May provide definitive diagnosis, but sensitivity is low and culture may take several weeks to yield result.
Culture
Sun-Sat
Negative at 43 days
Positives as soon as detected
CSF or blood should be collected within first week of illness; urine after the first week of illness. Blood is collected per blood culture procedure.
Green (sodium heparin) or sodium oxalate. Also acceptable: Bactec aerobic resin bottle or other commercial blood culture bottles, CSF, or urine.
Blood: Transport 1 mL whole blood in heparin, sodium oxalate tube, or blood culture bottles. (Min: 1 mL)
CSF: Transport 0.5 mL CSF in a sterile container. (Min: 0.1 mL)
Urine: Dilute 1 mL urine 1:10 in 1 percent bovine serum albumin within one hour of collection. Transport 4 mL diluted urine in a sterile container. (Min: 0.1 mL)
Room temperature.
Clotted whole blood or whole blood submitted in anticoagulant other than those listed above. Urine not diluted with bovine serum albumin within 1 hour of collection or urine in preservative.
Specimen source required.
Blood culture bottles: Ambient: 48 hours; Refrigerated: Unacceptable; Frozen: Unacceptable
Other: Ambient 24 hours; Refrigerated: Unacceptable; Frozen: Unacceptable
Culture negative for Leptospira.
Standard
Identification tests are billed separately from culture.
Leptospira spp. may not survive extended transport time or in acidic urine.
87081; 87166
Component Test Code* | Component Chart Name | LOINC |
---|---|---|
0060158 | Culture, Leptospira | 594-2 |
- Culture, Leptospira