SARS and Emerging Pathogens MRSA Streptococci Bacterial Enteric Disease Gastroenteritis and Other Viral Infections West Nile Virus Hepatitis HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections Virology Antimicrobials Continuous Quality Improvement Bacteriology Laboratory Surveillance Student Posters Late Breakers


SARS and Emerging Pathogens
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A1 Comparison of Extraction Methods for the Purification of SARS Coronavirus Nucleic Acid from Serum Samples.
A. PETRICH*¹, J. MAHONY¹, L. CHUI², D. ERDMAN³, ¹, G. BROUKHANSKI⁴, F. GARABAGHI⁵, G. JOHNSON⁵, K. LUINSTRA¹, F. JAMIESON⁴, R. TELLIER⁵, M. SMIEJA¹, ⁵. St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton ON, ¹EPHL Edmonton AB, ³CDC Atlanta, GA, USA, ⁴CPLH, Etobicoke, ON, ⁵HSC, Toronto, ON.

A2 Failed Outbreak and Successful Containment of SARS in British Columbia.
D.M. SKOWRONSKI*, M. PETRIC, D. LAWRENCE, P. BIRCH, S.A. TWEED, P. DALY, R. PARKER, R. GUASPARINI, D. PATRICK and The SIVI GROUP. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

A3 Maximizing Sensitivity of SARS Corona Virus Detection by Antigen-Capture Real Time PCR.
E. GRUDESKI*¹, A. ANDONOV¹, J. BERRY², L. LIN¹, M. TRAYKOVA-ANDONOVA¹, M. DREBOT¹. Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, ²Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB.

A4 Human Illness due to Avian Influenza H7N3 in British Columbia, Canada.
S. A. TWEED*¹D. M. SKOWRONSKI¹, S. T. BERGER¹, M. PETRIC¹, A. LARDER², C. HALPERT², D. LAWRENCE¹, A. MAK¹, M. KRAJDEN¹, R. TELLIER³, T. TAM⁴, Y. LI⁵. ¹University of British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, ² Fraser Health Authority, Abbotsford, BC, ³Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, ⁴ Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, ⁵National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB.

A5 Occupational Exposure to Hantavirus with Atypical Case Presentation in British Columbia, 2002.
M. MORSHED ¹*, L. MACDOUGALL¹, K. FERNANDO¹, W. BOWIE ², R.  LINDSAY³, K. COOPER⁴, G. MACCAULEY⁵. ¹BC Centre for Disease Control, ²Division of Infectious Diseases, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, ³National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB, ⁴Interior Health Authority, ⁵Kelowna General Hospital 5, Kelowna, BC.

P28 Bartonella Infections in Canadians with a Particular Emphasis on Potential Exposure to Rodent-Associated Bartonella.
D. MCCOLL*¹, L. PHELAN², R. LINDSAY¹, K. GAGE², H. ARTSOB¹, M. KOSOY². ¹Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB, ²Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, CDC, Fort Collins, CO USA.

P9 Use of EuroImmun Biochip Mosaics for the Serological Diagnosis of Cat Scratch Disease.
Y. SIMPSON*, R. WADA, Q. WONG, M. MORSHED. BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC

MRSA
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B1 B1 Community - and Healthcare - acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Manitoba.
J. L. WYLIE^1,2*, D. L. NOWICKI^3,4. ¹Cadham Provincial Laboratory, ²Communicable Disease Control Unit, Manitoba Health, ³Dep’t of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB. ⁴Current affiliation: Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Winnipeg, MB.

B2 Evaluation of the Use of Cefoxitin in the Disk Diffusion and Screen Agar Plate for the Identification of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci.
C. Brosnikoff*, S. Carlyle, R. Rennie. Medical Microbiology Laboratory, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, AB.

B3 Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis Typing of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canada: An Exercise in the Standardization of Methods and Nomenclature.
J.L. Campbell , J.D. Spreitzer*, M.R. Mulvey , L.K. Ng. National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB.

B4 Emergence of Three New Epidemic Strains of MRSA in Canada.
M.R. Mulvey¹*, J.L. Campbell¹, C. Watt², A.E. Simor², L. Bryden¹, M. Ofner³, D. Gravel³, S. Paton³. The Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program ¹National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB, ²Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ³The Division of Nosocomial Infection and Occupational Infections ³, Ottawa, ON.

B5 Detection of MRSA Carriers in Hospitalized Patients: Routine Diagnostic Samples Versus Admission and Ward Screening Samples.
M.J. Alfa*, S. Papetti, S. Hoban, G.K.M. Harding. St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, MB.

P7 Epidemiology of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region.
E. THOMAS*, M. HUSAK, L.DAWSON, J.KRAMER, K. MANICKAM. Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, Regina, SK.

P17 Testing of Staphylococcus aureus Strains to Detect Inducible Clindamycin Resistance by D-Zone.
E.THOMAS, K. HEGGLIN*, C. BARTH, L. DAWSON, K. MANICKAM. Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, Regina, SK.

Streptococci
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L1 Selection of Single Step parC Mutations among Levofloxacin Susceptible S. pneumoniae in Canada.
R. J. Davidson*, S. Campbell, C. Howley, H. Musgrave. Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, NS.

L2 CROSS 1997-2004. Antimicrobial Resistance in S. pneumoniae (SPN) Isolates from Respiratory Tract Infections in Pediatric vs. Elderly Patients in Canada.
L.P. Palatnick*, D.J. Hoban, K. Karlowsky, R. Vashisht, B. Senior, G.G.Zhanel. Health Sciences Centre and University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB

L3 A S. pneumoniae - Specific lytA Gene PCR Assay.
S.D. Porter, R. Reyes, D.L. Roscoe*. Vancouver General Hospital. Vancouver, BC.

L4 A Comparison of 3 Methods for the Detection of Group B Streptococci (GBS) from Vaginal-Rectal Swabs: Direct Latex Agglutination (dLA) from selective broth (LIM broth, PML), Standard Selective Broth with Subculture and PCR.
D.L.R. Yamamura ^2,2, A. Bergstrome Jones ³, T. Stacey-Works¹*, J. Lau ¹, Z. Plichta ¹, L. Cooper ¹, D. Jones ¹, A. Sarabia ¹. ¹MDS Laboratory Services, Toronto, ²Dep’t of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON; ³MDS Metro, Burnaby, BC.

L5 Molecular Epidemiology of Penicillin- (PEN), Clarithromycin- (CLR), Ciprofloxacin- (CIP), Tetracycline- (TET) and Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole-Resistant (SXT-R) Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN) in Canada.
K.A. Nichol*, D.J. Hoban, G.G. Zhanel. Health Sciences Centre and University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.

P25 Subtyping of Streptococcus iniae by Fluorescence-based Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (fbAFLP) and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE).
L .A. Snook ¹*, R.R. McDonald ¹, C.L. Duncan ², J.C. de Azavedo ^2,3, N.A. Antonishyn ¹, P. N. Levett¹, ¹Provincial Laboratory, Regina, SK; ²Mount Sinai Hospital, ³University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.

Influenza
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C1 Chemicon PCR for Influenza A and B: not ripe yet!
R. GARCEAU^1*, M. MAILLET¹, M. MALLET². ¹Dr G.L. Dumont, Moncton, ²Health Canada, Moncton, NB.

C2 Molecular Diagnostic of Emerging Influenza Strains in the Clinical Laboratory.
D. Adachi ¹, G. Johnson ¹, E. Nagy ² S. Richardson ¹, M. Petric ³, R. Tellier ¹*. ¹Division of Microbiology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, ²University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, ³B. C. Centre for Diseases Control, Vancouver, B.C.

C3 Influenza A Virus Genotyping: 2003-2004.
A. MAK*, V. LEI, R. CHOW, G. MCNABB, M. KRAJDEN, R. BRUNHAM, SH. GOH, M. PETRIC. B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, B.C.

C4 Influenza Virus Diagnosis: Comparison of Nucleic Acid Testing, Cell Culture and Immunofluorescence Microscopy.
R. CHOW*, A. MAK, D. JORGENSEN, D. LAWRENCE, R. GILLIES, G. MCNABB, M. KRAJDEN, M. PETRIC. B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC.

C5 Pan-Influenza A virus Diagnosis and Subtype Identification by RT-PCR.
A. MAK*, S. BYRNE, R. CHOW, V. LEI, D. LAWRENCE, G. MCNABB, M. KRAJDEN, M. PETRIC. B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC.

P3 Strain Identification of Influenza by DNA Sequencing.
C. Schachtel¹*, N. Antonishyn¹, R. McDonald¹, K. Brandt¹, Y. Li², P. N. Levett¹, G. Horsman¹. Provincial Laboratory, Regina, SK; ²National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB.

E5 Importance of the Starplex S160-M (Swab and Viral Transport) in the Diagnosis of the 2003-2004 Influenza A Outbreak.
R. WHEELER*, D. HATHAWAY, T. HAYES, D. JASKOT, J. KRAHN, R. LANNIGAN A. TIROLESE. Virology Department, London Laboratory Services Group, London, ON.

Bacterial Enteric Disease
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F1 Comparison of Media for Isolation of Aeromonas from Stools in Saskatchewan.
D. DAKU*¹, K. MANICKAM², E. THOMAS², G.B. HORSMAN¹, P.N. LEVETT¹. ¹Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, ²Department of Microbiology, Regina General Hospital, Regina, SK.

F2 Genomic Approaches and In-Vitro Models for the Investigation of Virulence in Campylobacter.
J. MACKINNON¹, K. RAHN^*1, E. TABOADA², J. NASH², V. GANNON³ T. GRAHAM³ CLIFFORD CLARK⁴, J. FARBER⁵. ¹Health Canada, Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Guelph, ON, ²NRC, Inst. for Biological Sciences, Ottawa, ON, ³Health Canada, Lab. for Foodborne Zoonoses, Lethbridge, AB, ⁴Health Canada, National Lab. for Enteric Pathogens, Winnipeg, MB, ⁵Health Canada, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Ottawa, ON

F3 Association of EDL 933 Genomic O Island 48 virulence genes with Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli Serotypes that cause Serious and Epidemic Disease.
M. Mascarenhas ¹*, S. Shen ¹, P. Rozanski ¹, K. Rahn ¹, M. A. Karmali ^1,2. ¹Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Health Canada, Guelph; ²Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON.

F4 Design and Evaluation of a Salmonella Typing Microarray.
C. YOSHIDA¹, J. MCQUISTON², K. FRANKLIN¹, C. FITZGERALD², K. RAHN*¹, E. TABOADA³, P. FIELDS², J. NASH³, C. CLARK⁴. ¹Foodborne Zoonoses, Health Canada, Guelph, ON, ²CDC Atlanta Ga USA, ³NRC Ottawa, ON, ⁴National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB.

F5 Transfer of Resistance to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins to Salmonella in the Intestinal Tract.
C. POPPE¹*, L. MARTIN¹, C.L. GYLES². ¹Health Canada, Guelph, Ontario, ²University of Guelph, Dep’t of Pathobiology.

Gastroenteritis and Other Viral Infections
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I1 Evaluation and Comparison of the RIDASCREEN? Enzyme-immunoassay with RT-PCR for the Detection of Norovirus in Stool Samples.
K. BRANDT*, L. SHCHYSCHUK, A. OBARIANYK, N. SPERLIE, P.N. LEVETT, G. HORSMAN. Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, SK.

I2 Norovirus Gastroenteritis Associated with Oyster Consumption in British Columbia in 2004.
L. MCINTYRE¹, L. MACDOUGALL², S. BERGER², M. FYFE², K. LOUIE³, G. ENG⁴, P. DALY⁴, K. SCHALLIE⁵, E. BUENAVENTURA⁵, S. LIEM⁵, A. MCNABB¹, J. ISAAC-RENTON¹, M. PETRIC*¹. ¹Lab. Services, BC Centre for Disease Control ² Epidemiology Services, BCCDC, ⁴Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver BC, ³Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, BC , ⁵Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Burnaby, BC.

I3 Molecular Serotyping of Adenoviruses by PCR and Sequencing.
H. Sarantis ¹, G. Johnson ¹, M. Brown ², M. Petric ³, R. Tellier*¹. ¹Division of Microbiology, Hospital for Sick Children, ²University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, ³British Columbia Centre for Diseases Control, Vancouver, BC.

I4 A Laboratory Confirmed Reinfection of Varicella: A Case Study.
G.A. TIPPLES^1*, P. VAN CAESEELE², V. LOPAREV³, M. DAWOOD², W. MAR², T. KRUK¹, M. GRAY¹, B. WELLS², P. CARRIERE², B. CISTARELLI², P. MCCUSKER⁴. ¹National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg MB, ²Cadham Provincial Laboratory, Winnipeg MB, ³Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA, ⁴Cancer Care Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB

I5 Evaluation of Three Automated Platforms for Determination of Rubella Immune Status.
F. SIDAWAY*, D. STRUGARI, P. TSANG, P. N. LEVETT, G. HORSMAN. Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, SK.

P2 Comparison of the Second Generation of the RIDASCREEN - EIA with PCR for the Simultaneous Detection of Norovirus Genogroup I and II in One Specimen.
R. FISHER ¹*, G. KIOURKENIDIS¹, J. U. WUENSCH¹, H. LEIDINGER ¹, P. SCHUBERT¹, W. SCHARTL¹, J. GRAY². R-Biopharm AG, Darmstadt, Germany; ²Central Public Health Laboratory, London, U.K.

West Nile Virus
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E1 An Evaluation of Two Commercial IgM ELISA Formats for Detecting West Nile Virus (WNV) Antibody.
S. SHEAD^*, M. DREBOT, M. ANDONOVA, H. ARTSOB. Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB.

E2 West Nile and Enterovirus Infections in Alberta: Assessment of Viral Load and Clinical Impact of Infection.
J. D. Fox ¹*, G. C. Jayaraman ¹, J. Preiksaitis ², V. Khurana ¹, S. Wong ¹, B. Lee ², R. Walle ¹, P. Tilley ¹. ¹Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Calgary, ²Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Edmonton, AB.

E3 Implementation of West Nile Virus Screening Using Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests as Part of the Solid Organ and Tissue Procurement Program in Alberta.
J. D. FOX ¹*, B. E. LEE ², L. CHUI ², P. TILLEY ¹, G. C. JAYARAMAN ¹, J. FENTON ², J. PREIKSAITIS². ¹Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Calgary, ²Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Edmonton, AB.

E4 The Application of Microsphere and Microneutralization Immunoassay Platforms for Diagnosing West Nile Virus (WNV) Infections.
K.A. HOLLOWAY*¹, S.J. WONG², R. KOSKI³, J. JOHNSON⁴, H. ARTSOB¹, M. A. DREBOT¹. ¹National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB, ²Wadsworth Centre, NY State Department of Health and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Albany, NY, USA, ³L2 Diagnostics, LLC, New Haven, CT, USA, ⁴Centers for Disease Control, Arbovirus Diseases Branch, Ft. Collins, CO, USA.

P12 Antiviral Effect of Aurintricarboxylic Acid (ATA) on SARS-Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and West Nile Virus (WNV) Infection in vitro.
M. ANDONOVA¹, R. HE¹, A. ANDONOV¹, J. CAO¹, T. CUTTS¹, E. GRUDESKY¹, J. BERRY¹, Y. DESCHAMBAUL¹, X. LI², M.A. DREBOT¹. ¹National Microbiology Laboratory, PPHB, Winnipeg, MB. ²Centre for Biologics Research, Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate, Ottawa, ON.

P13 Evaluation of a Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the Detection of Serum Antibodies to West Nile Virus (WNV).
A. DIBERNARDO¹*, R. LINDSAY¹, H. ARTSOB¹, A. GANCZ²,H. WEINGARTL³, D. BIRD^4, M. DREBOT¹. Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens, National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB, ²Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON., ³Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB., ⁴McGill University, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC.

Hepatitis
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G1 Genotypic Analysis of Lamivudine-Resistant Hepatitis B Virus in Chronic Patients Following Withdrawal of Long Term Lamivudine Treatment.
C. OSIOWY¹, A. CHATTERJEE², E. GILES¹, J. BORLANG¹, T. MAZZULLI³, J. HEATHCOTE^{2 1}. National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB; ²Toronto Western Hospital and ³Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON.

G2 G 2 / 048 - Quantifying Anti-HBs Immunity: Does a Person with Four Watches Really Know What Time it is?
G. McNabb*, P. Cook, L. Di Francesco, R. Sunderji, P. Tsang, D. Cook, J. Isaac-Renton, M. Petric, M. Krajden. Lab. Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC.

G3 G3 Minimal Impact of the New Linear Range for the Quantitative AMPLICOR COBAS HCV Monitor Test on Week 12 Viral Load Assessments.
K.GUNADASA*, K.CHU, H.ROWE, G. MCNABB, D. COOK, M.PETRIC, M. KRAJDEN. Lab Services¹, BC Centre for Disease Control Vancouver, BC.

G4 Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis A virus (HAV) in Canada.
A. ANDONOV*, E. GRUDESKI, M. MORBEY. National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB.

G5 Comparison of Two Automated Assay systems for Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Screening.
F. Sidaway*, D. Strugari, P. Tsang, P.N. Levett, G. Horsman. >Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, SK.

P4 Comparison of Abbott Architect and Bayer ADVIA Centaur for anti-HCV.
G. McNabb*, L. Di Francesco, P. Cook, P. Tsang, D. Cook, M. Petric, M. Krajden. Lab. Services, BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC.

HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections
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K1 A Viral Load Assay Based on Reverse Transcriptase Activity vs RNA Detection.
R. Pilon, L. Ares, J. Mihowich, J. Kim^*. National HIV/AIDS and Retrovirology Labs, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON.

K2 Precision of the HIV Cobas Amplicor as measured by an in-house External Control.
L. CHUI*, T. CHIU, J. KAKULPHIMP, B. LEE. Provincial laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology). Edmonton, AB.

K3 Comparison of Bayer Centaur Advia HIV-1/2 with Abbott AxSym HIV-1/2 with Western Blot Categorized Samples.
F. Sidaway*, D. Strugari, P. Tsang, P.N. Levett, G. Horsman. Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, SK.

K4 Combining Molecular, Geographic, and Social Data to Identify Chlamydia trachomatis Transmission Networks.
J. L. WYLIE ^1,2*, T. CABRAL ¹, A. M. JOLLY ^3,4. Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Cadham Provincial Laboratory, ²Manitoba Health, Winnipeg, MB, ³Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Population and Public Health Branch, Health Canada, ⁴University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.

K5 Two-Dimensional Western Blotting of HSV Type-Specific Antibody Response.
A Severini ¹*, G Camus ², S Boudreau¹, K Browne ¹. ¹Health Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory, ²University of Manitoba, Dep’t. of Medical Microbiology, Winnipeg, MB.

P14 Comparison of two confirmation assays for Roche Cobas AMPLICOR GC screening in clinical specimens.
L. CHUI*, T. CHIU, G. TYRRELL. Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology), Edmonton, AB.

Virology
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P1 Are EBV VCA IgM EIA kits born equal?
R. GARCEAU^1*, C. OUELLETTE¹, M. MALLET². ¹Dr G.L. Dumont, Moncton, NB, ²The et Oceans Canada, Moncton, NB.

P11 Rapid RSV Detection: Evaluation of Three Immunochromatographic Assays.
T.M. KARNAUCHOW * and R. MILK. Regional Virus Laboratory, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON.

Antimicrobials
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H1 Rising Fluoroquinolone Consumption in British Columbia: The Road to Resistance?
D. M. PATRICK*¹, F. MARRA¹, J. HUTCHINSON², M. CHONG¹, L. LIN¹, W.R. BOWIE¹. ¹University of B. C. Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, ²Memorial University, St. John's, NF.

H2 Susceptibility of 3000 Community Bacterial Isolates to Fluoroquinolones.
S. HENWICK*, D. PURYCH, J. TOMBLIN, K. BERNOE, J.J. ROY. Department of Microbiology, B.C. Biomedical Laboratories Ltd., Surrey, BC.

H3 Target Attainment Potential versus Urinary Tract Infection E.coliof Ciprofloxacin 500mg Every 12 Hours, Gatifloxacin 200mg and 400mg Once Daily and Levofloxacin 500mg, 750mg and 1000mg Once Daily. Administered to hospitalized Patients: Analysis of Canadian versus US Isolates.
A.M. Noreddin*, N. Laing, T. Hisanaga, L. Palatnick, D.J. Hoban and G.G. Zhanel. Health Sciences Center and University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.

H4 Human Systemic Anti-bacterial Drug Use in Canada, 2001-2003
L.J. MARTIN*, K. DOR. Health Canada, Guelph, ON.

H5 Isolation of Nocardia farcinica from a Cystic Fibrosis Patient.
B. Dasgupta, N. Brown, R. Rennie*, C. Sand. University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, AB.

P18 Enhanced in-vitro Activity of Liposome-Entrapped Aminoglycosides and Macrolides against Clinical Resistant Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
C. MUGABE*, M. HALWANI, A. OMRI. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON.

P22 Comparison of Direct versus Log Phase Inoculum for the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Mucoid Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Cystic Fibrosis Patients.
C. Brosnikoff¹, R. Rennie¹, L. Hodge², B. J. Walker² and P. Kibsey. Medical Microbiology Laboratory, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, AB¹ and Laboratory Medicine, Pathology Medical Genetics, Vancouver Island Health Authority, Victoria, BC.²

Continuous Quality Improvement
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J1 Development of Profiles for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories in Canada.
D. CHURCH*, L. MELNYK and the Microbiology Working Group (MWG). Canadian Coalition for Quality in Laboratory Medicine (CCQLM), College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.

J2 Causes of Discordant Results in Microbiology External Quality Assessment (EQA) Surveys.
C.A. FLEMING *, J. GUN-MUNRO, H. RICHARDSON. Quality Management Program-Laboratory Services (QMP-LS), Toronto, ON.

J3 External Quality Assessment of Laboratory Performance when Screening for Respiratory Viruses.
D. S. Thompson ¹*, C. J. Major ¹, J. Gun-Munro ¹, H. Richardson, ¹, M. Fearon ², T. Mazzulli ³, J. Nishikawa ⁴, A . Simhon ⁵. ¹Quality Management Program - Laboratory Services, ²Canadian Blood Services, ³Mount Sinai Hospital, ⁴Hospital for Sick Children, ⁵Toronto Public Health Laboratory, Toronto, ON.

J4 Validation of the Direct Plate Method Described in NCCLS Document M40: Quality Control of Microbiological Transport Devices.
C. Brosnikoff*, R. Rennie. University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, AB.

J5 Wound Swabs: Evaluation of the Impact of Epithelial Cells and PMNs on the Work-up of Bacterial Isolates.
M.J. Alfa ¹*, K. von Kuster ², G.K.M. Harding ^{1 1}St. Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, ²Cadham Provincial Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB.

P10 A Business Case for Purchasing LIS QC Software for Microbiology.
C. BARTH, B. CARGILL, J. KIRSCH,* E. THOMAS. Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, Regina, SK.

Bacteriology
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P5< Candida dubliniensis in Saskatchewan.
H. CONGLY*, G. HORSMAN. Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, SK.

P6 Salmonella Blood Stream Isolates from Outpatients: Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Source, and Treatment.
J. TOMBLIN¹*, D. PURYCH¹, S. HENWICK¹, J. ROY¹, L., GUSTAFSON². B.C. Biomedical Laboratories BC, ²Fraser Health, Surrey, BC.

P15 Comparison of BD CHROMagar media vs Dip N’Count and the effect of BD urine preservative on urine culture.
S. E. Shokoples*, L. C. Turnbull, C. L. Brosnikoff, R. P. Rennie. University of Alberta Hospitals Microbiology, Edmonton, AB.

P16 The Use of UriSelect 4 Chromogenic Media for Detection of Urinary Tract Pathogens.
E. THOMAS, S. ANDERSON*, L. DAWSON, C. BARTH, K. MANICKAM. Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, Regina, SK.

P19 Molecular Detection of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in Water Systems in Ghana.
A. A. GBAKIMA*¹, A. CAREY², J. A. HIGGINS³, AND D. AGBODAZE⁴. ¹Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, ³Environmental Microbial Safety Laboratory, USDA, Beltsville, MD and ⁴Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Legon, Ghana.

P20 Profiling of Genomic Variation in Pertactin (prn) and Pertussis Toxin (ptx) Gene Alleles from Clinical Isolates of Bordetella pertussis Isolated in British Columbia Between 1981-2003.
N. SHAM¹, A. HAJI², D. CHAN³, C. SHAW³, J. ISAAC-RENTON ^{1, 3} and G. STEPHENS ^{1, 3}. Dept. of Pathology & Lab. Med.¹, Dept. of Biology² , The University of British Columbia, and Laboratory Services, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control³, British Columbia.

P 21 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis of the pXO1 and pX02 Plasmids of Bacillus anthracis.
L. Bryden ¹*, C. BOURGEOIS ¹, D. JOHNSTONE ¹, D. BADER ², A. KABANI ¹, M. R. MULVEY ¹. ¹Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB; ² Defence Canada, Suffield Medicine Hat, AB.

P23 Identification of Nocardia species by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
G. GEDDES¹, A. McNABB*¹, L. JANZ¹, S. MITHAN¹ , L. STOAKES², C. SHAW¹, G. STEPHENS^1,3, J. ISAAC-RENTON^1,3. ¹Laboratory Services, B. C. Centre for Disease Control, ³Dep’t of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of B. C., Vancouver, BC, ²Microbiology Dep’t, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON.

P24 Identification of Leptospiral Serovars by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis.
R GALLOWAY, PN LEVETT*. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Atlanta, GA USA.

P26 Rapid Detection and Serogrouping of Invasive Meningococcal Infections in Clinical Specimens by Real-Time PCR.
R.R. MCDONALD ^*, A.C.A. OBARIANYK, N.A. SPERLIE, E. NAGLE, N.A. ANTONISHYN, P.N. LEVETT, G.B. HORSMAN. Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, SK.

P27 Investigation of a unique case with potential for Bioterrorism or Biocrime.
K. Bernard*, J. Maslowski. The Emergency Response Team, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB.

P29 Utilization of an Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) as a Screen for Giardia/Cryptosporidium (G/C) Infections in a Centralized Regional Microbiology Laboratory.
D. CHURCH*², K. MILLER¹, A, LICHTENFELD¹, H. SEMENIUK¹, B. KIRKHAM¹, S. ELSAYED². ¹Calgary Laboratory Services, ²Departments of Pathology Laboratory Medicine and Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.

P30 Survival Rate of Haemophilus influenzae in Two Commercial Amies Gel Swab Transport Systems at Room Temperature.
B Gandhi¹*, M Skulnick², T Mazzulli². ¹Collaborative Microbiology Solutions, Brampton, ²Mt.Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON.

P32 Cost Analysis of Partial Sequencing of the 65 Kilo Dalton Heat Shock Protein Gene for the Identification of Mycobacterium species.
K. ADIE, A. MCNABB*, M. AMOS, M. RODRIGUEZ, G. STEPHENS, B. BLACK, J. ISAAC-RENTON^1,2. ¹Laboratory Services, B. C. Centre for Disease Control, ²Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

Laboratory Surveillance
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D1 Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS).
R.J. IRWIN¹*, K. DOR?sup>1, M. R. MULVEY² and the CIPARS Partnership. Health Canada, ¹Guelph, ON; ²Winnipeg, MB.

D2 Antimicrobial Resistance Among Human Salmonella Isolated in Canada, 2003.
K. DORE*¹, W. DEMCZUK², M. R. MULVEY², L.K. NG², R. AHMED², L. DUTIL³, and CIPARS PROVINCIAL PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY PARTNERSHIP⁴. ¹Health Canada (HC), Guelph, ON, ²HC, Winnipeg, MN³ HC, St. Hyacinthe, PQ.

D3 C PCR-RFLP Typing of E. coli.
P.L. MELITO¹*, R. FOSTER¹, J. WALSH¹, D.L. WOODWARD¹, A. PACCAGNELLA², J. ISAAC-RENTON², L. K. NG¹. ¹Bacteriology and Enteric Disease Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB, ²British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC.

D4 Development of an Immunocapture Assay for the Detection of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map).
L. CHUI*¹, R. KING² and J. SIM³. ¹Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology), Edmonton, ²Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, ³Agricultural Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.

D5 Detection of Pathogenic Leptospira species by Real-time PCR.
P.N. Levett* R. Morey, R. Galloway, A.G. Steigerwalt, L.W. Mayer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Student Posters
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SP 1 Cytotoxic and Anti-Proliferative Activity of a Novel Antiparasitic Compound on Different Larval Stages of Caenorhabditis elegans.
R. MICHELIN*, L. FREDERICK*, M. JENKINS, T. ADELORE, A. WILLIAMS. ¹Department of Biology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, ²Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA.

SP3 Identification, Purification and In Vitro Analysis of an Antifungal Metabolite from an Unidentified Bacillus Species.
R. MICHELIN, L. FREDERICK, T. ADELORE, E. BENJAMIN, M. JENKINS, A. WILLIAMS, Department of Biology, Department of Chemistry, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington , DC, USA.

SP4 Molecular Characterization of Cefoxitin Resistant Escherichia coli in Beef Cattle Entering Feedlots.
E. SUSKY*¹, M. R. MULVEY¹, D. W. MORCK², R. R. READ³. ¹National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, ²Animal Health Unit, University of Calgary and ³Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

SP5 Temporal Trends of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates With Dual Resistance to Beta-lactam and Macrolide Antibiotics.
J. FULLER *, J. POWIS, K. GREEN, D.E. LOW. Canadian Bacterial Surveillance Network, Toronto, ON.

SP6 Development of a Detection Protocol for Campylobacter in Water.
S. LEVESQUE*, E. FROST, S. MICHAUD. Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC.

SP7 Performance and Reproducibility of Disc Diffusion Compared with Agar Dilution for Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing for Campylobacter.
S. LEVESQUE*, E. FROST, S. MICHAUD. Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC.

SP8 Winner of the 2004 CCM Student Poster Award - Identification of a progenitor of the CTX-M-9 group of extended-spectrum-lactamase from Kluyvera spp. ‘Guyana'.
Adam B. Olson¹*, M. Silverman³, D.A. Boyd², A. McGeer ³, B. M. Willey ³, V. Pong-Porter ³, N. Daneman ³, M.R. Mulvey ². ¹University of Manitoba, Winnipeg; ²National Microbiology Laboratories, Winnipeg, MB; ³Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON.

SP9 Winner of the 2004 AMMO Student Poster Award - Use of Standard Precautions by Microbiology Laboratory Staff:A Pilot Study.
CHERYL L. MAIN*, M. GRIFFITHS-TURNER, C. LEE, M. LOEB. Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, ON.

SP10 Winner of the 2004 CACMID Student Poster Award - A Comparative Genomic Hybridization Study of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canada.
S. Christianson¹*, M.R. Mulvey, ². ¹University of Manitoba, ²National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB.

SP11 Incidence and genetic relatedness of norovirus identified from children with sporadic gastroenteritis in Northern Alberta.
N.P. CHUI*, A.L. PANG, L. CHUI, B.E. LEE. Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology), Edmonton, AB.

SP12 Winner of the 2004 AMMI-Canada Student Poster Award - Single Step Mutants of S. pneumoniae (SPN) and the Minimum Macrolide Inhibition (MMI) and Minimum Ketolide Inhibition (MKI) Concentration.
T.L. HISANAGA*, S. TOHME, J. TAM, J. RUSEN, A. WIERZBOWSKI, D.J. HOBAN and G.G. ZHANEL. University of Manitoba and Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, MB.

Late Breakers
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LB 1 Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Saskatchewan: Serotype Distribution Penicillin Resistance in First Nations Non-First Nations, 1996-2003.
K. R. WHITEHAWK¹*, E. L. NAGLE², P. N. LEVETT², S. G. HUDSON¹, G. B. HORSMAN², and R. ANDERSON³. ¹ Department of Science, First Nations University of Canada, Regina, SK.

LB 2 IgG avidity tests to differentiate primary from previous infections with West Nile Virus.
K. SONNENBERG¹, P.N. LEVETT², F. SIDAWAY^2, M. NIEDRIG³, P. KREHER³, B. ARP¹, S. ERDMANN¹, A. JAHN¹, K. STEINHAGEN¹, E. ROHWAEDER¹, E. MUELLER-KUNERT¹, W. SCHLUMBERGER¹, W. STOECKER¹ AND G.B. HORSMAN. ¹EUROIMMUN AG, Luebeck, Germany; ²Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; ³Robert-Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.

LB 3 Evaluation of Seven Rapid Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test Kits.
J. FENTON¹, K. FONSECA², A. CHOW¹*, B. LEE¹, J.K. PREIKSAITIS¹. Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Microbiology), Edmonton¹, Calgary², Alberta, Canada.

LB 4 Evaluation of methods for detection of clostridial toxins in stools.
D. DAKU, K. BRANDT, G.B. HORSMAN, P.N. LEVETT. Provincial Laboratory, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, Saskatchewan.

LB 5 Real Time Microbiology.
IAN P. THRIPPLETON, SeaPro Theranostics International. Lelystad, The Netherlands.

LB 6 Validation of the Roll Plate Method Described in NCCLS Document M40: Quality Control of Microbiological Transport Devices.
C. BROSNIKOFF*, L. TURNBULL and R. RENNIE. Medical Microbiology, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

LB 7 Distribution of a Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylcoccus aureus (Ca-MRSA) Strain in Saskatchewan.
R. MCDONALD*¹, K. KELLER¹, L. SNOOK¹, E. NAGLE¹, C. SELIN², M. MULVEY², P.N. LEVETT¹, G. HORSMAN¹. Provincial Laboratory, Regina, SK¹, and National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB².

LB 8 Prescribing Practices of Antimicrobials (AM) for Common Infections in Northern Saskatchewan.
A. GRAESSLI^1*, J. IRVINE², D. STOCKDALE², M. NSUNGU³, S. WOODS³, M. KHAN⁴, NARRC¹ M. MULVEY⁵. ¹University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB ²Keewatin Yatthe Mamaweetan Churchill Regional Health Authority, La Ronge, SK, ³ Northern Intertribal Health Authority, Prince Albert, SK, ⁴Kelsey Trail Regional Health Authority, Nipawin, SK ⁵National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB.

LB 9 Molecular Characterization of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. in a Long Term Care Facility in Canada.
M. MCCRACKEN^1*,M.R. MULVEY¹, S. GIERCKE², P. VAN CAESEELE², J. WYLIE². ¹National Microbiology Laboratory, Health Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, ²Cadham Provincial Laboratory, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

LB 10 Evaluation of Enzyme Immunoassays for Routine Screening of Syphilis Infection.
J.FULLER ¹, J. HARRISON ³, P. GEORGE ², M. FEARON ^1,2, G. CHENSEE ³, M. SHAW ³, S. HADDAD ³, G. BLACKWELL ³, T. STEWART ³, F. JAMIESON ^1,3, AND G. HAWES ³. ¹University of Toronto; ²Canadian Blood Services; ³Central Public Health Laboratory, Laboratories Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

LB 11 Hepatitis C Testing Algorithms in Ontario.
K. NICHOLAS* and A. SIMHON. Laboratories Branch, MOHLTC, Ontario.