Emerging Infectious Disease ISSN: 1080-6059

Electron Microscopy for Rapid Diagnosis of Emerging Infectious Agents¹

Paul R. Hazelton*

and Hans R. Gelderblom†

Author affiliations: *University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; †Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany

Figure 1

The open view of diagnostic electron microscopy. A. Multiple agents observed in a fecal sample from a pediatric patient with diarrhea. A 10% suspension was prepared in distilled water, cleared by low-speed centrifugation followed by 5 minutes at 15,000 x g in a bench top centrifuge, and centrifuged directly to the grid using an Airfuge EM-90 rotor (Beckman, Palo Alto, CA): adenovirus-(→), incomplete rotavirus-particle (>), and small round featureless particles, probably adeno-associated virus

Figure 1. The open view of diagnostic electron microscopy. A. Multiple agents observed in a fecal sample from a pediatric patient with diarrhea. A 10% suspension was prepared in distilled water, cleared by low-speed centrifugation followed by 5 minutes at 15,000 x g in a bench top centrifuge, and centrifuged directly to the grid using an Airfuge EM-90 rotor (Beckman, Palo Alto, CA): adenovirus-(→), incomplete rotavirus-particle (>), and small round featureless particles, probably adeno-associated virus (ρ) phosphotungstic acid stained. B. Double infection with adenovirus (→) and complete rotavirus particles (>), in the stool of a 1-yearold child. The sample was suspended 1:3 in distilled water, cleared by low-speed centrifugation, and prepared for examination by the two-step method. Aqueous uranyl acetate stained. Bar = 100 nm.

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¹Both authors contributed equally to this review.

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