Introduction of an automated service for the laboratory confirmation of meningococcal disease in Scotland

The Scottish Meningococcus and Pneumococcus Reference Laboratory provides a national service for the laboratory confirmation of meningococcal and pneu mococcal disease in Scotland. The main tests used for the laboratory confir mation of meningococcal disease are culture, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), antibody testing, and more recently DNA sequencing. This paper descr ibes the automation of PCR for the laboratory confirmation of meningococcal disease and the typing of meningococcal isolates using DNA sequencing. Bot h methods have been automated using a robotic liquid handler and automated DNA sequencer. These methods, along with standard culture phenotyping and a ntibody testing, provide Scotland with an excellent service for the confirm ation of meningococcal disease.