Table 2.
Practical application of molecular microbiology methods by stage of deployment
| Lessons learned | Assays | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Preparation | ||
| Pre-departure assay checks | Burkholderia assay, 2005, 2008 | Brazil, Ceará; South Africa |
| Pre-departure equipment checks include small mission-essential items | Influenza, Burkholderia, Leptospira assays, 2009; Arbovirus assays, 2010 | Australia, Queensland |
| 2. Insertion | ||
| Equipment arrival delay | Norovirus, influenza, 2012 | Australia, New South Wales |
| Equipment and assay checks on arrival | Influenza assay, 2009 | Australia, Queensland |
| Reagent cold chain during prolonged insertion phase | Full assay range, 2011 | Australia, Queensland |
| 3. Operation | ||
| Power interruption during PCR assay | Mycobacteria, Plasmodium, Burkholderia, Leptospira, Sepsis panel assays, 2009–12 | Central Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, rural Western Australia |
| Thermocycler failure caused by humidity | Burkholderia assay, 2008 | Malaysia, Perak |
| Dust contamination during sample preparation | Sepsis panel, 2012 | rural Western Australia |
| Dust contamination during amplicons analysis | Leptospira, Burkholderia remote field assays, 2009 | Australia, Queensland |
| Reagent deterioration during prolonged operation | Influenza epidemic, 2009 | Australia, Queensland |
| 4. Withdrawal | ||
| Confirmatory assay sample deterioration during withdrawal | Arbovirus assays, 2012 | Australia, Queensland |
| Delayed equipment return during withdrawal | Influenza, 2009; Norovirus and influenza, 2012 | Australia, Queensland; rural Western Australia |