Preferred Specimen(s) 1 mL serum
Instructions Specimen may be collected in an SST red top glass tube and transferred to plastic for transport. Do not submit glass tubes.
Transport Container No additive (red-top) tube
Transport Temperature
- Room Temperature 8 hrs,
- Refrigerated 48 hrs,
- -20oC Long term
Reject Criteria Grossly Hemolysed
Methodology ELISA
Clinical Significance Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is responsible for several clinically significant human viral diseases, with severity ranging from self-limiting to fatal. Clinical manifestations include genital tract infections, neonatal herpes, meningo-encephalitis, keratoconjunctivitis, and gingivostomatitis. There are two types of HSV serotypes that are closely related antigenically. HSV type 2 is more commonly associated with genital tract and neonatal infections, while HSV Type 1 is more commonly associated with infections of non-genital sites. Specific typing is not usually required for diagnosis or treatment. The mean time to sero-conversion using the type specific assay is 25 days. The performance of this assay has not been established for use in a pediatric population, for neonatal screening, or for testing of immuno-compromised patients.