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Department of Health Services

Public Health Regional Laboratory

Measles

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Methodology

RT-PCR

CPT Code

87798

Test Requisition

Order via the SCPHL web portal https://socolabportal.sonomacounty.ca.gov/

Contact laboratory staff for access and assistance at (707) 565-4711 Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.

Acceptable Specimens - (Please contact the laboratory for assistance)

Collect specimens within 10 days of onset of symptoms.

Throat or NP (nasopharyngeal) swab in viral transport media (VTM or UTM).

Use synthetic-tipped swabs only.

Urine

Serum in a red top tube or SST (if available; for follow up testing at State Laboratory)

Each specimen must be labeled with the patient’s first and last names, patient’s date of birth, specimen date of collection, and specimen type.

Specimen Storage

Store specimens refrigerated at 2-8°C.

Specimen Transport

Transport specimen to the laboratory on cold packs as soon as possible.

Specimen Rejection Criteria

Frozen urine specimens

Leaking specimens

QNS (insufficient amount of specimen)

Cotton or calcium alginate swabs

Swabs in Amies medium

Inadequately labeled specimens

Setup Days

Testing is performed on an as-needed basis.  Contact the REDCOM Dispatcher for after-hours assistance at (707) 568-5992.

Turn-around-time

Results will be available within 1 day of receiving the specimen.

Fee »