infections could lead to improving patient outcomes and global fungal infection surveillance .

Presenter : Roxana Rodriguez Stewart , qmd7 @ cdc . gov

Implementation of a Software for Automatic Reading of Agar Dilution Plates at a Neisseria gonorrhoeae Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Laboratory

B . Troutman 1 , A . Rossi 2 , Utah Public Health Laboratory 1 , Utah Department of Health and Human Services 2

The increasing prevalence of gonorrhea infections is one of the most challenging public health problems worldwide . Neisseria gonorrhoeae ( GC ), the bacterial pathogen responsible for this sexually transmitted disease , has developed resistance mechanisms to different antibiotics classes over time . The emergence of strains