Table 10.2.
Specimens Appropriate for Laboratory Diagnosis of Various Clinical Syndromes
| Syndrome | Specimen |
|---|---|
| Respiratory | Nasal or throat swab; nasopharyngeal aspirate; sputum |
| Enteric | Feces |
| Genital | Genital swab, urine |
| Eye | Conjunctival (and/or corneal) swab |
| Skin | Vesicle fluid/swab/scraping; biopsy solid lesion |
| Central nervous system | Cerebrospinal fluid; feces (enteroviruses) |
| Generalized | Throat swaba; fecesa; blood leukocytesa |
| Autopsy/biopsy | Relevant organ |
| Any | Blood for serologyb |
a
Depending on known or presumed pathogenesis.
b
Blood is allowed to clot, then serum kept for assay of antibody.