Viral Transport Medium (VTM) allows the safe transfer of viruses, chlamydia and mycoplasma for further research, including conventional cell culture methods, diagnostic tests, and molecular biology techniques.

Commercially prepared viral transport media are available in a screw cap plastic tube containing buffered proteins (serum, albumin or gelatin) and antibiotics. Antibiotics are usually incorporated into the viral transport media to suppress the growth of contaminating bacteria and fungi, so separate samples from the same site should be collected if bacterial or fungal cultures are also requested.

Our Viral Transport Medium is based on Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) with Calcium and Magnesium and contains heat-inactivated Fetal Bovine Serum, Gentamycin and Amphotericin B. The composition and the manufacturing of the Viral Transport Medium follow the WHO and the CDC recommendations.

The product is provided as a liquid in a sterile 13 ml flat bottom tube with or without a swab to provide a maximum range of possibilities to collect samples.

 

A viral transport medium (VTM) is a nutritive substance used to transport and maintain the viability of samples (viruses) to a laboratory for identification and further sample processing.

Virus transport media are especially important as they are more labile than other infectious agents.

The probability of successful isolation is increased when the time interval between collection and inoculation of the culture is shorter and when the sample contains as many virus particles as possible.

In order to maximize the amount of virus in the sample, sample collection should be done early in the patient's illness.

Successful and reliable virus isolation can be achieved when a suitable transport medium is used.

The isolation count also increases when viral samples are sent to a local laboratory or reference laboratory.

Viral Transport Media (VTM) Principle

Viral agents vary widely in composition, stability, structure, morphology, and size. Loosely enveloped viruses obtained from human samples are generally more labile than dense non-enveloped viruses.

Because they are labile to environmental conditions, the viability of these viruses must be protected by using different solutions.

Some enveloped viruses, such as herpes simplex viruses (HSV), are surprisingly stable in the unfrozen state when placed in a suitable holding environment. However, most viruses require a cooler temperature.

Virus infectivity decreases with time and, in general, the rate of decomposition is a function of temperature, so stability improves with cooling.

Thus, viral transport media are prepared with the idea of ​​providing the appropriate conditions of temperature, pH and nutrients.

The constituents of an appropriate viral transport medium are selected to create an isotonic solution containing proteins to protect the viral structure, antibiotics to control microbial contamination, and one or more buffers to control pH.

Viral transport media are prepared with the idea of ​​maintaining the viability of the viral culture or specimens for tests such as the nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and avoiding desiccation of the sample.