Blood

• Collect in EDTA or ACD tube. Tube must be 1/2 to 3/4 full. Optimal specimen volume is 5-10 ml adult, 1- 2 ml pediatric.
• Ship overnight at room temperature.

• Use EDTA or ACD container. Optimal specimen volume is 1 to 5 ml.
• Ship overnight at room temperature.

• Collect in a sterile container.
• Ship overnight with 1-2 cold packs.

• Freeze immediately after collection.
• Ship overnight on dry ice.

For CMV/HSV/VZV:

• Refrigerate after collection.
• Ship overnight with 1-2 cold packs.

• Collect washing in a sterile container.
• Ship with 1-2 cold packs.

Pericardial

• Collect fluid in a sterile container.
• Ship with 1-2 cold packs.

Urine for Chlamydia trachomatis PCR

• Patient should not have urinated during previous 2 hours. Collect 10-50 ml of first catch urine into clean plastic cup.
• Ship at room temperature.

• Plasma Collect whole blood in ACD or EDTA tube. Separate plasma from blood as soon as possible. (Centrifuge at 800 -1600 x g for 20 minutes at room temperature.) Transfer plasma to a sterile polypropylene tube and freeze within 4 hours of collection.
• Ship overnight on dry ice.

• Serum Collect blood in a SST (serum separation tube), or red top tube. Separate serum from blood as soon as possible. (Centrifuge at 1500 x g for 20 minutes at room temperature.) Transfer serum to sterile polypropylene tube and freeze within 4 hours of collection.
• Ship overnight on dry ice.

• Place swab in Viral transport media:
• Ship overnight with 1-2 cold packs.

Ocular or Vesicle

• Place swab in Viral transport media.
• Ship overnight with 1-2 cold packs.

Endocervical (Female) or Urethral (Male) (For Chlamydia trachomatis PCR)

• Place swab in viral transport media.
• Ship overnight at room temperature. [Must arrive at lab within 24 hours.]

• Optimal tissue specimens are 200 mg. Place specimen in sterile container and freeze immediately after collection. Do not use preservatives.
• Ship overnight on dry ice.

• For actively growing isolates: Fill tube with media.
  For frozen/cryopreserved isolates: Do not allow to thaw.
  
• Ship overnight: Actively growing isolates at room temperature. Frozen isolates on dry ice.