What We Offer
CAP No. 21093-30
CLIA No. 45D0927522
The Diagnostic Virology Laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, offers virus detection by several different methods, including viral isolation, viral antigen detection, and viral nucleic acid detection. Specimen requirements for each test are listed below.
Services
|
Description of Test Offered |
Test Code |
| Virus tissue culture (herpes simplex only, or cytomegalovirus only, or panel for all viruses) |
VIR CULT |
| Virus tissue culture and titration |
VIR TITER |
| Virus tissue culture, additional studies to identify |
VIR ID |
| Respiratory syncytial virus detection by EIA |
RSV EIA |
| Influenza A/B virus detection by EIA |
Flu A/B EIA |
| Adenovirus detection by direct fluorescent antibody technique |
ADENO DFA |
| Herpes simplex virus, types 1 and 2, detection and typing by direct immunofluorescence assay |
HSV DFA |
| Varicella-zoster virus detection by direct immunofluorescence assay |
VZV DFA |
| Cytomegalovirus antigenemia assay |
CMV AG |
| Herpes simplex virus, types 1 and 2 DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction |
HSV PCR |
| Epstein-Barr virus DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction |
EBV PCR |
| Parvovirus B19 DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction |
PARVO PCR |
| Cytomegalovirus DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction |
CMV PCR |
| Adenovirus DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction |
ADENO PCR |
| Enterovirus RNA detection by polymerase chain reaction |
ENTERO PCR |
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Specimen Requirements for Virus Culture
|
Specimen |
Amount |
Handling |
| Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) |
1 to 2 cc |
Collect CSF in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Amniotic fluid |
5 cc |
Collect fluid in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Vitreous fluid (eye) |
1 cc |
Collect fluid in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Urine |
5 cc |
Collect urine in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Blood |
3 to 10 cc |
Collect blood in sodium heparin tube; keep at room temperature |
| Bone marrow aspirate |
2 to 5 cc |
Collect bone marrow in sodium heparin tube; keep at room temperature |
| Bronchial lavage |
3 to 5 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Swabs, including nasal, throat, nasopharyngeal, vesicle, or lesion, rectal, eye or conjunctivae, genital |
Cover swab with material |
Swab area and place in viral transplant media; keep cool on ice |
| Aspirates, including nasal, tracheal, sinus, vesicle |
1 to 2 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Nasal wash |
3 to 5 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Feces |
5 cc |
Collect in container; keep cool on ice |
| Tissue |
Variable |
Collect in sterile container with sterile saline or viral transport media; keep cool on ice |
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Recommended Specimen for Virus Culture
Almost any specimen may be cultured for any cultivatable virus; however, there are preferred or usual specimens for each virus suspected.
- Herpes simplex virus - usual specimens include skin vesicles, genital ulcers, or mouth lesions.
- Cytomegalovirus - usual specimens include urine, saliva, bronchial lavage, blood, or amniotic fluid.
- Respiratory viruses, including influenza A and B, parainfluenza viruses types 1, 2, 3 and 4; respiratory syncytial virus - usual specimens include nasal wash or swab, throat swab, tracheal aspirate, or bronchial lavage.
- Adenoviruses - usual specimens include nasal wash or swab, throat swab, eye swab, tracheal aspirate, urine, rectal swab, or feces.
- Enteroviruses - usual specimens include throat swab, rectal swab, feces, or cerebrospinal fluid.
- Rhinoviruses - usual specimens include nasal wash or swabs.
- Varicella-zoster virus - usual specimen is skin vesicle.
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Specimen Requirements for Virus DNA or
RNA Detection by PCR
|
Specimen |
Amount |
Handling |
| Cerebrospinal fluid |
0.5 cc to 1 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool or frozen |
| Amniotic fluid |
1 to 5 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool or frozen |
| Vitreous fluid |
0.1 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool or frozen |
| Other body fluids, including pleural, pericardial, joint, bronchial lavage, sputum, tracheal aspirate, nasal wash |
1 to 5 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool or frozen |
| Urine |
1 to 5 cc |
Collect in a sterile container; keep cool or frozen |
| Blood |
3 to 10 cc |
Collect blood in EDTA tube; keep at room temperature |
| Plasma |
1 to 3 cc |
Collect blood in EDTA tube and separate plasma; keep plasma cool on ice. May also collect blood in EDTA tube, transport at room temperature, and this laboratory will separate the plasma |
| Serum |
1 to 3 cc |
Collect blood in red top/clot tube and separate serum; keep cool on ice. May also collect blood in clot tube, transport it at room temperature to laboratory where serum will be separated. |
| Bone marrow aspirate |
1 to 3 cc |
Collect bone marrow in EDTA tube; keep at room temperature |
| Biopsy, fresh frozen tissue |
1 cubic mm |
Collect in a sterile container with saline or viral transport media; keep cool or frozen |
| Stool |
1 to 3 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Biopsy, fixed paraffin embedded; bone marrow or tissue |
5 micron shaves (3 each) |
Collect in a dry, sterile container; keep at room temperature |
| Swabs |
Cover swab with material |
Swab area and place in saline or viral transport media; keep cool on ice |
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Specimen Requirements for Viral Antigen Detection
|
Test |
Specimen |
Amount |
Handling |
| RSV EIA |
Nasal Wash |
3 to 5 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| Flu A EIA |
Nasal Wash |
3 to 5 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| HSV 1 and 2 DFA |
Vesicle or lesion; swab or scraping of base of lesion |
Cover slide with cells |
Collect on glass slide, 2 separate samples; transport in slide holder |
| VZV DFA |
Vesicle or lesion; swab or scraping of base of lesion |
Cover slide with cells |
Collect on glass slide, 2 separate samples; transport in slide holder |
| Respiratory virus DFA |
Nasal wash or aspirate, tracheal aspirate, bronchial lavage |
3 to 5 cc |
Collect in sterile container; keep cool on ice |
| CMV antigenemia assay |
Blood |
3 to 10 cc |
Collect blood in EDTA tube; keep at room temperature |
Shipping Instructions
Ship specimens to:
Diagnostic Virology Laboratory
Texas Children's Hospital
6621 Fannin Street
3rd Floor, Room AB 0370.01
MC AB370.17
Houston, TX 77030-2399
U.S.A.
Prompt transport of samples is important!
Please use an overnight courier and alert this laboratory by telephone 832-824-2280 or fax 832-825-2283 that the specimen is being sent.
Samples also may be delivered to the laboratory by courier at any time. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please call before the courier leaves to make the delivery so our laboratory receiving area may expect your sample.
Results: Please include the name, telephone number, fax number, and email address of the person who wishes to receive the preliminary report, as well as the address to which we mail the final written report.
Billing: Please include the proper billing information, including the billing address and all information necessary for filing the claim with the patient's insurance. Questions may be answered or special arrangements may be made by speaking with the director.
How to contact us
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