Special Instructions Obtain Viral History Form and viral transport medium (VTM) from the laboratory. A throat swab should always be collected and submitted along with the rectal swab (see Viral Culture, Throat). Appropriate clinical history and source of specimen are essential to proper shell vial and monoclonal antibody selection and must be received with the specimen. All positive reports are phoned into the physician requesting viral studies. The physician's name and beeper number must be included on the request form.
Collection Insert rectal swab 4-6 cm into rectum, roll swab against rectal mucosa, avoid excessive stool sampling, break swab off into a vial of viral transport medium. The swab must remain in the VTM. Tightly recap the vial of VTM.
Storage Instructions Transport specimen to the laboratory as soon as possible. If Virus Laboratory is not open, refrigerate at 2°C to 8°C. Do not freeze specimen.
Causes for Rejection Swab send in bacterial Culturette® not in viral transport medium, specimen not in proper viral transport medium, no swab in viral transport medium, stool specimen submitted instead of rectal swab
Use Diagnose viral illness caused by adenovirus, Coxsackie virus, echovirus, enterovirus, or poliovirus. There may be prolonged intestinal shedding of enterovirus and adenoviruses after clinical infection with these agents. Isolation of adenovirus and enterovirus from throat swabs is stronger evidence of current infection.
Methodology Standard tissue culture tubes, shell vial technique with fluorescent monoclonal antibodies
