Rapid diagnosis of herpes simplex virus infections in conventional and shell vial cell cultures using monoclonal antibodies.

One hundred specimens for herpes simplex virus (HSV) isolation were tested in parallel by conventional and by centrifugation-enhanced cell culture, followed by identification using monoclonal antibodies to HSV-1 and HSV-2. Sensitivity was comparable by the two methods; conventional culture was only marginally slower and was easier to fit into the routine of a busy laboratory. It is, therefore, advocated for HSV detection in clinical specimens.