ESwab flocked swabs unfit for viral culture

摘要

For many years, our laboratory has used the traditional tube culture method for the detection of enterovirus in human samples. This technique relies on the appearance of cytopathogenic effect (CPE) in different cell lines, i.e. human hepatoma (PLC/PRF/5), rhab-dornyosarcoma (RD) and HeLa cell lines, caused by viral infection. We recently introduced new specimen collection devices for bacteriological (eSwab, cat. no. 480CE, Copan Brescia, Italy) and virological (UTM cat. no. 355CW, Copan, Brescia, Italy) analyses in our institution. Copan's patented flocked swabs comprise of a solid molded plastic applicator shaft with a tip that is coated with short nylon fibers that are arranged in a perpendicular fashion. This creates a highly absorbent thin layer with an open structure that allows complete elution of the specimen into the transport medium after sample collection. A patient collection pack is comprised of modified liquid Amies medium (eSwab) or Copan universal transport medium (UTM) and an identical size nylon flocked swab.