National Gonococcal Reference Laboratory

The National Gonococcal Reference Laboratory provides the following services to clinical microbiology laboratories throughout the country:

• Reference diagnostics: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing – provision of extended antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) to identify and monitor current resistance profiles in Ireland 
  Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates with Ceftriaxone MIC of ≥ 0.125 mg/L should be referred to the GC Reference Laboratory for confirmation.
• Scientific advice/technical advice to other laboratories that carry out N. gonorrhoeae nucleic acid amplification testing
• Clinical advice to clinicians and laboratories in relation to the diagnosis, treatment and infection control of N.gonorrhoeae infections
• Collaboration and research both locally and internationally
• Monitoring, alert and response in collaboration with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC)
• Contribution to and participation in gonococcal surveillance including the European - Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP)
• Provision of early warning occurrences to national surveillance body (HPSC) and relevant Public Health Departments
• Participation and provision of technical advice/expertise in the context of an outbreak.
• Provision of an annual report on activity and future objective to the Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy programme.

General information
For information on how to access the service for the National Gonococcal Reference Laboratory please refer to the Gonococcal Reference Laboratory User Guide: Gonococcal User Guide

Samples
Gonorrhoea isolates should be submitted as fresh subcultures on chocolate agar slopes from 18-hr pure subcultures grown on chocolate agar or Gonorrhoea selective agar. Isolates should be submitted as soon as possible after isolation. Isolates must be submitted as pure cultures and all isolates must be accompanied by a completed Gonococcal Reference Laboratory request form. GC external form

The Gonococcal Reference laboratory does not test primary samples e.g. swabs / first void urines.    

The Gonococcal Reference Laboratory Service is available to all hospital microbiology laboratories in Ireland. Users of the service, at their own expense, are responsible for the packaging and transportation of samples in accordance with the ADR (European Agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous Goods by Road, 2017) regulations.

Patient treatment / management
Dr Brendan Crowley, Medical Director - (01) 416 2966
Professor Breida Boyle, Deputy Medical Director – (01) 416 2971

Laboratory Aspects 
Ms Sinead Saab, Senior Medical Scientist – (01) 416 2917
Ms Antoinette Power, Chief Medical Scientist - (01) 416 2986

The Gonococcal Reference Laboratory is involved with training of medical and scientific staff, research and the provision of epidemiological information in co-operation with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and the European - Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP).

This facility is an INAB accredited Medical Testing Laboratory, Registration Number 327MT, in compliance with the international standard ISO/IEC 15189:2022 edition "Medical laboratories-particular requirements for quality & competence".

National Gonococcal Reference Laboratory Annual Report 2019

National Gonococcal Reference Laboratory Annual Report 2018

National Interim Gonococcal Reference Laboratory Annual Report 2017