The bacteriology laboratory was a pioneer in Quebec for the use of the MALDI-TOF MS technology for the identification of bacteria in veterinary medicine. This technology, based on mass spectrometry, allows rapid and precise identification of bacteria (generally 24 hours following the inoculation of the samples with identification at the genus and species level). This is possible at no additional cost for the client and without changing the sampling method or specimen type. Since 2017, this technology has been used for bacterial identification of all clinical and necropsy cases submitted to the laboratory. Periodic updates of the database are performed, thus generating a large collection of reference spectra that can be used for the identification of microorganisms isolated in the laboratory.
The laboratory reports for all the cases submitted to our laboratory are validated by a veterinary microbiologist diplomate from the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM). These specialists, actively involved in the fight against antibiotic resistance, can make recommendations to promote their judicious use. Although systematic requests for antimicrobial susceptibility testing are frequent for cases submitted to the lab, the expertise of the microbiologists in the decision to perform a susceptibility test allows the appropriate and optimal use of this diagnostic tool. This is especially important for cases with growth of indigenous flora, polybacterial infectious processes, contaminated samples or simply because of the nature of the isolated microorganism. The quality of the results is therefore at the heart of our knowledge!
Do not hesitate to contact our veterinary microbiologists for advice on the type of sample to submit, storage conditions, transport media, what test to request or to have a discussion concerning the results. They will be happy to help you!
Phone : 450-773-8521 ext. 8311
Email : bacteriologie-cdvum@umontreal.ca