SVA/FMD Swine Vesicular Testing Guidance 

03 August 2023 Page 1 of 1

FMD/SVA Swine Vesicular

Testing Guidance

August 2023

Please note: This procedure may be revised as needed. 

The National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) is a partnership of state and federal diagnostic 

laboratories that provide investigational and surveillance testing for high consequence agricultural pathogens. There 

continues to be a high prevalence of Senecavirus A (SVA)-associated vesicular lesions in swine on farms and in 

slaughter channels. In 2019 an SVA/foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) testing pilot project in select SVA/FMD approved 

National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratories was launched and after success of that pilot 

program it was shifted to a long-term strategy in 2022. Since that time, feedback from stakeholders, particularly 

SAHOs, is that the burden of performing these FADIs at high incidence plants continues to be significant. The daily 

resource demand is becoming challenging to meet in the face of continued animal disease outbreaks.

In response to these concerns, vesicular testing at high incidence swine plants with previous history of SVA 

confirmed cases will continue to occur at select NAHLN laboratories (see Appendix) without initiation of a foreign 

animal disease investigation. Only 5% of samples tested by the NAHLN laboratory will be forwarded to the FADDL for 

quality assurance testing. 

A. Samples Tested by Approved NAHLN Laboratories:

• The SVA/FMD multiplex PCR should be run on all samples submitted from designated slaughter 

plants as part of this monitoring program. 

• All results should be messaged within 24h of test completion.

B. Samples Forwarded to FADDL

• All FMD Non-negative

• All SVA Not Detected/FMD Not Detected

• Random 5% of all SVA Non-negative/FMD Not Detected 

C. FMD Non-negative 

• Any FMD Non-negative test result should be handled in accordance with: 

i. NVSL-MAN-0028 NAHLN Laboratory Guide for Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) Investigations. 

ii. NVSL-SOP-0648 Preparation, Performance and Interpretation of the Foot and Mouth 

Disease Virus and Senecavirus A Multiplex rRT-PCR Assay on the Applied Biosystems 7500 

FAST Real-time PCR System.

D. Inclusion of Additional NAHLN Laboratories 

• If your laboratory is seeing a large number of swine vesicular FADIs (FMD) from one specific 

slaughter facility and/or your SAHO has inquired about this program, please contact the NAHLN 

Program Office (NAHLN@usda.gov) for consideration to have your laboratory added to this 

monitoring program. 

i. To be added to the current group of laboratories completing this testing your laboratory 

would need to complete the following: 

1. Successfully pass a proficiency test for the SVA/FMD Multiplex assay.

2. Successfully message the multiplex results through HL7 messaging. 

3. Update your current IDIQ to include a negotiated price for multiplex PCR. 
Appendix: FMD/SVA Surveillance

Participating NAHLN Laboratories

Please note: This list may be revised as needed. 

State Laboratory

1 California California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory

2 Illinois University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

3 Kansas Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

4 Michigan Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

5 Minnesota University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

6 North Carolina Rollins Diagnostic Laboratory

7 Ohio Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory

8 Oregon Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

9 Tennessee Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory

10 Wisconsin Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory