:Primary isolate

{{also|Viral culture}}

Primary isolate is a pure microbial or viral sample that has been obtained from an infected individual, rather than grown in a laboratory. In chemistry and bacteriology, the verb isolate means to obtain a pure chemical, bacteriological or viral sample. The noun 'isolate' refers to the sample itself.{{cn|date=January 2021}}

According to the 'Bulletin of Experimental Treatments for AIDS, Year-End, 1999' glossary,[http://www.aegis.com/pubs/beta/1999/BE991221.html AEGiS-BETA: Glossary - Year-End, 1999] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210061816/http://www.aegis.com/pubs/beta/1999/BE991221.html |date=2007-02-10 }} a primary isolate is "HIV taken from an infected individual, as opposed to that grown in a laboratory."