VIRUS ISOLATION IN NEUROLOGICAL INFECTIONS

Lab Section Category	Virology View write-up
Specimen Required	Throat swab, nasopharyngeal aspirate during the first 3 – 4 days of the illness Stool CSF Swabs or scrapings of vesicles if present Saliva (instead of throat swab or nasopharyngeal aspirate) and urine if mumps suspected Brain biopsy for herpes encephalitis Send samples (except stool, CSF, saliva & urine) in Virus Transport Medium. (See also Virology Section, General Guidelines for Virus Isolation & Collection Methods for Virus Isolation by Sample Type)
Storage/Transport	Refrigerate samples until transport to laboratory. Do not freeze. Transport samples on ice pack to laboratory.
Method	Tissue culture
Test Results	Reported as Positive or Negative
Turnaround Time	Positive report : 1 – 21 days For enteroviruses – final report with enterovirus typing results : 2 – 6 weeks Negative report : 21 days
Day(s) Test Set up	Monday – Saturday
Remarks	Viruses to be expected : Enterovirus, mumps, herpes simplex, varicella-zoster and influenza virus

Last Updated - 13 Jun 2025