Table 3.

Comparison of Economic Test Costs

	Microbroth dilutionacosts [$] for average monthly throughput of			Agar disk diffusionbcosts [$] for average monthly throughput of
Item	10 samples	100 samples	1000 samples	10 samples	100 samples	1000 samples
Operational costs
Supplies
Consumables	114.6	1146	11,460	89.4	894	8940
Quality control (QC)	177.26	177.26	177.26	17.88	71.52	715.2
Technical staff
Labor cost for testc	55.5	555	5550	37.0	370	3700
Labor cost for QCd	44.40	44.40	44.40	8.88	35.52	355.2
Total operational cost	391.76	1922.66	17231.66	153.16	1371	13710
Operational cost per sample	39.18	19.23	17.23	15.32	13.71	13.71
Investment costs
Equipment	40,000	40,000	40,000	1350	1350	1350
Training	2000	2000	2000	50	50	50
Total investment costs	42,000	42,000	42,000	1400	1400	1400
Investment costs/samplee	116.67	11.67	1.16	3.89	0.39	0.04
Total cost per sample	155.85	30.9	18.39	19.21	14.1	13.75

^aTesting resistance to a panel of 15 antimicrobial drugs routinely monitored by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (i.e., NARMS panel).

^bTesting resistance to a panel of 12 antimicrobial drugs commonly tested by the Washington State University Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory.

^cEstimated at 15 minutes per sample for Microbroth dilution and at 10 minutes per isolate for Agar disk diffusion.

^dEstimated at 120 minutes per plate for Microbroth dilution and at 12 minutes per control isolate for Agar disk diffusion.

^eEstimated based on 3 year write-off.

NARMS, National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System.