Laboratory Support

Specimen Collection

Collection procedures for vaccinia virus, in the evaluation of an adverse reaction to vaccination, or variola virus, in the evaluation of a potential smallpox case, are essentially identical.

Usual practices associated with collection of patient specimens are appropriate for collection of orthopoxvirus lesions, as well. These include wearing personal protective equipment, such as gloves, and sanitizing the site prior to collection. If alcohol is used to prepare the lesion for collection, it is important to allow the lesion to dry before it is collected.

Examples of lab materials useful for collection of orthopox specimens for laboratory testing includes:

  1. Plastic specimen container with formalin for the lesion biopsy.
  2. Punch biopsy collection tool.
  3. Sterile plastic vials for specimens (without any viral culture medium or fluid).
  4. Microscope slides and slide storage container

If available, electron micrscopy (EM) grids are also useful for specimen collection and make EM examination of materials for the presence of orthopoxvirus particles easier. 

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