Acceptable Collection Tube(s) or Specimen

Specimen Required:

Hair: Using forceps, collect the basal portion of the infected hairs into a dry sterile container.

Nails: Clean with 70% alcohol. With a sterile blade, scrape away and dispose of outer layers of the nail. Scrape bits of the inner infected nail into a sterile container.

Skin: Clean with 70% alcohol. If ringworm is present, scrape the outer portions of the red ring with a sterile scalpel on a microscope slide. If there is no ring, scrape the area that looks most infected. Transport in a sterile container to the lab.