[Virological diagnosis of ocular adenovirus infection]

For laboratory diagnosis, virus isolation and identification from conjunctival swabs should be combined with serology (two blood specimens: early and 14 days or later after onset of disease). The group-specific complement fixation fails in almost one-half of the cases. Additional type-specific reactions (neutralization, hemagglutination inhibition, type-specific complement fixation) may be performed with adenovirus 8 and, in epidemic outbreaks, also with other types. Immunofluorescence procedures have proved to be of limited value; rapid diagnostic procedures are not yet available.