1 Research Division of Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston
The clinician has several means for obtaining useful viral diagnostic information. Those for viral isolation require optimal conditions; specimens must be submitted quickly in an appropriate medium, with the information that is essential to the laboratory. Viral diagnosis may also be facilitated by pathological examination of tissues, body fluids, vesicles, and so forth. Viral culture information should be supplemented by appropriate serological studies done on acute and convalescent serum specimens. A brief discussion of the types of antibody measurement commonly used has been included.