Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) PCR, Ocular Fluids

Label Mnemonic:	VZVQPCR
Epic code:	LAB8795
Downtime form:	Doctor/Provider Orders - Pathology Core and Specialty Care Nursery

Commercial Mailout Laboratory
6240-8 RCP
356-8593

Specimen(s):

Aqueous Fluid or Vitreous Fluid

Collection Medium:

Sterile container

Minimum:

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

Rejection Criteria:

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

Turn Around Time:

Within 8 - 12 hours upon receipt at reference laboratory

Comments:

VZV reactivation is commonly seen in immunocompromised individuals. These patients are more likely to have disseminated disease with extensive skin lesions, pneumonia, hepatitis, or encephalitis. Proper management is dependent upon early diagnosis; quantitative DNA PCR is a rapid and sensitive tool useful for detecting the virus, tracking the course of the infection, and monitoring response to treatment.

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

Methodology:

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

CPT Code:

87799