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Specimen Collection Manual: Tissue (Skin, Sub-Cutaneous, Etc.), Fluid Collection - Viral

Instructions

Materials/Supplies

• Sterile syringe, 2-5 mL.
• Sterile screw-capped collection container.
• UTM or UVT transport medium.

Specimen Collection Criteria

• Tissues: Collect tissues aseptically taking care to prevent cross-contamination when specimens are taken from multiple sites.
  • Use different tubes of transport media for tissue specimens from different sites.
  • Autopsy specimens should be collected within 24 hours of the time of death
• Vesicle Fluid Collection: Select a vesicle containing clear fluids. The efficiency of virus detection decreases significantly when pustular fluids are collected.
  • Aseptically unroof the lesion and blot the excess fluid with a swab.
  • Gently rub the base of the lesion with a flocked ESwab to collect infected epithelial cells.
  • Place the swab in viral transport medium and break the shaft at the perforation so that it will fit into the vial.
• Fluids: Aspirate into a sterile syringe (2-5 mL). Transfer the aspirate into a sterile, screw-capped collection container.

Rejection Criteria

• Do not submit tissues for culture in formalin, or in containers that ever contained formalin.
• Do not use expired media. Check expiration date on all media prior to use.    

In-Lab Processing

• Small tissue specimens should be placed into viral transport medium.

If the Specimen is for:	Then:
Viral Culture	Small tissue specimens should be placed into UTM or UVT transport medium.
Fluids	Do NOT place into UTM or UVT. Submit in a sterile, screw-capped collection container.

• Send specimens to the Laboratory on wet ice or with a cold pack. Do not freeze. Specimens may be stored refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F) for up to 24 hours. If longer delays are anticipated, specimens should be frozen at -70°C.
  
  

  UTM	UVT

Contacts

Last Updated

1/7/2020