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USDA Expands Sampling Methods for Foreign Animal Disease
USAgNet - 02/18/2019

After input from the pork industry, the USDA has announced that the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) will officially accept swine lymph node as an approved type of sample for determining the presence of African swine fever (ASF) and classical swine fever (CSF), but only as part of a foreign animal disease investigation. This new sample type joins the other approved types that may be used for an FAD investigation using the polymerase chain reaction method. These include: whole blood (ASF only); tonsil (ASF and CSF); and spleen (ASF and CSF).

According to Christina M. Loiacono, DVM, coordinator with the NAHLN, an active surveillance testing plan is being developed that will describe how lymph node may be incorporated into active disease surveillance. This plan will be announced once it is finalized and approved. Until then, the only ASF and CSF testing using lymph node in NAHLN labs should be within an FAD investigation.

"We are very pleased with the addition of lymph node as a sample type for FAD investigations,” says Dave Pyburn, DVM, senior vice president of the National Pork Board's science and technology department. "It offers producers, veterinarians and diagnosticians another way to help determine if an active FAD infection is happening on a farm. Having more options to do this is always a good thing.”


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