Evaluation of a new monoclonal antibody reagent for the detection of herpes simplex virus from clinical specimens.

A reformulated fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate-labeled monoclonal antibody typing reagent for herpes simplex virus (HSV) was compared for culture confirmation and typing with a similar commercially available HSV typing stain. There was complete agreement between the two stains in the confirmation of 240 cultures for HSV-50 negative specimens and 190 positive specimens (66 type 1 and 124 type 2). The stains were equivalent in brilliance and clarity for both HSV types, with no cross-reactivity or background staining. In addition, the PathoDx stains were also mixed 1:1 with each other to form a "bivalent" stain. This mixture again identified all 190 positive cultures and 50 negative cultures with fluorescence of equal caliber to each of the individual reagents.