Aqueous Fluid or Vitreous Fluid

Preferred Minimum: 0.1 mL Aqueous Fluid or Vitreous Fluid
Absolute Minimum: 0.05 mL Aqueous Fluid or Vitreous Fluid

Do not add water, saline or other fluid media to container. Do not ship specimen in syringe.

Within 8 - 12 hours upon receipt at reference laboratory

HSV-1 and HSV-2 are well known etiologic agents of gingivostomatitis, conjunctivitis, keratitis, herpetic whitlow, and genital infections as well as encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, atypical pneumonias and a wide variety of other clinical conditions. Quantitative HSV DNA PCR is the ideal diagnostic tool for CNS specimens, since HSV will rarely grow from CSF in cell culture. Quantitative PCR can be used to detect the presence of the virus as well as track the course of infections and response to treatment.

The HSV-1 and HSV-2 primers and probes used in this assay are specific for HSV-1 & 2 only and detect known HSV-1 & 2 strains based on similarity search algorithms. The individual primers and probes for HSV-1 and HSV-2 are unique and specific, with no cross reactivity between the HSV-1 and HSV-2 primers. Additionally, no cross reactivity was detected when tested against adenoviruses, BKV, CMV, EBV, HHV-6 variant A, HHV-6 variant B, HHV-7, HHV-8, JCV, parvovirus B19, SV-40, and VZV.

Extraction of Herpes Simplex viral DNA from specimen followed by amplification and detection using real-time, quantitative PCR.

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