DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

5 DISEASE-SPECIFIC GUIDE TO SAMPLE COLLECTION 

Not all sampling types and test methods are applicable to all diseases. When in doubt, call the laboratory for 

guidance. 

African horse sickness 

Equine 

(including zebra) 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) Ames

Whole blood Purple top tube (10ml) (preferred) 

Green top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: spleen, lymph node, lung, 

liver 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

African swine fever 

Swine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Tonsil scraping Sterile tube FADDL 

Whole blood Green top tube (10ml) 

(for virus isolation) 

Serum Red top tube 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissues: spleen, tonsil, gastrohepatic, 

renal, and inguinal lymph nodes 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Aino and Akabane1 

Bovine 

Ovine 

Caprine 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Serum from fetus or neonate Red top tube ( 2–5 ml minimum) Ames

Serum from dam Red top tube ( 2–5 ml minimum) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: placenta, fetal muscle, and 

nervous tissue 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

1

Virus isolation, PCR, and serology are done at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) Ames. 

PCR and serology are done at NVSL FADDL. 

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DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Bluetongue & Epizootic hemorrhagic disease2,3 

Bovine 

Ovine 

Caprine 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Ames 

FADDL 

Serum Red top tube (5 ml minimum) 

Whole blood Purple top tube (10 ml) 

(preferred for PCR) 

(only sample for FADDL testing) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: spleen, liver, lung, lymph node Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Blue eye paramyxovirus 

Swine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Nasal swab Dacron®/polyester swab in TBTB Ames

(max 3 ml) 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Whole blood Green top tube (10 ml) 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: brain, spinal cord, lung, tonsil, 

reproductive tissues from sexually mature 

animals 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Set of fxed tissues: brain, spinal cord, 

lung, tonsil, spleen 

Formalin (10:1) 

Bovine babesiosis 

Bovine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Whole blood Purple top tube (10 ml) Ames

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy 

Bovine DECEASED ANIMALS NAHLN 

or 

NVSL 

Ames 

Minimum for surveillance: fresh obex 

For clinical suspects: K brain collected 

fresh and the other K collected in 

formalin 

50 ml tube, Whirl-Pak®, or Ziploc® bag 

Fresh tissue: K brain Formalin (10:1) 

If rabies is on your differential diagnosis, sample must be rabies-negative before testing 

for BSE—check with your state public health laboratory for sample specs for rabies. 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

2

Virus isolation and serology are done at NVSL Ames. PCR is done at FADDL (EDTA blood). 

3

Testing for BT/EHD at FADDL is limited to using EDTA blood. 

4-5 
DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Classical swine fever 

Swine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Dacron®/polyester swab: oral/tonsil TBTB (3 ml) FADDL 

Tonsil scraping Sterile tube 

Whole blood Green top tube (10ml) 

(for virus isolation) 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: tonsil, spleen, retropharyngeal, submandibular, and mesenteric 

lymph nodes 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Contagious agalactia 

Caprine 

Ovine 

DECEASED ANIMALS NVSL 

Tissue: lung Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags FADDL 

Joint fuid Sterile tube or red top tube 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia 

Bovine DECEASED ANIMALS NVSL 

Fresh tissue: lung Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags FADDL 

Joint fuid Sterile tube or red top tube 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia 

Caprine DECEASED ANIMALS NVSL 

Fresh tissue: lung Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags FADDL 

Pleural fuid Sterile tube or red top tube 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

4-6 
DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Contagious equine metritis 

Equine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Swabs for culture Call NVSL Ames for instructions Ames

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Dourine 

Equine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Whole blood Purple top tube (10 ml) Ames

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Equine piroplasmosis 

Equine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Whole blood Purple top tube (10 ml) Ames

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Foot-and-mouth disease 

Bovine 

Swine 

Ovine 

Caprine 

Camelid 

Cervid (including 

cloven-hoofed 

zoo animals and 

wildlife) 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Dacron®/polyster swabs: oral or vesicular FADDL 

lesions 

TBTB (3 ml) (small tissue tags from 

the edges of a ruptured vesicle may be 

added to the swab) 

Vesicular tissue (vesicular epithelium— 

as large as practical) 

Animal shoud be restrained 

Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag or screwcap plastic tubes 

Vesicular fuid Sterile tube or red top tube (undiluted) 

or TBTB (50:50) 

Crusts/scabs 

Animal “shoud” be restrained 

Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag or screwcap plastic tubes 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Esophageal-pharyngeal fuid (collected 

by probang for identifcation of FMDseropositive carriers) 

TBTB (50:50) 

Whole blood Green top tube (10 ml) 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue (esp. lymph node) Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

4-7 
DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Glanders 

Equine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) Ames

Whole blood Purple or green top tube (10 ml) 

Swabs for culture Call NVSL Ames for instructions 

Heartwater4 

Bovine 

Ovine 

Caprine 

Cervid 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) Ames

Whole blood Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Brain smear Air dry before packaging. If receipt at 

lab to be > 24 hrs, fx with methanol 

before shipping. Note on paperwork if 

slide is fxed. 

Fresh tissue: lymphoid tissues, brain, 

kidney 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Highly pathogenic avian infuenza5 

Avian LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Tracheal/Oropharyngeal swab Dacron®/polyester swab in BHI (3.0 ml) Ames

(can pool up to 5 swabs) 

Cloacal swab Dacron®/polyester swab in BHI (3.0 ml) 

(can pool up to 5 swabs) 

For commercial poultry do NOT pool TR /OP with cloacal swabs. 

Serum Red top tube (2 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Swab collection as above; tissues as below if needed. 

Fresh tissue: trachea, lung, liver, spleen, 

kidney, terminal intestine 

For each bird: 

Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® pooled 

by system (respiratory, enteric, 

reproductive) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

4NVSL FADDL tests import cases from FMD-endemic countries. 

5

Refer to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/lab_info_services/downloads/WIAV0020.pdf 

4-8 
DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Lumpy skin disease 

Bovine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Skin biopsy TBTB (3 ml) FADDL 

Whole blood Green top tube (10 ml) 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

Lymph node aspirate TBTB (3 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Lymph node aspirate TBTB (3 ml) 

Fresh tissues: skin, lymph node, lung Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Malignant catarrhal fever 

Bovine (including 

wild ruminants) 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Ames 

or NVSL 

FADDL 

(if vesicular 

lesions) 

Whole blood Purple top tube (10 ml) 

(preferred for PCR) 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: spleen, eye Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Peste des petits ruminants 

Ovine 

Caprine 

(including wild 

small ruminants) 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Dacron®/polyester swab: nasal, ocular, oral TBTB (3 ml) FADDL 

Whole blood Green top tube (10 ml) 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: bronchial lymph node, 

mesenteric lynph node, lung, spleen, 

intestinal mucosa 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease 

Rabbit LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Serum (import/export only) Red top tube (5 ml) FADDL 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: liver Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

4-9 
DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Rift Valley fever 

Ovine 

Bovine 

Caprine 

Camelid 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Whole blood Green top tube (10 ml) FADDL 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: liver, spleen, brain, placenta Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) 

Ovine 

Caprine 

Bovine 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Whole blood Purple top tube (10 ml) Ames

Serum (fetal and adult; fetal cases should 

be accompanied by dam’s serum) 

Red top tube (2–5 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh fetal tissue: placenta, amniotic fuid, 

brain (preferred), heart blood 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Screwworm 

All species LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Parasitology 

(Use VS 

Form 5-38) 

Maggots from all parts of wounds. 

Include different sizes and appearances. 

70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol – 

not formalin 

Ovine 

Caprine 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Skin/Pox lesion biopsy TBTB (3 ml) FADDL 

Whole blood Green top tube (10 ml) 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissues: skin, lymph node, lung Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag 

or screw-cap plastic tubes 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

Swine vesicular disease 

Swine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Dacron®/polyester swab: lesion, nasal, fecal TBTB (3 ml) FADDL 

Vesicular tissue (vesicular epithelium— 

as large as practical) 

Tube or TBTB (3 ml) 

Vesicular fuid Sterile tube or red top tube (undiluted) 

or TBTB (50:50) 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Whole blood Green top tube (10 ml) 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue: skin, tongue, and mucosa 

with lesions 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

4-10 
DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Teschovirus encephalomyelitis (Teschen/Talfan disease) 

Swine DECEASED ANIMALS NVSL 

Ames and/ 

or NVSL 

FADDL 

(if CSF in 

differential 

diagnosis) 

Fresh tissue: brain, spinal cord Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of fxed tissues: brain, spinal cord Formalin (10:1) 

Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis 

Equine LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Serum Red top tube (5 ml) Ames

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Brain, cerebrospinal fuid Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bag or screw-cap 

plastic tubes and red top tube (CSF) 

Vesicular stomatitis 

Bovine 

Swine 

Ovine 

Caprine 

Equine 

Camelid 

Cervids (including 

cloven-hoofed 

zoo animals and 

wildlife) 

LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

FADDL 

(Ruminant 

and Swine) 

and NVSL 

Ames 

(Equine) 

Dacron®/polyester swab: oral lesions TBTB (3 ml) 

Vesicular tissue (vesicular epithelium— 

as large as practical) 

Animal should be restrained 

Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

or tubes with 3ml TBTB 

Tissue tags from the edges of a 

ruptured vesicle may be added to 

the swab tube. 

Vesicular fuid Sterile tube or red top tube 

with TBTB (50:50) 

Crusts/scabs 

Animal should be restrained 

Whirl-Pak®, Ziploc® bags, or tubes 

(no media) 

Serum Red top tube (10 ml) 

Esophageal-pharyngeal fuid (collected 

by probang for identifcation of FMDseropositive carriers) 

TBTB (50:50) 

Whole blood (not needed for equine) Green top tube (10 ml) 

Purple top tube (10 ml) 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Fresh tissue (esp. lymph node) Separate Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® bags 

Set of tissues Formalin (10:1) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

4-11 
DIAGNOSTIC SAMPLING 

Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND)6 

Avian LIVE ANIMALS NVSL 

Ames 

Tracheal/Oropharyngeal swab Dacron®/polyester swab in BHI (3.0 ml) 

(can pool up to 5 swabs) 

Cloacal swab Dacron®/polyester swab in BHI (3.0 ml) 

(can pool up to 5 swabs) 

For commercial poultry do NOT pool TR /OP with cloacal swabs. 

DECEASED ANIMALS 

Swab collection as above; tissues as below if needed. 

Fresh tissue: trachea, lung, liver, spleen, 

kidney, terminal intestine, brain (if neurologic signs) 

For each bird: 

Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® pooled 

by system (respiratory, enteric, 

reproductive) 

SPECIES SPECIMEN MEDIUM LAB 

6

Refer to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/lab_info_services/downloads/WIAV0020.pdf 

Collecting Tissue Samples

Tissue samples for formalin: at a minimum, collect 1 cm thick sections of any lesions, trachea, esophagus, 

heart, lung, thoracic lymph nodes, liver, spleen, kidney, abdominal lymph nodes, bladder, stomach, duodenum, 

jejunum, ileum, colon, and bursa for avian species. 

If neurologic signs, collect brain, cut in half along midline, and submit as fresh and fxed. For the fxed 

brain sample, ensure suffcient volume of formalin is included to maintain the 10:1 ratio of formalin to 

tissue. 

If small lesion, put entire lesion in Whirl-Pak® or Ziploc® for virology, NOT in formalin. 

DO NOT FREEZE SAMPLES. Submit cool on frozen gel packs. 

Contact FADDL about sample submissions at: fad.submissions@usda.gov 

4-12