ABCs Home > Isolate Bank Home > What is the Isolate Bank?
 |
 |
Welcome to the ABCs Isolate Bank website.
The Active Bacterial Core Surveillance (ABCs) Isolate Bank is an extensive collection of group A streptococcus, group B streptococcus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates. ABCs is an integral part of the Emerging Infections Program of the CDC. ABCs has tracked invasive infections caused by group A streptococcus, group B streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae since 1995. This national population and laboratory-based surveillance system operates in ten states, drawing from a population of over thirty million people.
Basic information is collected on each case of invasive disease in the population. Bacterial isolates from a normally sterile site (e.g., blood, CSF) are sent to CDC and partner reference laboratories for antibiotic susceptibility testing and serotyping. Identifying data are limited to ensure that all information associated with the isolates is anonymous.
On this website you will find further information about the available isolates, as well as the proper procedure for requesting them.
The ABCs Isolate Bank is a joint project of CDC's Respiratory Diseases Branch, the National Center for Infectious Diseases' Emerging Infectious Program, and the CDC and ATSDR Specimen Packaging, Inventory and Repository - or CASPIR.