Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Procurement & Grants Office, Program Acquisition Branch, 255 East Paces Ferry Rd, NE, Rm 500, Atlanta, GA 30305

A -- IMPROVING THE SENSITIVITY AND RELIABILITY OF ACID-FAST MICROSCOPY FOR DIAGNOSING TUBERCULOSIS SOL 200-97-0624(P) DUE 062097 POC Bradford A. Myers, Contract Specialist, (404) 842-6791 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is mandated with the reduction and prevention of morbidity and mortality caused by tuberculosis, which itself is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Within recent years, Tuberculosis has re-emerged as an important public health problem in the United States, reported cases increasing from 22,000 cases in 1984 to 26,000 in 1992. A substantial amount of this increase was due to increases in tuberculosis among persons who were born in countries in which tuberculosis is endemic. In many parts of the world (perhaps in as many as 95% of all laboratories in developing countries), microscopic examination of smears of sputum specimens for the presence of acid-fast bacilli is the only available laboratory test to assist the physician in diagnosing tuberculosis. Direct smear examination detects bacilli in only 25% to 50% of tuberculosis cases. The development of a sensitive microscopic technique that does not require centrifugation should greatly improve the ability to detect persons with tuberculosis and to do so rapidly, as well as improving treatment and control programs and hence, is an integral part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ability to carry out its mandate. The Government's specific requirements for this acquisition are comprised of two separate components which may be accomplished through one or two separate awards. In the first component, the successful offeror shall be required to develop and optimize an immunomagnetic bead capture based procedure for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum specimens by acid fast microscopy which does not require centrifugation and to produce and provide sufficient immunomagnetic beads for performing 1000 assays during clinical evaluation of the procedure (component 2). During component 2 the contractor shall develop a protocol for evaluating the performance of the optimized immunomagnetic capture procedure developed in component 1 and then evaluate the test with 500 -- 1000 sputum specimens from persons suspected to have tuberculosis. CDC intends to issue a solicitation and make a subsequent award(s) covering these requirements. Offerors may propose on one or both of the components and will be required to segment proposals accordingly. The Government expects the resultant contract award for component 1 to be in the form of a cost reimbursement type contract covering a twelve (12) month contract period with award for the clinical evaluation to be performed as component 2 to be of a fixed price nature. The scheduled issue date of this solicitation is approximately May 14, 1997 with proposals due within thirty (30) days of the release date. All responses should clearly note the acquisition number 200-97-0624(P). Written requests should be addressed to: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Program Acquisition Branch/PGO, Attn.: Bradford A. Myers, 255 E. Paces Ferry Road, N.E., Room 500, Mailstop E-26, Atlanta, Georgia 30305. No telephone requests for copies of the RFP will be accepted. However, requests transmitted via facsimile or electronically will be. The facsimile number is (404) 842-6727. Electronic requests may be sent to: bam6@.cdc.gov. All proposals received by responsible sources will be considered by the Agency. If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact Bradford A. Myers at (404) 842-6791. (0120)

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