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Isolates

The Toronto Invasive Bacterial Diseases Network (TIBDN) and the Canadian Bacterial Surveillance Network (CBSN) maintain a shared isolate bank at the Mount Sinai Hospital Microbiology Laboratory. Isolates are stored in -70 degree freezers with 24-hour monitoring.

The isolate bank carefully collects and preserves isolates, as well as crucial laboratory, clinical, and demographic data. This isolate bank offers unique research opportunities to investigate scientific questions extending beyond routine surveillance.

The TIBDN isolate bank currently houses a collection of isolates of group A streptococcus (1992 - 2012), group B streptococcus (1995 - 2012) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (1995 - 2012) collected through population based surveillance.

The CBSN isolate bank contains isolates collected through sentinel surveillance at participating Canadian laboratories since 1988.