HSV culture is useful in verifying HSV is present within the vesicles.
Specimen Type
Tissue, Swab
Container
Viral Trn
Collection Instructions
Container/Tube: VTM media (VTM/UTM must indicate on vial for Viral, Chlamydia, Herpes, Mycoplasma collection) Specimen: Submit only 1 of the following specimens:
Acceptable Specimens: Nasal/nasopharyngeal swab, endocervical swab, eye swab or lesion (vesicle) aspirate swab, urethral swab, vaginal swab, rectal mucosa swab (without feces) or throat swab collected in 3 mL VTM( 1 mL min) Alternative Specimen(s) 3 mL (1 mL fluid or 1 g tissue minimum) Bronchial lavage/wash or Nasopharyngeal lavage/wash • Fresh (unfixed) tissue collected in 3 mL VTM (1mL min)
Transport Temperature: Refrigerated Stability: VTM/UTM/M4 transport medium Refrigerated: 4 Days Frozen: 30 Days Sterile Leak-Proof Container: Refrigerated only: 72 hours
Collection Instructions To maintain optimum viability, place swab into VCM (equal volumes of fluid/tissue and VCM) or equivalent and transport the specimen to the laboratory as soon as possible. Best recovery is obtained when the specimens are refrigerated at 2-8°C or kept on wet ice following collection and while in transit. If there will be a long delay before processing, specimens in VCM or equivalent should be frozen at -70°C or colder and transported on dry ice. Storage or transport at -20°C is not acceptable. Raw (unpreserved) samples should only be refrigerated and not frozen.
Note: PCR is the preferred test for CSF (preferred specimen: 1 mL CSF submitted in a sterile, leak-proof container without transport media). Reject Criteria CSF • Sputum; Raw (unpreserved) stool • Dry swabs • Molecular transport systems • Bacterial transport systems • Tissue or biopsies in formalin or other fixatives • Calcium alginate swabs • Wooden shaft swabs • Non gel-based bacterial transports
Transport Instructions
Refrigerated
Specimen Stability
VTM/UTM/M4 transport medium Refrigerated: 4 Days Frozen: 30 Days Sterile Leak-Proof Container: Refrigerated only: 72 hours
