Additional Info:
Includes
- Adenovirus, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2, Enterovirus, and Varicella Zoster Virus
- For respiratory samples please consider using the following offerings:
- 14867 – Viral Respiratory Rapid Culture with Reflex
Methodology: Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) • Tissue Culture
Preferred Specimen(s)
2 mL sterile body fluids or tissues collected in a VCM medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent
Collection Instructions
Sterile body fluids: For all body fluids add an equal volume of specimen to transport medium (VCM or equivalent).
CSF in sterile container (without transport media): PCR is the preferable method for detection of HSV and Enterovirus.
Tissue and biopsy material: Sterile screw-capped container with small amount of saline, no fixative or preservative. Requested volume is as much as possible.
Specimen Stability
- VCM medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent
- Room temperature: Unacceptable
- Refrigerated: 4 days
- Frozen -20° C: Unacceptable
- Frozen -70° C: 30 days
- Raw (unpreserved) specimens
- Room temperature: Unacceptable
- Refrigerated: 72 hours
- Frozen: Unacceptable
Reject Criteria
Wooden shaft and calcium alginate swabs • Dry swabs • Transwabs or swabs in transport medium other than specified • Tissue in formalin or other fixatives • Whole blood • Bone marrow in EDTA (refer for PCR testing) • Semen • Sputum • Respiratory specimens • Urine • Conjunctival, oral or genital lesion • Skin lesion
Analytical Time: 5-27 days
Days Set Up: Monday through Sunday
CPT Reflex: Reflex Code: 87299- direct fluorescent stain 87140- typing
CPT Information:
87252 – Virus tissue culture