Laboratory diagnosis of viral infections

When a suspected viral agent requires laboratory confirmation, specimens must be properly collected and stored, and appropriately transported to a virology laboratory. Viruses can be isolated from a variety of specimens in tissue cultures, and characteristic cell changes may be seen in Papanicolaou smears and scrapings of vesicles. Serologic, immunofluorescent and immunoradiologic techniques are useful in identifying both antigens and antibodies.