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Neisseria Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.

These are the MediaLab courses that cover Neisseria and links to relevant pages within the course.

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Laboratories Individuals

Cerebrospinal Fluid
Specimen Handling and Storage

The stability of the CSF sample varies depending on the procedures ordered. Cell counts are ALWAYS STAT and should be performed within 30 - 60 minutes for best results. Samples should be left at room temperature for no longer than one hour and refrigerated following testing. Refrigeration is not recommended for culture specimens since fastidious organisms such as Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis may not survive the cold temperature.

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CLIA Microbiology / Serology Review
Which of the following organisms in most frequently associated with endocarditis:View Page
Which of the following is used as the indicator in the rapid carbohydrate utilization tests:View Page
Which of the following organisms are gram negative:View Page
The slide coagulase test is a rapid method for identifying which of the following organisms.View Page
The oxidase test is used to presumptively identify:View Page
On sheep blood agar Haemophilus influenzae may exhibit satellite formation around all but which of the following organisms:View Page
Which of the following species are gram positive:View Page
When a urine specimen cannot be cultured immediately it may be:View Page
Which of the following organisms is not an aerobic organism:View Page
Which of the following tests would be used to directly document the presence of a specific organism in a clinical specimen:View Page
Match the organisms on the right with culture medium:View Page
Match the culture media on the right with possible organism on the left:View Page
Different species of Neisseria can be differentiated from each other by:View Page
Bacitracin susceptibility is useful for which two of the following:View Page
Match the illustrations with corresponding cocci classification:View Page

Current Topics in Clinical Microbiology
The positive oxidase reaction as shown in the photograph (yellow arrow) rules out the following two look-alike organisms of N. gonorrhoeae:View Page
The Superoxol Test

Superoxol is an additional spot test that may be helpful in the presumptive identification of N. gonorrhoeae.Superoxol is 30% hydrogen peroxide, in contrast to the 3% solution that is used in the catalase test.Other Neisseria species and Moraxella catarrhalis are either negative for this test or give a weak, delayed reaction.

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Review 2

Smith KR, Fisher HC III, Hook, EW III: Prevalence of fluorescent monoclonal antibody-nonreactive Neisseria gonorrhoeae in five North American sexually transmitted disease clinics.J Clin Microbiol 34:1551-1552, 1996We compared a direct fluorescent monoclonal antibody (DFA) test with alternative enzymatic and fermention tests for identifying presumptive gonococcal isolates in a systematic sample from patients attending five sexually transmitted disease clinics in five cities.Fourteen (2.5%) of 556 isolates from three clinics were nonreactive with the DFA confirmatory reagent and reactive by both the Quad-Ferm and Rapid NH tests. The prevalence of DFA-nonreactive Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates varies geographically and is independent of local methods for the identification of possible gonococci.On the basis of our findings, we recommend that for use in medicolegal and other instances in which a diagnosis of gonorrhea has the potential to have far-reaching effects, it is appropriate to test DFA reagent-nonreactive, oxidase-positive, gram-negative diplococci by alternative methods of gonococcal confirmation.Although the prevalence of such isolates could change, the fluorescent monoclonal antibody confirmation reagents remain useful for many clinical situations. Their ease of use and ready applicability for screening large numbers of isolates make them useful for many laboratories.

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Fundamentals of Molecular Diagnostics
Infectious Diseases

Molecular methodologies can be useful in the detection of a variety of diseases that are important public health issues such as:Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC)Human papillomavirus (HPV)Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)Cytomegalovirus (CMV)In many clinical laboratories, traditional methods have been replaced by molecular methodologies because testing can occur for several pathogens in a single specimen. This is termed multiplex testing.

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Reading Gram Stained Direct Smears
Gram negative diplococci

When gram negative diplococci with flattened, adjacent sides occur within white cells, it may indicate the presence of Neisseria. An example of diplococci with flattened adjacent sides, probably representing Neisseria is shown by the arrow.

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Gram negative cocci which occur in pairs with their adjacent sides flattened, giving them a coffee bean shape are:View Page
Special Considerations for Genital Smears

Gram negative cocci which occur in pairs with their adjacent sides flattened, giving them a coffee bean appearance, are typical of the genus Neisseria. Neisseria gonorrhea is commonly found within white blood cells; these organisms must be carefully sought within genital tract specimens, and their presence or absence should be specifically noted in the report.The presence of intracellular gram negative bacilli in a purulent male urethral smear is presumptive evidence of gonococci, but this assumption cannot be made in a female. Beware of other organisms which resemble gonococci but are found extracellularly, such as Acinetobacter lwoffi, which must be distinguished biochemically.

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