Herpes simplex virus culture and typing [select patients only]-994

Test info

  
Herpes simplex virus culture and typing [select patients only]
  
994
  
LAB994
  
MSO
  
ELVIS HSV
Five- to seven-day Herpes virus culture/type
HSV
HSV culture and typing
Viral Culture, HSV
Virus Isolation, Herpes Simplex
  
Cell culture by ELVISĀ® method
Identification and typing of herpes simplex virus.
  

This is a second-order test for HSV detection.

PCR testing (2784A/LAB2784A) is preferred for detection of HSV from lesions. 

  

Culture is less sensitive than PCR and should be reserved for selected source types for which PCR testing is not available, and clinical situations that require culture confirmation for susceptibility testing.

Specimen

  
Swab: NP, throat, ulcerated lesion, eye exudate or vaginal
  
  

Specimen is best collected within the first three days after appearance of lesion but no more than seven days.

  
  1. After collection, remove cap from the transport media tube and insert swab aseptically into transport tube 
  2. Break swab shaft.
  3. Replace cap so that swab will not interfere with closure and allow tube to leak
  4. Label tube with patient identification and transport to the laboratory at 4°C. 
  
  
Fluid (vesicular fluid, urine, CSF)
Tissue (biopsy or autopsy)
  

Body fluids and tissue samples may be submitted in Copan UTM-RT transport (purple cap) or in a sterile leakproof container.

  
Fluid - 1.0 mL
Tissue - 0.5 g
  

Sterile vial/container

  

Specify the exact specimen source/origin (eg, genital lesion).

  

Refrigerated - 7 days

  
  • Bacterial swab specimen
  • Specimen received in grossly leaking transport container
  • Dry specimen
  • Specimen submitted in fixative or additive
  • Specimen received in expired transport media or incorrect transport device
  • Inappropriate specimen transport conditions
  • Specimen stored or transported greater than seven days refrigerated
  • Specimen stored or transported at room temperature
  • Wooden shaft swab in transport device
  • Unlabeled specimen or name discrepancy between specimen and test request label

Performance

  
LabCorp Burlington (008250): R-NX
  
Daily
  
6 days
  
Enzyme-linked virus-inducible system (ELVIS®). ELVIS® HSV was developed using a transgenic baby hamster kidney-21 cell line. In this cell line, HSV infection causes the expression of a beta-galactosidase "reporter gene", and it is the expression of this gene that can be used to monitor infection by HSV. Cultures positive by ELVIS® are confirmed by immunofluorescent staining.

Clinical and Interpretive info

  

Negative

  

Infectious HSV is rarely present in CSF during encephalitis, resulting in a poor recovery by culture (< 5% in adults, < 50% in children). Studies have shown a > 98% detection of HSV DNA in CSF by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and this method is now considered the standard for diagnosis of HSV encephalitis. HSV is occasionally isolated from the CSF of patients with HSV-2 meningitis and of neonates with congenital herpes, and from urine of patients with primary genital HSV infections concurrent with cystitis.

Billing

  
87255
  
Result 5859-4

Tracking

  
05/29/2019
  
03/18/2022
  
02/20/2024