VRL

About Us

The VRL Advantage
For more than 30 years, VRL has been in business as a diagnostic virus laboratory. Our knowledgeable staff and the experience it represents ensures our clients, reliable results and fast turn around times. VRL values its customer relationships, and our focus is to always provide the highest levels of service available in Diagnostic Services.

Diagnostic Testing is VRL’s Singular Focus
VRL continues to maintain a focus on providing standard-setting diagnostic testing services. Our testing services continue to evolve with the needs of our customers. From testing to delivering timely custom reports, VRL is committed to being your choice for the diagnostic testing of Nonhuman Primates and Rodents.

Diagnostic services offered include:

• Virology
• Bacteriology
• Mycobacteriology
• Parasitology
• Isolation and identification of Infectious agents
• Real-Time PCR
• Chemistry
• CBC
• Consultation for colony management and infectious disease diagnosis

The Laboratory with Global Reach
VRL continues to serve customers internationally with two (2) laboratories in the South and Northeast US, and one (1) located in Suzhou, China. All locations uphold the same commitment to providing VRL customers the highest quality of diagnostic testing services available.

Appropriate Methodology. Obtaining Desired Information.
VRL testing is extensive and capable of defining a wide variety of infectious and autoimmune diseases. Of greatest importance is the availability of panel testing. Recognizing that disease control is dependent upon an awareness of infectious changes within the primate colony, a number of viral antigens are recommended as a panel in order to provide an etiologic marker of colony status at any period in time. Obviously, the occurrence of catastrophic disease outbreaks demands rapid and intensive involvement by all concerned parties. VRL offers our full laboratory resources for the ultimate elimination of any offending etiologic agent.

It is important in the interpretation of results to understand the epidemiological and clinical features of infection by the test virus. The VRL staff is readily available for consultation on the significance of test findings.

As a general policy, all sera submitted to our laboratory for testing will be held frozen for at least three months, unless otherwise requested in writing. This allows the retrospective study of your colony or individual primate status with regard to a time frame for the occurrence of a particular infectious disease. Acute and convalescent sera are important for the diagnosis of a current infection in contrast to the testing of a single serum for determining previous exposure. Testing a single serum for antibody is of little value in diagnosing a current infection, unless specific IgM antibody is assayed. Detection of IgG antibody is only an indication of infection at some point in the past, unless it can be shown that a recent rise in titer has occurred. This is why acute and convalescent serum specimens are required for the diagnosis of a current infection.

When testing sera of newborn primates, it must be kept in mind that IgG antibody is likely to be a reflection of maternal antibody until the age of approximately six months. Again, IgM antibody must be assayed to indicate a neonatal infection.

When a virus infection is suspected, we suggest you collect suitable specimens (e.g. throat, rectal and corneal swabs, urine, feces, and biopsies) for attempted virus isolation. These specimens should be collected as soon as possible after the observation of clinical symptoms. In general, virus load is greatest before symptoms occur. If skin lesions have begun to heal it is usually too late for satisfactory specimen collection due to the paucity of virus at this stage.

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• Servicios de laboratorio