--- Query Results --- | |||
| Organization: | Alberta Precision Laboratories | ||
| Test Name/Synonym: | Variola (Smallpox) (Synonym: Variola virus, Smallpox, Small pox, Red plague, Variola major, Variola minor) | ||
| Test Includes: | NAT/PCR | ||
| Ordering Alert: | **CRITICAL** **ENSURE THE PATIENT IS PLACED IN AN AIRBORNE ISOLATION ROOM.** YOU **MUST** FIRST CONTACT THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH (MOH) ON CALL AND THE VIROLOGIST-ON-CALL (VOC). DO **NOT** COLLECT ANY SPECIMENS PRIOR TO CONSULTATION WITH **BOTH** THE MOH AND VOC. | ||
| Specimen Collection Requirements: | **CRITICAL** SEE BOX ABOVE. DO NOT COLLECT SPECIMENS PRIOR TO CONSULTATION WITH **BOTH** THE MOH AND VOC. Lesion fluid and/or crust, scab, skin material, swabs (dry or in universal transport media), CSF/serum from encephalopathic patients, fresh frozen tissues (0.5mL), formalin-fixed or paraffin-embedded tissues. Preferred specimen: Collect lesion or crust material, scabs, swabs in a sterile 1.5-2.0 mL tube. Transport media not routinely required for swabs. Serum: Collect in serum (red top) or serum separator tubes (SST, gold top). Centrifugation of serum should **NOT** be carried out. Tissues: Fresh frozen tissues should be placed in plastic orange-top containers. Tissues that are formalin-fixed should also be sent in plastic containers and clearly identified as being in formalin. Paraffin-embedded tissues: Can be sent as entire blocks or four-to-six 10µm sections in a plastic tube or vial. | ||
| Transportation: | Ship as TDG Category A (air and ground):
| ||
| Routine Turn Around Time: | 8 days | ||
| Testing Area: | Virology | ||
| Performing Site: | Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (Calgary and Edmonton) | ||
| Additional Test Information: | Risk Group 4 Referred to National Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Contact Comments: | The virologist-on-call as well as the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) on-call can be paged via hospital locating at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton) or the Foothills Medical Centre (Calgary). | ||
| Last Updated On: | Friday, January 17, 2025 | ||
| Date of Last Review: | Jan 14 2025 12:00AM | ||
