Pseudomonas aeruginosa Control Strains

Following several high profile cases in 2012, the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Health Protection Agency, issued advice to healthcare providers to assist in the control of potential infection from taps and water systems. This is of particular significance in augmented care units (high dependency, adult, paediatric and neonatal critical care, renal, transplant, haemato-oncology and burns units). 

The guidance now forms 'Part C' of Health Technical Memorandum 04-01: Safe water in healthcare (2016). It includes guidance on best practice for the microbiological examination of water samples for P. aeruginosa.

The use of reference materials as control strains is key in microbiological examinations:

• to validate methods and confirm that they are fit for their intended purpose

• to confirm that laboratories can properly operate methods before introducing them

• for quality control procedures for on-going monitoring of tests and calibrations

NCTC offer a range of control strains of Pseudomonas species cited by the World Data Centre for Micro-organisms (WDCM) as follows: