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Acceptable Biological Specimens Needed for Laboratory Testing for Anthrax

Types of Tests
Acceptable Materials
Minimum Amount or Size
 Transport
≤ 2h
Transport
≥ 2h
Do Not Send
Culture and PCR Isolate Plate, slant Room temperature (RT) RT Broth
Swabs1 (lesion)   RT RT On Transport Medium
Blood, whole 1.0 ml in EDTA or Sodium Citrate tubes
(Do not use Heparin)		 RT 2-8°C Blood culture bottle or Heparin tubes
Fluids/aspirate (pleural, bronchial, CSF) 0.5 ml RT 2-8°C  
Tissue, fresh 5mm3 in container 2-8°C Frozen at
-70°C		 Preserved tissue
Blood clot 1.0 ml clot RT 2-8°C  
Serum, separated and removed from clot 1.0 ml RT 2-8°C Frozen serum
Citrated Plasma, separated and removed from clot 1.0 ml RT 2-8°C Frozen plasma
Stool ≥ 5g 2-8°C 2-8°C  
 Serology Serum, separated and removed from clot2 1.0 ml 2-8°C Frozen at
≤ -20°C		 Whole blood or blood culture bottle or plasma
Citrated Plasma, separated and removed from clot2 1.0 ml 2-8°C Frozen at
≤ -20°C		 Plasma from EDTA or Heparin
 Histopathology Tissues, preserved in 10% buffered formalin 1.0 cm3 RT  RT Fresh or frozen tissue
Biopsies of lesions, e.g. skin, preserved in 10% buffered formalin 0.3 mm diameter RT  RT Fresh or frozen tissue
1 Macrofoam swabs are recommended for optimal recovery.
2 See Collecting, Preparing, & Shipping Serum Samples to CDC for Serology Testing.
  • Page last updated February 22, 2006
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