ENTEROVIRUS ISOLATION

Lab Section Category	Virology View write-up
Specimen Required	1 – 2 mL CSF in sterile bottle for neurological diseases Stool for all clinical presentations. Two stool samples collected 24 - 48 hours apart must be sent from all patients aged 15 years and below with a diagnosis of AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) for poliomyelitis surveillance. Throat swab/nasopharyngeal aspirate within the first 3 – 4 days of onset for all clinical presentations Throat swab, nasopharyngeal aspirate or bronchoalveolar lavage for respiratory infections Pericardial fluid for pericarditis Vesicular fluid for vesicular eruptions Send samples (except CSF, stool, pericardial fluid & vesicular fluid) 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. Send samples on ice pack to laboratory.
Method	Tissue culture
Test Results	Reported as Positive or Negative
Turnaround Time	Positive preliminary report : 3 days – 3 weeks Final report with enterovirus typing results : 2 - 6 weeks Negative report : 3 weeks
Day(s) Test Set up	Monday – Saturday

Change History Notes

02 May 2018 04:50 PM

The timing of collecting two stool samples from AFP patient changed.
29 Dec 2017 02:40 PM

Changed turn around time (TAT) for positive preliminary report to 3 days – 3 weeks.

Last Updated - 13 Jun 2025