Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation: None

Acceptable Specimens: Lesion swab collected in 1.0-3.0 mL universal transport media (UTM)

NOTE: No additional confirmatory testing is required at the CDC, therefore a duplicate swab from the same lesion is not needed. If clinically indicated, consider submitting additional swabs if multiple lesions with different stages are present. Multiple specimens collected on a single patient should be submitted separately and be accompanied by its own separate requisition and transported in its own sealed bag.

Collection procedure:

1. Obtain a vial of universal transport media (UTM) with collection swab

2. Swab or brush skin lesion vigorously (not obtaining adequate DNA can result in inconclusive results) with 1 sterile swab.

3. Place swab in tube containing UTM 

4. Do not send swab in glass tubes, vacutainer tubes, tubes with push caps, or paper swab sleeves.

5. Multiple specimens collected on a single patient should be submitted separately and be accompanied by its own separate requisition and transported in its own sealed bag

6. Maintain sterility and transport promptly to laboratory.

Note: Specimen source is required. If transport is delayed, refrigerate specimen.