Food Microbiology & Enteric Pathogens Unit

Analysis Performed

i) In Food Samples:

§   Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) per ml (g)

§   St. aureus Count per ml (g)

§   Total Coliform Count per ml (g)

§   E.coli Count Per ml (g)

§   Yeast & Moulds Count per ml (g)

§   Bacillus cereus Count per ml (g)

§   C. perfringens Count per ml (g)

§   L. monocytogenes Count per ml (g)

§   Salmonella (Absent or Present in 25g)

§   Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Absent or Present in 25g)

§   Campylobacter jejuni (Absent or Present in 25g)

ii) Hygiene Control of Workers

§   Salmonella (Absent or Present in Stool samples)

§   St. aureus (Absent or Present in Nasal swabs)

iii) In Food Poisoning Outbreaks

Testing for presence of specific pathogens in stools and food samples respectively.

Water & Environment Laboratory

Analysis Performed:

§     Total Coliform Count per 100ml

§     Thermotolerant coli Count per 100ml

§     Intestinal enterococci Count per 100ml

§     Aerobic Colony Count per ml

§     Staph aureus Count per ml

§     Pseudomonas aeruginosa Count per 100ml

§     E.coli Count per 100ml

§     Sulphite Reduce Clostridia Count per 100ml

§     Chlorophyll A Levels mg per Litre

Environmental Swabs

Culturing of swabs from food establishmentst/ hospitals etc. for the following organisms:

§     Coliforms

§     E.coli

§     St. aureus

§     Salmonella

§     Clostridium (non-routine)

§     Listeria (non routine)

Disease Surveillance Laboratory

The unit responsible for providing support in identifying causes of diseases (currently microbiological), through either performing analysis directly or being responsible to send samples overseas to reference labs for identification.

Analysis Performed

Non-Outbreak/Epidemic Situations

§     Gram stains for intra cellular G.N.D

§     Culture for Gonorrhoea

§     Antigen test for Chlamydia

§     Examination for AFB using fluorescent microscopy.

§     Antigen test for Cryptococcus

Outbreak/Epidemic Situations

§     Antigen testing for Rotavirus.

§     Antigen testing for Adeno virus

§     Antigen testing for Respiratory Synitial Virus (RSV).

§     Typing of Shigella and Salmonella from isolates in food poisoning outbreaks.

§     Typing of other Bacterial Pathogens (e.g. Meningococus etc.) in epidemics.

Chemistry

N.B Limited service currently because of technical and manpower constraint.

Analysis Performed:

§     Cholinesterase levels (in pesticides handlers).

Pesticides analysis of food samples