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    Laboratory Services Section
    MC 1947
    PO Box 149347 Austin, TX 78714-9347
    1100 W. 49th Street
    Austin, TX 78756-3199

    Phone: (512) 776-7318
    Fax: (512) 776-7294

    Phone Us Toll Free at:
    (888) 963-7111, ext. 7318

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Laboratory Services Section - Viral Specimen Submission and Selection

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Specimen Submission Criteria (Acceptance / Rejection)
Specimen Types Virus Transport and Submission

Influenza Surveillance
(Nasopharyngeal swabs, nasal swabs)

Influenza

Transport cold on ice packs within 72 hours of collection or freeze at - 70° C and ship on dry ice. Please refer to www.texasflu.org for additional specimen submission criteria.

Respiratory

RSV

Transport cold on ice packs within 48 hours of collection.

Respiratory

CSF, Swabs, Fecal Matter, Solid Tissue

Respiratory, Urine

Respiratory, Urine, Saliva, CSF

Respiratory, Urine

Respiratory, Urine, Saliva, CSF, Swabs, Tissue

Swabs, Vesicular Fluid

Adenovirus, Parainfluenza1,2,3,4

Enterovirus (Coxsackie B, Echovirus, Entero 71, Coxsackie A9)

Measles

Mumps

Rubella

CMV(Requires equal volume of 0.4M sucrose phosphate before freezing at - 70° C)
HSV 1,2

Transport cold on ice packs within 48 hours of collection. If specimens will not be received at the laboratory within 48 hours of collection, specimens should be frozen and shipped on dry ice.

Swabs, Vesicular Fluid

Varicella Zoster

Transport cold on ice packs within 12 hours of collection. Specimens that will not be received within 12 hours of collection should be frozen and shipped on dry ice.

 
 
Viral Specimen Selection Based on Clinical Symptoms
Clinical symptoms Common etiological agent Clinical source of specimen for isolation or identification
Cardiac

(Pleurodynia,pericarditis, myocarditis)

Coxsackie B virus Throat, nasopharyngeal (NP), stool or rectal swab
CNS

(Encephalitis, meningitis)

Enterovirus
  • Coxsackie A or B virus
  • Echovirus
  • Poliovirus
Stool, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), throat
Mumps virus Throat, CSF, urine
HSV Brain biopsy, throat, CSF
Congenital and perinatal CMV Throat, urine
Enterovirus Throat, stool or rectal swab
HSV Throat, CSF, vesicular fluid
Rubella virus Throat, CSF, urine
Conjunctivitis

(Keratoconjunctivitis)

Adenovirus Conjunctival swabs or scrapings
HSV Conjunctival swabs or scrapings
Cutaneous and mucocutaneous membrane lesions

Vesicular

Enterovirus Vesicle fluid
HSV Vesicular fluid or scrapings at base of lesion
Poxvirus Vesicle fluid, please call (512) 458-7594
(888) 963-7111 ext. 7594 toll free
VZV Vesicular fluid or scrapings at base of lesion
Clinical symptoms Common etiological agent  Clinical source of specimen for isolation or identification
Cutaneous and mucocutaneous membrane lesions

Maculopapular

Enterovirus Throat, stool or rectal swab
Measles virus Throat, respiratory secretions, urine
Rubella virus Throat, respiratory secretions, urine
Gastrointestinal infection Calicivirus Stool or rectal swab, PCR only
CMV Rectal swab, colon biopsy
Rotavirus Stool, please call (512) 458-7594
(888) 963-7111 ext. 7594 toll free
Genital lesions HSV Vesicle fluid or scraping from lesion, endocervix, exocervix, or vulva
Parotitis Mumps virus Saliva, throat, urine
Parainfluenza virus Throat, NP
Respiratory Adenovirus Throat, NP
CMV BAL, urine
Enterovirus Throat, NP
HSV Throat
Influenza virus Throat, NP
Parainfluenza virus Throat, NP
RSV Throat, NP
Rhinovirus Throat, NP
Undifferentiated febrile illness CMV Urine
Dengue virus Serum, please call (512) 458-7594
(888) 963-7111 ext. 7594 toll free
Enterovirus Throat, stool or rectal swab
Urinary tract infection Adenovirus Urine, stool or rectal swab, throat

 

 

Last updated September 17, 2010