Virology

Leading edge pathology conducted by a dedicated team of highly trained, skilled and specialised scientists

Virology

Our Virology Team offer a wide range of diagnostic and reference services to NHS Trusts, Private Laboratories, Primary Care and Community Services locally and further afield.  Sheffield Laboratory Medicine is an active member of both the South Yorkshire Virology Network and National Clinical Virology Network.   We offer a wide range of clinical and technical expertise through our on-site Consultant Virologists and Scientific Staff.  Where urgent clinical advice is required out-of-hours we run provide on-call services.  We offer an out of hours testing service for Blood Borne Virus testing associated with needle stick Injury.

Our Virology team has grown significantly over the past few years and is increasingly gaining a local, national and international reputation for scientific excellence.  Our Consultants, Clinical Scientists and Biomedical Scientists represent their professions both locally and nationally as committee members, invited lecturers and as scientific meeting organisers.  We participate in all relevant aspects of the Instand, QCMD and UK NEQAS Quality Assurance Schemes and performance is of a very high standard. Virology are a UKAS accredited medical laboratory No. 8509.

Case Study: Rising to the COVID Challenge

Our dedicated team of skilled and specialised scientists ensured we responded swiftly and decisively to meet the challenges of the COVID pandemic.   Sheffield Laboratory Medicine was one of the first pathology services in the UK to develop their own assay that could be utilised for PCR testing of staff and patients, approved for use by Public Health England.  We are immensely proud of how we responded to the pandemic, including:

  • Meeting all government targets to test 2,000 swabs a day over several days with just 24 hour’s notice;
  • Setting up a COVID testing service complete with swab packs that could be used throughout the Trust and associated areas;
  • Supporting local hospitals to provide COVID testing when did not have capacity
  • Validating assays for use nationally such as the ‘ID Now’, presented nationally to influence testing policies;
  • Achieving UKAS accreditation of both extracted and unextracted in-house PCR in addition to commercial assays on the Cepheid and Hologic Panther systems, plus COVID Ab testing;
  • Rapidly training and ensuring competency of over 25 staff to improve turnaround times;
  • Developing a bespoke Outbreak Management and Contact Tracing system;
  • Becoming one of the first laboratories in the UK to offer both NCP and Spike serology testing and a diagnostic Covid-19 serology service for patients;
  • Initiating a 24/7 service to help patient admissions and allow safe patient flow throughout hospitals;
  • Contributing to DHSC’s arm length body NERVTAG.

We strived to stayed one step ahead, implementing measures to ensure service continuity was maintained.  Our track record on responsiveness and contingency planning gives our service users the confidence to keep choosing Sheffield Laboratory Medicine.

Our Virology Department is split into two divisions; Serology and Molecular Virology.

Serology

Subdivided into two sections Automated Serology and General Serology. The Serology Division provides a wide range of routine and specialised diagnostic Viral and Bacterial Serology assays and also provides a regional reference service for Hepatitis and HIV diagnosis.  We also provide a regional Syphilis serology reference service.

Molecular Virology  

The Molecular Virology Division is divided into two sections: Chlamydia Detection and Virus Detection.  The Chlamydia section provides a routine molecular diagnostic service for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Gonorrhoea and Trichamonas locally and an extended chlamydia testing service.   Our Virus Detection section provides a routine diagnostic virus detection service by means of molecular diagnostic techniques.  The Molecular Virology division also provides a regional molecular diagnostic service for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, offering Viral Load services by random access molecular diagnostic systems and HCV Genotyping assays.

If you would like to know more about how we can help you, please contact us by telephone on 0114 271 4777 or email us at sth.labmed@nhs.net

Department Specific Tests

Adenovirus PCR

Amoeba Serology

Anti HBs (HBsAb, anti-HBs, Hepatitis B Surface Antibody)

Arbovirus Serology

Aspergillus Antigen (Galactomanan)

Aspergillus PCR

Atypical Pneumonia Serology ( acute or convalascent )

Babesia Serology

Bartonella Serology

Bilharzia Serology

BKV PCR

Blastomycosis Serology

Bordetella Serology: Whooping cough

Borrelia PCR

Botulism Toxin

Brucella Serology

Chlamydia Eye Swab

Chlamydia pneumoniae/psittaci PCR

Chlamydia Serology

Chlamydia trachomatis and Gonorrhoea Screening

CMV IgM (cytomegalovirus IgM)

Coccidioides serology

Cysticercosis Serology

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG Avidity

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) PCR

Cytomegalovirus IgG Antibody (CMV IgG)

Dengue Serology (IgM and IgG)

E.coli157 Serology

Echinococcus Serology

Enterovirus PCR

Enterovirus Serology

Epstein Barr Virus (EBNA IgG EBV Immunity)

Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) Acute Antibody Screen (EBV IgM)

Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) Immunity Screen (EBV IgG)

Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) PCR

Epstein Barr Virus CA IgG (EBV CA IgG) (EB VCA IgG)

Epstein Barr Virus CA IgM (EBVCA IgM) (EB VCA IgM, EBV IgM)

Erlichia Serology (anaplasma phagcytophilum)

Fasciola Serology

Filarial Serology

Flavivirus Serology

Galactomannan antigen / Asp Ag

Giardia Serology

Glandular Fever Screen

Hantavirus

Hepatitis A IgM

Hepatitis A IgM ( HAV IgM, Hep A IgM )

Hepatitis A Total Antibody (HAV AB, HAV IgG)

Hepatitis B confirmation

Hepatitis B core Antibody (HBc Ab)

Hepatitis B core IgM (HBc IgM)

Hepatitis B DNA (HBV Viral load, Hepatitis B viral load)

Hepatitis B Resistance

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg, Hep B Screen)

Hepatitis C (HCV) Genotyping

Hepatitis C (HCV) Antibody

Hepatitis C confirmation

Hepatitis C PCR / HCV Viral Load

Hepatitis C viral load

Hepatitis D serology

Hepatitis E Serology (HEV)

Hepatitis G serology

Herpes Simplex Type Specific Serology

HHV 6 and 7 Serology

HHV PCR (6, 7 or 8)

HIB Serology

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza ( HPAI ) ( Avian Flu ) ( H5N1 )

Histoplasma Serology

HIV cDNA PCR

HIV Confirmation

HIV oral fluid testing (Ag/Ab) (Oracol swab)

HIV Resistance

HIV Screen (HIV1 HIV2, HIV Ag/Ab)

HIV Therapeuttic Drug Monitoring

HIV Viral Loads

HSV Immunity (HSV IgG Herpes Simplex Virus Serology)

HSV PCR

HTLV I and II Serology

Hydatid Serology

ID Ordersets

Japanese B encephalitis Serology

JCV PCR

Leishmania Serology

Leptospiral Serology

LGV Serology

Lyme Disease Serology (Borrelia Serology)

Measles IgG

Measles IgM

Measles IgM

Measles PCR

Meliodosis serology

Meningococcal PCR

Meningococcal Serology

Microfilaria Serology

Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome PCR (MERS)

Mumps IgG, (Mumps Immunity)

Mumps IgM

Mumps PCR

Mycoplasma pneumoniae PCR

Mycoplasma Serology

Norovirus PCR (Norwalk Like Virus)

Onchocerciasis Serology

Parvovirus B19 DNA (PCR)

Parvovirus B19 IgG

Parvovirus B19 IgM

Pneumococcal PCR

Polio Serology

Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome

Pseudomonas serology

Quantitative HBsAg

Respiratory Serology

Respiratory Sincytial Virus (RSV) Antigen Detection

Respiratory Virus PCR Screen

Rickettsial Serology

Rochilimea Serology (Bartonella)

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Serology

Rubella Antibody Screen (Rubella Igg Rubella Immunity)

Rubella IgM

SARS

Schistosomal Serology

St Louis encephalitis Serology

Staphylococcal Serology

Streptococcal Serology - ASOT and Anti Dnase B

Strongyloides Serology

Syphilis Confirmation (VDRL,TPPA)

Syphilis IgM

Syphilis Screen (Trepanemal Screen)

Taenia Serology

Tetanus Toxin Assay

TORCH Screen

Toxocara Serology

Toxoplasma antibody screening test (Toxoplasma Serology)

Toxoplasma Confirmation (Toxoplasma IgG , Toxoplasma IgM)

Toxoplasma PCR

Trichnella Serology

Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) TMA screening

Trypanosoma Serology

Typhoid Serology

Typhus Serology

Varicella Zoaster IgG confirmation (VZV IgG confirmation)

Varicella Zoster IgG (VZV IgG)

Viral Hepatitis Assess vaccine need (ICE)

Viral Hepatitis Assess vaccine response (ICE)

Viral Hepatitis New Hep B referral (ICE)

Viral Hepatitis Past infections screen (ICE)

Viral Hepatitis Screening tests (ICE)

VZV PCR

West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus PCR

Whipples Serology / PCR

Yellow Fever Virus Serology

Yersinia Serology