The State Hygienic Laboratory announced earlier this month that, effective June 14, it will discontinue some virus culturing to test for illnesses and transition to more molecular testing.

Sandy Jirsa, clinical lab supervisor, tests for mumps during the 2005 outbreak by using virus culturing.

Molecular testing is a very sensitive diagnostic approach that rapidly detects the DNA sequence of an illness. With molecular testing, results may be available in hours versus the days that are often needed to culture a virus. Currently, viral culturing accounts for less than 10 percent of virus testing performed at the Hygienic Laboratory.

June 14 is the last day that the Hygienic Laboratory will accept specimens for Virus Isolation/Detection and Identification, Chlamydia trachomatis culture, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) culture, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) DFA and culture. Testing of lesion and genital swabs for HSV and VZV will continue by DFA, including reflexing negative DFAs to culture.