Montana Laboratory Sentinel

Updates from the MT Laboratory Services Bureau
Phone: 800-821-7284 Fax: 406-444-1802
Lab Website

Lab Manual 

(Please reference this for testing or submission questions.)

July, 2025

News and Updates

Specimen Transport

• Reminder: Specimen Transport Temperatures

  • With the warmer weather moving in, please take time to ensure your specimens are being packaged and transported under appropriate conditions to avoid rejection. This may include adding extra ice packs during the warmer months.

  • Acceptable transport temperatures for specimens can be found in the Public Health Laboratory Services manual. Montana Public Health Laboratory Services Manual (mt.gov)

Newborn

• Every Hour Counts

  • Timely collection and transport of newborn screening specimens are crucial for early detection of disorders and improving babies’ health. Please click here to watch a video by the Colorado and Wyoming NBS Programs highlighting the importance of the timely collection and transport of NBS specimens, featuring family stories.

    • Newborn Screening Guide

  • Please contact MTPHL with questions about the collection and timing of NBS specimens in Montana.

Microbiology

• Enteric Season Reminder

  • Please send positive Enteric Specimens to MTPHL. Required organisms include Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, Campylobacter, Vibrio, Salmonella, Shigella, and Listeria. We accept Molecular positive stools, CIDT positive stools, and isolates for testing. Please select organism and "confirmation" on the lab portal, for example E. coli confirmation. We perform additional testing such as Serotyping/Serogrouping and Whole Genome Sequencing on these isolates and the information is shared with CDC for their nationwide surveillance system. Thank you for helping support the surveillance efforts. 

IT Corner

• TB testing moving to new LIS

  • AFB/Tuberculosis testing is moving to the new LIS with samples received as of July 23.  This transition marks the completion of our LIS conversion.

  • Beginning on Tuesday July 22, there will only be one option for ordering an AFB Culture named “Acid Fast Culture and Isolation”, and the system will no longer add an AFB smear immediately at order entry. The smear will be added when the sample is processed, if indicated based on the sample type.

  • Additionally, the questions asked at order entry will be slightly different. Click here to see the new questions.

  • AFB cultures for samples received on or after July 23^rd that were ordered prior to July 22^nd will automatically be changed to the new test.

  • Similar to other culture-based testing that has moved to the new LIS, AFB cultures will utilize the micro module in the new LIS, which means the reports will look different than the current reports. Because samples received prior to July 23 will be completed in the old LIS, there will be a 6-8 week period where the reports will look different based on when the sample was received.

  • There will no longer be separate order choice headers on the report for the isolation, ID and final result. Instead, the preliminary or final result will be reported under the AFB Culture order choice header as a Culture Observation. The culture header will always appear first on the report, and any other testing, including smear results, will appear below the culture. 

  • A preliminary report will be issued when the smear is complete. Additional preliminary reports will be issued for each organism identified. A final report will be issued after six weeks of incubation.

  • To see examples of preliminary and final reports, click on the links below:

    • Prelim – smear

    • Prelim – ID

    • Final

• Single Sign On Transition Complete

  • As of July 15, our transition to using OKTA authentication for the lab portal will be complete.  On that day, you will notice that the old username and password fields will no longer be available.  The only ways to sign in will be with an OKTA account, either by  (1) clicking the “Click Here to Sign In” button on the portal page at https://labportal.hhs.mt.gov or (2) logging in to OKTA at https://login.mt.gov and clicking on the HHS-APP-LABPORTAL tile.

  • If you still have not created an OKTA account, instructions can be found here.

• Inbox Report - Partial Results

  • When viewing your location inbox in the lab portal, a status column indicates whether the status is “Partial” or “Complete.” Partial status indicates that one or more order choices on the order are complete, and/or a preliminary micro report has been issued. Complete status means that all order choices on the order have been completed.

  • The inbox will display a partial status even when all reportable testing has been completed, if there are still incomplete non-reportable order choices on the order (such as whole-genome sequencing or certain susceptibility testing). However, when viewing the report, the status will be final.

  • The best practice is to review and acknowledge all reports, regardless of the inbox status.

Molecular

• Influenza Surveillance

  • Please send positive influenza specimens throughout the summer months for further testing. The CDC is particularly interested in influenza circulation outside the normal respiratory season. Please order "Influenza PCR Surveillance” in our lab portal.

Mycology and Parasitology 

• Testing Delays

  • Due to unforeseen circumstances, testing in our parasitology and mycology sections may experience temporary delays. Please reach out if you have specific questions about your submissions.

Upcoming Training

• MT Laboratory Forum

  • On July 17^th 2025, the Montana Laboratory Services Bureau (MTLSB) is hosting a virtual Montana Laboratory Forum (MLF) event from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The purpose of the MLF is to strengthen Montana’s Public Health Laboratory System. This system is a network of laboratories and laboratory partners that work together to protect the community’s health.

  • To ensure the success of the MLF, it is essential to have a diverse range of registrants and active partner engagement. The MTLSB requires at least 20 registrants to proceed with organizing the virtual MLF event scheduled in 2025. If you wish to attend this virtual event, kindly complete the registration form by July 8, 2025.

    • The Registration Form can be found here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/TYaNeQmPPQ

Preparedness

• Select Agent Exposure Reporting

  • When an occupational exposure of laboratory workers to a Select Agent occurs, the APHIS/CDC Form 3: Report of a Release/Loss/Theft of a Select Agent or Toxin is federally mandated to be submitted within seven calendar days to the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP). Guidance for completing and submitting the form can be found at https://www.selectagents.gov/forms/form3.htm. The form may be emailed or faxed. Additional helpful information may be found at filling out APHIS CDC Form3 or to https://www.selectagents.gov/forms/docs/APHIS-CDC_Form_3_Guidance_Document.pdf

  • Some Select Agent microorganisms occur naturally here in Montana and others may be brought into the state by travelers. Therefore, it is essential to be vigilant at the bench for your protection. If there has been an exposure, it is essential to notify your local public health authority and healthcare provider for any post-exposure prophylaxis or other follow-up guidance. You can find information regarding Biorisk management on our website: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/LaboratoryServices/Biosafety. If you have questions about the Form 3 or biosafety measures, please contact Crystal Fortune (cfortune@mt.gov or 444-0930).

  • If you suspect a Select Agent, please notify the MTLSB 24/7 at 800-821-7284. For more information on select agents and/or rule-out testing, call our Laboratory Preparedness Specialist, Kim Newman, at 406-444-3068.

Dear Labbey, I’ve seen stories about blacklegged ticks on the news. Is this something I should be worried about? Can you tell me what Montana is doing to combat the problem? Dear Reader, There is no way to widely eliminate ticks but knowing where they are present and what you can do to avoid them is key in keeping yourselves, your family, and your pets safe. In 2024, DPHHS-sponsored active tick surveillance led to the discovery of a species of tick that is new to Montana. Three female Ixodes scapularis, also known as the “blacklegged tick” or “deer tick” were part of over 500 ticks of public health significance collected in Montana. Active tick surveillance is when DPHHS organizes trained experts to collect ticks through methods such as flagging or dragging. This is important because blacklegged ticks are the primary vector responsible for diseases such as Lyme disease, Powassan virus, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, tularemia, and hard tick relapsing fever. This means Montana citizens may have an increased risk of exposure to diseases that weren’t previously a threat in Montana. Read more…

Reminders:

• Dear Labbey

  • Please send in your dear Labbey questions to cfortune@mt.gov. We would love to help answer any questions you have.

• Careers

  • Interested in a Public Health Laboratory career?  Click here to see current vacancies: https://statecareers.mt.gov/.  Search “lab” in the keywords to find vacancies.

• Lab Portal Information

  • All of our lab portal procedures and access paperwork can be found on our website. Here is the link to the direct page with all of our forms and procedures: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/LaboratoryServices/onlineorderingandresults.

  • There is also a link in our lab portal that will take you directly to this page. This link can be found under quick links. "MT PHL Lab Portal Procedures and Forms". 

• Courier 

  • Courier will not be running on Friday, July 4th, 2025.
    • Courier will continue with normal schedule after this date. 

  • Please click here for our full courier schedule.

• Previous Laboratory Sentinels 

  • All previous Laboratory Sentinels can be found on our website on the column on the left hand side by selecting "Public Health Laboratory Newsletter". Here is a link to all our previous Laboratory Sentinels.