What the zoonotic requisition is for
This form orders testing for infections acquired from animals, insects and travel, plus some emerging pathogens. It covers viral antibodies such as dengue, chikungunya and West Nile, bacterial tests such as Lyme disease, Q fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, fungal antibodies and antigens, parasite antibodies, syphilis VDRL on CSF and Treponema nucleic acid testing, and diphtheria and tetanus antitoxin. Version 1.0 dates from September 2026.
Who completes it
The ordering practitioner completes and signs it. The lab fills in the date received. Highlighted fields are mandatory.
How to fill in the requisition
Section 1: Patient and provider information
Give the personal health number, name, date of birth, sex, address, contact number and collection date and time. Two matching unique identifiers must appear on the container and the requisition. Add your MSP number and delivery address, and up to three copy recipients.
Section 2: Tests requested
Tick tests under viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, syphilis and diphtheria or tetanus. Viral and fungal testing require travel or clinical history. For Coxiella PCR, give the date of onset. For VDRL, send CSF in a sterile leak-proof container. For Treponema nucleic acid testing, submit exudate, tissue, body fluid, or an Aptima or UTM swab.
Signs, symptoms and travel history
Mark the patient as asymptomatic or describe an insect bite, skin rash, neurological findings or other signs, with type and location. The travel and clinical history line at the bottom carries dates, destinations, exposures and prenatal status, and it’s the field the lab relies on for the travel-dependent tests.
Common reasons it’s delayed
- No travel or clinical history for a viral or fungal test.
- An asterisked PCR collected before calling the medical microbiologist.
- Antitoxin levels ordered without one of the three qualifying indications.
- Helicobacter pylori antigen ordered on anything other than a fecal sample.
- Mismatched identifiers on the container and requisition.
Submitting and who pays
The samples and requisition go to the Public Health Laboratory at 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. The eLab Handbook lists other tests and sample requirements. The requisition has no billing section.