Pre-Approval
| Consultation is required prior to submitting human specimens. Contact VRDLās Medical and Epidemiology Liaisons at (510) 307-8585 for pre-approval information.
No pre-approval is required for animal specimens.ā
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| Supplemental Information Requested | Requested: - āāāHumans: Animal exposure, disease onset date
- Animal: Vaccination historyā
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Submittal Formāā
| Specimens must be accompanied with a hard copy of the completed VRDL General Purpose Specimen Submittal Form (PDF) for Human specimens, or VRDL Specimen Submittal Form for Suspected Rabid Animals for Animal specimens, or a form generated in the VRDL Lab Web Portal.
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| Methodology (Commercial Test Name or Laboratory Developed Test (LDT)) | Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) Assay (LDT) (Diagnostic Assay)
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| Reflex Testing | Real-Time RT-PCR testing if preliminary DFA testing results are non- specific or inconclusive |
Acceptable Specimen Type(s) and Collection Method
| Human Specimens, postmortem: - āāBrain stem
- Cerebellum and /or Hippocampus
- Whole brain or brain parts if brain stem or cerebellum is not available.
*Full cross section of the brain stem and 3 lobes of cerebellum are needed to rule out rabies).
Animal Specimens, postmortem: - āāBrain stem
- Cerebellum and /or Hippocampus
- Whole brain or brain paārts if brain stem or cerebellum is not available.
* Full cross section of the brain stem and 3 lobes of cerebellum are needed to rule out rabies).
Collection Method: Place tissues in petri dish labeled Cerebellum (CB) and Brainstem (BS). - āIf specimen is a bat, send the whole bat in a petri dish, jar, or bag.ā
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Minimum Volume Requestedā
| Not Applicableā
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| Transport Medium (if using) | Not Applicable |
Specimen Labeling
| Please label each specimen tube with proper unique identifiers. For human postmortem specimens, please label with at least two unique patient identifiers, e.g., patient full name and date of birth. - āāSpecimen containers with brain tissue should also be labeled with CB for Cerebellum and BS for Brainstem when appropriate.
Do not submit animal or human specimens for rabies testing in the same box with specimens for other testing with VRDL.ā
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| Storage & Preservation of Specimen / Shipping Conditions | - āFresh Tissue: refrigerate or freeze promptly after collection.
Ship refrigerated specimens to VRDL on cold packs. Ship frozen specimens to VRDL on dry ice.
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| Shipping Instructions | Work with your local public health department to ensure samples are packaged according to instructions for Biological Substance ā Category B (UN 3373) shipment. Ship specimens and a hard copy of the completed submittal forms to:
āCDPH VRDL
ATTN: Specimen Receiving 850 Marina Bay Parkway Richmond, CA 94804 Phone: 510-307-8585
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| Turnaround Time | 3 Business Days |
| Limitations | Negative result does not preclude the possibility of infection. |
| Additional Information | Samples will be referred to CDC for additional testing.ā
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| VRDL Points of Contact | Medical and Epidemiology Liaisons: (510) 307-8585 or VRDL.submittal@cdph.ca.govā
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