PROVISION OF HELMINTH SCREENING TESTING, FOR ARMY RECRUITS AT INFANTRY TRAINING CENTRE (ITC) CATTERICK MEDICAL CENTRE

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recruits approximately 400 Gurkha Soldiers into the British Army each year. Upon arrival in the UK, the recruits undergo health screening, helminths/parasite infections including strongyloides. Research has shown that the presence of helminths infection (present in approximately 25% of recruits) was associated with a false negative Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) test and recommended that those who had a helminths infection should have their IGRA test repeated after treatment to exclude Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI). The implications are that a small proportion of those who are incorrectly diagnosed will go on to develop active Tuberculosis (TB). This requirement is for the provision Helminths Screening Testing Services for the Gurkha recruitment intake of approximately 400 personnel annually for the length of the contract. The Contractor will provide the stool specimen pots and serology tubes for each recruit plus an extra 10% in case of repeats/breakages. These should arrive at the Authority's premises at the Initial Training Centre (ITC) Catterick. For the Gurkha recruitment intake of approximately 400 personnel the MOD requires: Stool Concentration Culture (1 x test for each Patient) Stool Culture (1 x test for each patient) Stool PCR (1 x test for each patient) Strongyloides Elisa Antibody Test and frozen serum store (1 x test for each patient)