SPECIMEN HANDLING AND METHODS IN VIROLOGY

Question 1

Vesicle collection

Answer 1

Wipe surface with sterile saline. Remove crust, unroof with sterile needle or scalpel. Fluid aspiration via capillary pipette, tuberculin syringe, or swabbing lesion base.

Question 2

Sterile fluid handling

Answer 2

Extraction first to remove interfering proteins. False negative due to dilution.

Question 3

Blood/Bone marrow collection

Answer 3

Disinfect skin with 70% alcohol, then iodine iodophor

For viral culture: EDTA/Heparin; for NAAT: EDTA (lavender/purple top)/AC - Acid Citrate Dextrose (white-top blue).

Question 4

Dried blood spots

Answer 4

Capillary finger stick, air-dried for 2 hours for antibody testing and NAAT.

Question 5

Rectal swab collection

Answer 5

Insert 3-5 cm into the anus, rotate until feces collected.

Question 6

Feces collection

Answer 6

5-10 mL of freshly passed stool.

Question 7

Urine collection

Answer 7

Minimum of 10 mL, centrifuge.

Question 8

Tissue collection

Answer 8

Fresh tissue for culture; Fresh or formalinized/deparaffinized tissue for NAAT. Homogenized in VTM, centrifuged, inoculated. Debris stays in sediment.

Question 9

Serum collection

Answer 9

Acute specimen (as soon as symptoms appear) or Convalescent specimen (2-3 weeks after acute specimen).

Question 10

Preferred swabs

Answer 10

Dacron and Rayon swabs for most viruses. Flocked nylon swabs preferred for specimen absorption and release for fluorescent testing.

Question 11

Antibody testing - IgM

Answer 11

Acute or ongoing infection.

Question 12

Antibody testing - IgG

Answer 12

Past infection, immunity, or vaccination.

Question 13

Rhinovirus virus and preferred specimen

Answer 13

Nasal

Question 14

Influenza virus and preferred specimen

Answer 14

Throat or Nasopharynx

Question 15

Parainfluenza virus and preferred specimen

Answer 15

Throat or Nasopharynx

Question 16

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) virus and preferred specimen

Answer 16

Throat or Nasopharynx

Question 17

Metapneumovirus virus and preferred specimen

Answer 17

Throat or Nasopharynx

Question 18

SARS virus and preferred specimen

Answer 18

Throat or Nasopharynx

Question 19

Varicella-Zoster virus and preferred specimen

Answer 19

Throat/Nasopharynx, Vesicle fluid/Scraping

Question 20

Measles virus and preferred specimen

Answer 20

Throat/Nasopharynx, Urine, Serum

Question 21

Coxsackie B virus and preferred specimen

Answer 21

Throat/Nasopharynx, Pericardial fluid

Question 22

Herpes simplex virus and preferred specimen

Answer 22

Vesicle fluid/Scraping, CSF, Brain biopsy

Question 23

Monkeypox virus and preferred specimen

Answer 23

Vesicle fluid/Scraping

Question 24

Rubella virus and preferred specimen

Answer 24

Urine/Serum

Question 25

Zika virus and preferred specimen

Answer 25

Urine/Serum

Question 26

Cytomegalovirus virus and preferred specimen

Answer 26

Urine/Serum & Blood and tissue (posttransplant)

Question 27

BK virus and preferred specimen

Answer 27

Urine

Question 28

Molluscum contagiosum virus and preferred specimen

Answer 28

Tissue

Question 29

Orf virus and preferred specimen

Answer 29

Tissue

Question 30

Warts, Human Papilloma virus and preferred specimen

Answer 30

Tissue

Question 31

Ebola virus and preferred specimen

Answer 31

Tissue, Respiratory secretion, Serum

Question 32

Marburg virus and preferred specimen

Answer 32

Tissue, Respiratory secretion, Serum

Question 33

Arbovirus and preferred specimen

Answer 33

CSF, Serum

Question 34

HIV virus and preferred specimen

Answer 34

Serum, CSF, Brain biopsy

Question 35

Polyomavirus in encephalitis and preferred specimen

Answer 35

Brain biopsy

Question 36

Rabies virus and preferred specimen

Answer 36

Corneal cell, Brain biopsy

Question 37

Parvovirus and preferred specimen

Answer 37

Serum, Amniotic fluid, Liver biopsy

Question 38

Sin nombre virus and preferred specimen

Answer 38

Serum

Question 39

LCM virus and preferred specimen

Answer 39

Serum

Question 40

Mumps virus and preferred specimen

Answer 40

Serum

Question 41

Hepatitis B virus and preferred specimen

Answer 41

Serum

Question 42

HHV-6 (Roseola infantum) virus and preferred specimen

Answer 42

Blood

Question 43

Norovirus/Norwalk virus and preferred specimen

Answer 43

Stool, Rectal swab

Question 44

Rotavirus virus and preferred specimen

Answer 44

Stool, Rectal swab

Question 45

Enterovirus and preferred specimen

Answer 45

Throat/Nasopharynx, Stool, Vesicle fluid/Scraping, Urine

Question 46

Adenovirus and preferred specimen

Answer 46

Throat or Nasopharynx, Stool, Conjunctival swab/Scraping