VARICELLA ZOSTER VIRUS PCR

Submit swabs in BD UTM (Universal Transport Media)
 

Unacceptable media:  Abbott Multi-collect, Abbott Universal collect, eSwab, PrimeStore-MTM, Ruhof, MANTACC, media with guanidine-containing materials or ‘molecular media’ that indicates inactivation of pathogens and preservation of RNA/DNA.

Refrigerate

• 2-25°C up to 48 hours
• 2-8°C up to 7 days
• -20 to -70°C up to 30 days

The following conditions will result in a rejected specimen:

• Non-sterile or leaking containers
• Vesicular lesions that are cleaned by using alcohol or detergents
• Collections with dry swabs, wooden shaft swabs, or calcium alginate swabs. These may lead to erroneous PCR results.
• Unacceptable media:  Abbott Multi-collect, Abbott Universal collect, eSwab, PrimeStore-MTM, Ruhof, MANTACC, media with guanidine-containing materials or ‘molecular media’ that indicates inactivation of pathogens and preservation of RNA/DNA.

Not Detected

Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) causes vesicular dermal lesions which are clinically evident as Varicella (primary infection) or Zoster (reactivated shingles) diseases. Reactivation of latent virus may occur (usually in adults over the age of 50) and produces vesicles that are typically confined to a single dermatome of the skin. Occasionally, post-herpetic neuralgia is associated with reactivation of VZV. Laboratory diagnosis is important for distinguishing HSV from VZV infections, as the clinical presentation of zoster can be confused with the dermal distribution produced by HSV.