Acceptable Biological Specimens Needed for Laboratory Testing for Anthrax
Types of Tests |
Acceptable Materials |
Minimum Amount or Size |
Transport ≤ 2h |
Transport ≥ 2h |
Do Not Send |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culture and PCR | Isolate | Plate, slant | Room temperature (RT) | RT | Broth |
| Swabs1 (lesion) | RT | RT | On Transport Medium | ||
| Blood, whole | 1.0 ml in EDTA or Sodium Citrate tubes (Do not use Heparin) |
RT | 2-8°C | Blood culture bottle or Heparin tubes | |
| Fluids/aspirate (pleural, bronchial, CSF) | 0.5 ml | RT | 2-8°C | ||
| Tissue, fresh | 5mm3 in container | 2-8°C | Frozen at -70°C |
Preserved tissue | |
| Blood clot | 1.0 ml clot | RT | 2-8°C | ||
| Serum, separated and removed from clot | 1.0 ml | RT | 2-8°C | Frozen serum | |
| Citrated Plasma, separated and removed from clot | 1.0 ml | RT | 2-8°C | Frozen plasma | |
| Stool | ≥ 5g | 2-8°C | 2-8°C | ||
| Serology | Serum, separated and removed from clot2 | 1.0 ml | 2-8°C | Frozen at ≤ -20°C |
Whole blood or blood culture bottle or plasma |
| Citrated Plasma, separated and removed from clot2 | 1.0 ml | 2-8°C | Frozen at ≤ -20°C |
Plasma from EDTA or Heparin | |
| Histopathology | Tissues, preserved in 10% buffered formalin | 1.0 cm3 | RT | RT | Fresh or frozen tissue |
| Biopsies of lesions, e.g. skin, preserved in 10% buffered formalin | 0.3 mm diameter | RT | RT | Fresh or frozen tissue | |
| 1 Macrofoam swabs are recommended for optimal recovery. 2 See Collecting, Preparing, & Shipping Serum Samples to CDC for Serology Testing. |
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Page last modified February 22, 2006