As of Tuesday, February 28, 2023, herpes simplex PCR with typing, varicella zoster PCR, and quantitative BK virus PCR will be available to order for in-house testing.

The first day of testing will be March 1. Samples in the laboratory before 12 noon will be processed and resulted the same day. The testing schedule will be more frequent than prior (daily Monday-Friday, no testing on weekends).

Relevant ordering information is as follows:

• BK VIRUS QUANT PCR,PLASMA (LAB2722) Requires a dedicated pink top tube
• BK VIRUS QUANT PCR,URINE(LAB 2721) Gray top tubes are not acceptable, must be in sterile container.
• HSV/ 1/2 TYPING QUALITATIVE,PCR (LAB2467) Collect vesicle fluid, surface swabs, or lesion lesion swabs with a straight “oropharyngeal-type” flocked swab and put in universal transport media kit (Hospital Stores #33595 or 33625). CSF must be in CSF container.
• VZV QUALITATIVE PCR (LAB 7808) As above for HSV; testing can be co-ordered on the same sample.
• The meningitis/encephalitis PCR panel (LAB8514) is preferred for community-acquired CNS infections with HSV and VZV where the sample is a lumbar puncture; double orders will be cancelled as duplicates. For CSF samples acquired from sources other than than lumbar punctures, order individual testing as above.

Questions specifically related to this issue can be directed to Bradley Ford, MD, PhD, Medical Director of Clinical Microbiology; (ext. 6-2990, bradley-ford@uiowa.edu; *8290.