Available exclusively in the UK from Sterilin, Copan's Universal Transport Medium (UTM) exactly meets the testing guidelines laid down by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

HPA recommends two nose and two throat swabs are taken for swine flu A / H1N1 assessment and screening. The viral transport medium from Sterilin allows greater convenience of multiple tests and maintains virus viability at room temperature and on ice.

The patented flocked swab increases both the amount of sample collected and, most importantly, its release into the medium for the pooling of patient samples taken, which helps maximise the sensitivity of serological and molecular detection assays.

Specific real-time RT-PCR swine influenza or a four-fold rise in swine influenza A (H1N1) virus-specific antibodies (acute phase sera and convalescent >10-14 days later) constitute a laboratory-confirmed case.

Sterilin offers a choice of tube size and product format - 1ml or 3ml tube with medium alone or as a kit containing a unique flocked collection swab. All swabs supplied in the UTM kits have a moulded breakpoint to enable the swab to be broken into the tube if required. The UTM contains glass beads to assist the release of the sample from the swab when vortexed prior to analysis and the tube's skirted conical base allows it to stand freely on the lab bench without the need for a rack.