Specimens grossly contaminated with blood may inhibit the PCR and produce false-negative results. 

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Body fluid
0.5 mL of body fluid. Do not centrifuge. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile vial. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. Specimens grossly contaminated with blood may inhibit the PCR and produce false-negative results. The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by adenovirus DNA is not likely.

Respiratory specimen
1 mL of bronchial washing, bronchoalveolar lavage, naso-pharyngeal aspirate or washing, sputum, or tracheal aspirate. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile container. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Spinal fluid
0.5 mL of spinal fluid. Do not centrifuge. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile vial. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. Specimens grossly contaminated with blood may inhibit the PCR and produce false-negative results. The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by adenovirus DNA is not likely.

Stool
1 g of fresh stool. Send specimen refrigerated in a plastic, screw-capped, sterile container. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Swab (Nasal, throat, respiratory, genital or eye/ocular)
Swab area with an Eswab culture transport swab. Place swab into MicroTest M4-RT transport media vial/tube (T605)

Send specimen refrigerated. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Tissue
Send fresh tissue refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile container containing 1 mL to 2 mL of sterile saline or multi-microbe medium (M5) (Mayo supply T484). Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Urine
1 mL from a random urine collection. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile container. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

The high sensitivity of amplification by PCR requires the specimen to be processed in an environment in which contamination of the specimen by adenovirus DNA is not likely. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. 

Body fluid
0.5 mL of body fluid. Do not centrifuge. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile vial. 

Respiratory specimen
1 mL of bronchial washing, bronchoalveolar lavage, naso-pharyngeal aspirate or washing, sputum, or tracheal aspirate. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile container. 

Spinal fluid
0.5 mL of spinal fluid. Do not centrifuge. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile vial. 

Stool
1 g of fresh stool. Send specimen refrigerated in a plastic, screw-capped, sterile container. 

Swab
Place swab back into swab cylinder. If a culture transport swab is not available, M4 or M5 media is acceptable. Send specimen refrigerated. 

Tissue
Send fresh tissue refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile container containing 1 - 2 mL of sterile saline or multi-microbe medium (M5) (Mayo supply T484). 

Urine
1 mL from a random urine collection. Send specimen refrigerated in a screw-capped, sterile container. 

Dependent on specimen type; see Collection and Processing instructions

Refrigerated (preferred) - 7 days

Frozen - 7 days

• Calcium alginate-tipped swabs
• Wooden-shafted swabs
• Transport swabs containing gel
• Dry/flocked E-Swabs are NOT acceptable and will be rejected as virus will not survive without media.  
• PCR testing cannot be added on to a sample that has been opened and/or used for other testing. If the sample has already been used for testing, a new specimen will need to be collected.

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)/DNA Probe Hybridization

None detected