Director, Clinical Virology Laboratory
Professor of Laboratory Medicine and of Medicine (Infectious Diseases); Vice Chair for Quality and Safety, Laboratory Medicine; Director, Clinical Virology Laboratory
Clinical Virology
Photo by Robert A. Lisak
A medical technologist is preparing patients’ samples for testing. Most virology tests use molecular or immunologic methods and results are available within one to 48 hours
Virology is a rapidly changing field. Thus, the laboratory frequently modifies its test menu in order to keep abreast of current developments and provide the best services to our patients.
The Clinical Virology Laboratory performs molecular methods for viruses, serology for viruses, syphilis ( Treponema pallidum) and Toxoplasma gondii, as well as C. difficile testing. See complete lists of Tests Performed below.
Due to our ability to quickly offer laboratory-developed molecular tests, we have been able to respond rapidly to disease outbreaks, such as the 2009 influenza H1N1 and the COVID-19 pandemics, and the Mpox epidemic.
Our laboratory offers many tests not available in most hospitals or from commercial vendors. For example, the Clinical Virology Laboratory was the first non-reference laboratory in the U.S. to receive Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for a High Complexity Molecular Based SARS CoV-2 Test and for several weeks early in the pandemic we were the only hospital in Connecticut with on-site testing. Subsequently, multiple commercial SARS CoV-2 RNA amplification tests have been added to our test menu.
The Virology Laboratory Director and Laboratory Manager are available by phone or email for consultations and questions.
Clinical Virology Teaching Rounds with a focus on laboratory diagnosis are one Tuesday a month. In addition, Clinical Virology Newsletters are available on line.
A table of seasonal virus activity is updated weekly
Clinical Virology Services
Tests Performed
Download full listing of all Virology Tests Performed:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Molecular | Real-time PCR for virus detection and quantification |
| Serology | Viral, Syphilis and Toxoplasma gondii assays by CIA, ELISA, agglutination and lateral flow immunochromatography |
| Clostridium difficile | Real-time toxin B gene PCR with reflex to toxin immunoassay |
Faculty
Images
A medical technologist is preparing patients’ samples for testing. Most virology tests use molecular or immunologic methods and results are available within one to 48 hours
Photo by Robert A. Lisak
Patients infected with HIV are treated with highly active drugs. The Virology Lab periodically analyzes the genetic sequence of each patient’s HIV virus to determine if resistance is developing and if a change in therapy is needed. One step in the HIV res
Photo by Robert A. Lisak
A medical technologist prepares patient samples for analysis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a test that amplifies viral genetic material and allows detection of very small amounts, very quickly. The Virology Laboratory detects over 20 different virus
Photo by Robert A. Lisak
Flasks like these are used to prepare buffer solutions for use in virus detection methods. Stirring with a magnetic stir bar helps dissolve the various components
Photo by Robert A. Lisak
Here, a medical technologist is using a light microscope to examine cell cultures inoculated with patients’ samples for viral growth. Some viruses do not grow in cell culture, or grow slowly. In such cases, other viral detection methods must be used.
Photo by Robert A. Lisak
A medical technologist is preparing the reagents and the instrument to test patient samples for antibodies to viruses such as rubella, HIV, and hepatitis A, B and C.
Photo by Robert A. Lisak