Astrovirus – Enteric
Consistent with O. Reg. 671/92 of the French Language Services Act, laboratory testing information on this page is only available in English because it is scientific or technical in nature and is for use only by qualified health care providers and not by members of the public.
Specimen Requirements
Test Requested | Required Requisition(s) | Specimen Type | Minimum Volume | Collection Kit |
Molecular |
Stool |
1.0 gram |
Submission and Collection Notes
Complete the following fields of the General Test Requisition Form if diagnostic testing is requested:
- symptoms
- onset date
Refer to the Virus-Enteric Kit Instruction Sheet for detailed specimen collection instructions.
Timing of Specimen Collection
Samples should be collected within the first 48 hours after onset of symptoms.
Limitations
Samples received in Virus or Multi-Organism transport media are not suitable for testing.
Storage and Transport
Label the specimen container with the patient’s full name, date of collection and one other unique identifier such as the patient’s date of birth or Health Card Number.
Place the specimen container in the biohazard bag and seal the bag; insert the completed requisition in the pocket on the outside of the sealed biohazard bag. To maintain optimal viability of the virus, specimens should be stored at 2-8°C following collection and transported to PHO on ice packs within 72 hours of collection. If longer storage/transit time is anticipated, specimens should be frozen at -70°C or lower and transported on dry ice.
Special Instructions
(Include names of all required forms, kit instructions and kit ordering form if PHO provides the kit)
Complete all fields of the PHO General Test Requisition Form: include the requesting healthcare provider's CPSO#, complete mailing address, telephone, and fax number, and the patient’s full name, date of birth, Health Card Number (must match the specimen label), enter the name of the test requested under test description, source of specimen, date of onset, date of collection, physician name and address, and clinical diagnosis. Failure to do so may result in rejection or testing delay.
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