healthcare-associated infections (HAI) program

California Antimicrobial Resistance Lab-Epi Alliance

The California Antimicrobial Resistance Lab-Epi Alliance includes clinical and public health laboratorians, infection control practitioners, and epidemiologists working together to address antimicrobial resistance (AR). The goals of the California AR Lab-Epi Alliance are to enhance situational awareness of healthcare-associated AR pathogens, facilitate information and data sharing, and to connect healthcare facilities and laboratories to additional testing resources.

Participants receive updates and join quarterly webinar conferences on AR regional epidemiology and laboratory testing issues resources. To join the California AR Lab-Epi Alliance, please sign up online.

For additional information contact the HAI Program at HAIProgram@cdph.ca.gov.

TOPIC	ORGANISM OR SPECIMEN TYPES	CALIFORNIA AR LAB-EPI ALLIANCE RESOURCES	OTHER RESOURCES
Antimicrobial Resistance Testing	Carbapenem-resistant Enterbacterales (CRE), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), and Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), and Candida auris	Antimicrobial Resistance Testing: Public Health Laboratory Testing Updates, and Recommendations for Isolate Submission and Reporting – October 6, 2021 Webinar Recording (video will play on YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF)	CDPH Antimicrobial Resistance Resources CDPH Microbial Diseases Laboratory Carbapenemase Testing Updates FAQ (PDF)
Laboratory reporting requirements and healthcare facility recommendations for carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterbacterales (CP-CRE)	Carbapenem-resistant Enterbacterales (CRE)	Carbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CP-CRE): Updated Laboratory Reporting Requirements and Recommendations for Healthcare Facilities - December 11, 2019 Webinar Recording (video will play on YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF)	CP-CRE Reporting Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) Proposed Investigation/Reporting Thresholds and Outbreak Definition for CRE The Council for Outbreak Response: Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens
Implementing updated carbapenem breakpoints	Enterbacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa	Implementing Current Breakpoints for Carbapenems and Enterobacteriaceae on Your AST System: Step by Step Instructions - September 27, 2018* Webinar Recording (video will play on YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF) *This presentation references supportive materials, tools, and worksheets to assist clinical laboratories with updating breakpoints. Email HAIprogram@cdph.ca.gov to obtain copies of these documents.	Overview of AR Isolate Bank Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) What’s New in the 2019 CLSI Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST)? (PDF) Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute CDC Laboratory Training
Carbapenemase testing	CRE, CRAB and CRPA isolates	Antimicrobial Resistance Testing: Public Health Laboratory Testing Updates, and Recommendations for Isolate Submission and Reporting – October 6, 2021 Webinar Recording (video will play on YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF) Carbapenemase Testing at the CDPH Microbial Diseases Laboratory: New Tests and Submission Options - November 8, 2017 Webinar Recording (WMV - Media Player to view) Webinar Slides (PDF) Diverse Mechanisms of Resistance in Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in California - June 26, 2018 Webinar Recording (video will play in YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF) - N. Banaei Webinar Slides (PDF) - S. Bhaurla Additional CRE Prevention Strategies information available.	CDPH Microbial Diseases Laboratory Carbapenemase Testing Updates FAQ (PDF) AR Lab Network Targeted Surveillance Program, including CRPA and CRAB (PDF) CRE Mechanisms and their Importance for Infection Prevention (PDF) Loyola University Medical Center
Colonization testing for carbapenemase-producing CRE (CP-CRE), for example, KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae	Rectal or fecal swabs	Overview of CDC's New Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network – November 15, 2016 Webinar Slides (PDF)	CDC Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Whole genome sequencing to determine relatedness of isolates	Bacterial isolates when transmission is suspected	Antimicrobial Resistance Testing: Public Health Laboratory Testing Updates, and Recommendations for Isolate Submission and Reporting – October 6, 2021 Webinar Recording (video will play on YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF)	Whole Genome Sequencing for Epidemiologists – A Brief Introduction (PPT) Cornell University- New York Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence
Targeted surveillance to identify pathogens that are difficult to detect	Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), CRPA, and Candida auris	Targeted Surveillance (PDF) Description of targeted surveillance goals and objectives, types of testing performed and submission details	Carbapenem-Nonsusceptible Acinetobacter baumannii, 8 US Metropolitan Areas, 2012-2015 (PDF) Emerging Infectious Diseases Surveillance for Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa at Five United States Sites - 2015 Open Forum Infectious Diseases
mcr-positive Enterbacterales	Cephalasporin-resistant E. coli and Klebsiella spp.	mcr-1 and Detecting Colistin Resistance – March 21, 2017 Webinar slides (PDF)	Two-Site Evaluation of the Colistin Broth Disk Elution Test To Determine Colistin In Vitro Activity against Gram-Negative Bacilli Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Candida auris identification, confirmation, and colonization testing	Candida auris	Antimicrobial Resistance Testing: Public Health Laboratory Testing Updates, and Recommendations for Isolate Submission and Reporting – October 6, 2021 Webinar Recording (video will play on YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF) Candida auris: Emergence, Laboratory Information, and Public Health Response - June 27, 2017 Webinar Recording (WMV - Media Player to view) Webinar Slides (PDF) Update on Candida auris in California - June 24th, 2019 Webinar Recording (video will play in YouTube) Webinar Slides (PDF) (will be posted) Additional CDPH Candida auris information available.	Identification of Candida auris Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)