User Guide
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Specimen Submission
Specimens should be sent to the following address: Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Download an address label. Submission FormsSubmission forms are legal documents designed to be concise, yet complete. The information requested is needed to determine which laboratory tests are appropriate, to minimize your laboratory testing charges, and to produce your results as quickly as possible. Please be as specific as possible in your testing requests.
These submission forms may be downloaded or ordered from the lab. Requests for specialized testing will be managed on an individual basis in consultation between the referring veterinarian and the receiving diagnostician, and with the approval of the laboratory director. Please call the VDL at 515-294-1950 for information if you have questions concerning a particular submission. Guidelines for Packaging SpecimensThe goals of packaging are to protect the specimens from temperature extremes (freezing and heating) and to protect persons who may come into contact with the package from exposure to infectious agents. For this reason, it is extremely important to prevent leakage of specimens. Neither commercial carriers nor the U.S. Postal Service will deliver containers that leak. Additional fees will be assessed if the VDL is required to pick up leaking packages that carriers will not deliver. Leak-proof specimen containers, abundant icepacks with chilled fresh specimens, and an insulated leak-proof transport container lined with a plastic bag are required. Check with your local post office or commercial carrier for current requirements of the Department of Transportation for shipping biological diagnostic materials. These include specifications for approved package liners and exterior labels.
Bacteriology Submission GuidelinesGeneral guidelines for submission are found in the Pathology section. If you are requesting bacteriology tests, remember to keep samples moist, cool, and send by overnight transport. The following are important points to keep in mind:
Anaerobic Cultures
Milk
Blood
Urine
Skin Lesions
Toxicology/Nutrition Submission GuidelinesThe purpose of the diagnostic toxicology section is to provide consultation, suggestions, and interpretation regarding suspected toxicoses. This consultation includes information about specific samples or specimens useful in confirming diagnoses suspected by the attending clinician. To best accomplish this, a thorough interchange of information between clinician and diagnostician is important. A written or telephone history from the attending veterinarian is useful if the analyses are to be suggested by the toxicologist. A complete account of history (including management and feed type), clinical signs, and lesions submitted with specimens for laboratory evaluation is very important. Currently, the practice of diagnostic toxicology requires that specific analyses or chemical categories be selected. There is no practical or affordable way to check for all possible poisons. The more information provided, the more efficient and useful is the selection process. The VDL offers services for nutritional monitoring through analysis of feeds, serum and liver for minerals and selected vitamins. Water quality analysis is also available. The VDL does not perform proximate analysis (TDN, protein, etc.) on feeds or forages. Selecting specimens for toxicology and chemical evaluation requires three main criteria:
Choice and condition of specimens is extremely important when diagnostic support is required for a suspected toxicology case. The following are guidelines to increase the usefulness of toxicologic submissions.
Pathology Submission GuidelinesSubmission of tissue specimen(s) is often the best method of obtaining a diagnosis. However, proper selection and preservation of samples is essential to make the most efficient and economical use of the laboratory. The two conditions that most frequently interfere with diagnosis are (1) post mortem autolysis, and (2) sample collection too late in the course of disease. Fresh specimens should be large enough to demonstrate the lesion yet small enough to allow for rapid chilling. In some cases (e.g., bronchoalveolarlavage for PRRS virus isolation) submission of an entire organ may be preferred. Ideally, fresh samples should be packaged individually to prevent cross-contamination. It is absolutely vital NOT to package fresh intestine with other tissues, as this results in fecal contamination of other organs. At a minimum, intestinal samples should be submitted separate from all other tissues. Samples should be shipped in leak-proof containers with artificial freeze packs. Please line shipping containers with additional sealed plastic bags to avoid leakage in transit. A fee of $25 may be assessed for packages that leak. Specimens for histopathology should include slices of the appropriate organs, including the lesion, transitional zones, and adjacent grossly normal tissue, in 10% buffered formalin in a leak-proof, wide-mouthed solid container. DO NOT USE GLASS CONTAINERS. When in doubt, collect specimens from multiple organs, including brain. The pathologist can then select the most appropriate specimens for complete microscopic examination. Unless it is important that individual animals be examined and reported separately, specimens from each individual animal can be pooled in a single container - provided the specimens are small enough to maintain a 10:1 formalin:tissue ratio. The ratio of formalin:tissue must be at least 10:1 to allow adequate fixation. A minimum of 48 hours is required for histopathology, 24 hours for fixation and 24 hours for processing. Consequently, specimens for histopathological examination should be collected and placed in formalin at the time of necropsy in order to minimize autolysis and generally allow results to be available the day after the specimen is received. General guidelines for histopathologic examination/submission of formalin-fixed specimens are as follows:
Serology Submission GuidelinesPlease submit samples according to the following guidelines in order to expedite testing and shorten turn-around time.
Molecular and Viral Diagnostics Submission GuidelinesSuccessful isolation and/or detection of viruses in clinical materials depends largely on proper collection and handling of specimens. Care should be taken to protect the virus in specimens from environmental damage and maintain virus infectivity by using the proper transport system. In general, specimens intended for virological testing should be collected as early as possible in the course of the disease, i.e., within the first 7 days after the onset of illness. Samples collected during the acute phase of viral infection usually contain adequate amounts of virus for detection in available assays. Samples collected later in the course of infection usually require more laboratory time and often yield poor or negative results. Since certain viral infections may predispose the host to secondary viral or bacterial infections, samples collected late in the disease process may lead to a misdiagnosis when secondary infection is involved. The appropriate samples for virus detection include bodily fluids and secretions (e.g., nasal or conjunctival secretion, genital swabs, urine, saliva, vesicle fluid, semen, milk), feces, blood samples, and skin biopsies from infected, live animals (i.e., antemortem), and relevant tissues and organs from necropsied animals (i.e., postmortem). The collection of antemortem samples from sick animals should be based on clinical manifestation. For example, nasal or nasopharyngeal swabs should be collected from animals with respiratory diseases; fecal samples from animals with enteric diseases; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), nasal secretion and feces from animals with CNS signs; vesicle fluid and biopsies from animals with skin lesions. The same principle can be applied to the collection of postmortem samples. As a general practice, whole blood* and serum should always be collected from animals with suspected viral diseases, regardless of clinical manifestations. Secondary lymphoid tissues (e.g., tonsil, lymph nodes, spleen) are always good specimens for viral diagnosis. *For collecting whole blood, citrate is preferable to EDTA as an anticoagulant because EDTA may inactivate some viruses due to its chelating activity. For best results in isolation and detection of viruses, clinical specimens should be aseptically collected, kept fresh, and transported immediately to the laboratory. If delays are unavoidable or any detrimental affects on virus in samples are anticipated during transport, samples should be refrigerated at 40ºF (4ºC) for no more than 2 days. For longer storage periods, freeze samples at - 70ºC, but NEVER at - 20ºC. Self-defrosting freezers in conventional refrigerators are not appropriate for storage. NEVER freeze whole blood samples. Ideally, frozen samples should be submitted on dry ice, but commercial refrigerant packs can be used if necessary. Unbleached swabs (e.g., Dacron swabs are available from Baxter) are strongly recommended for collecting nasal and fecal swabs. Standard cotton swabs contain residual bleach that can inactivate viruses. Swabs MUST be prevented from drying. For that reason, swabs may need to be placed in a viral transport system. Ideally, swabs should be placed in a broth medium or balanced salt solution supplemented with 0.5% gelatin, serum, or bovine serum albumin, to protect the viability of viruses in transit plus antibiotics to prevent bacterial and fungal growth. Minimally, physiological saline or Lingo solution could be used on an emergency basis. Specimen collection and transport systems (e.g., Viral Culturette® Becton Dickinson) are available. It is important to choose not only the most appropriate specimen, but also to collect an adequate amount of specimen for virological testing. Submit a minimum of 3-4 ml serum and 3-5 grams or 5 ml wet volumne of fecal material. Insufficient amounts of sample are a potential cause of inconclusive diagnosis or false-negative result. When it is necessary to ship a specimen, use a leak-proof container (e.g., tubes, plastic bags) enclosed in a second watertight container containing absorbent material. Ideally, the specimen container should be placed in a Styrofoam box with commercial refrigerant packs or dry ice. Avoid using wet ice because it will melt and leak from the package. Dry ice is preferable if transport requires more than 3 days. All specimens should be packed in a manner to avoid leakage or breakage, and to withstand the trauma of mailing. Shipping agencies may choose not to deliver leaking packages because of new Department of Transport regulations on shipment of potentially biohazardous materials. In addition, a special permit may be required for interstate transportation of certain veterinary viruses within the United States. Practitioners are referred to published federal guidelines and regulations for details pertaining to packaging, labeling, and interstate shipping of infectious agents (Title 42 CFR Part 72; Title 49 CRF Part 173.386-388). All specimens should be properly labeled and accompanied by the proper VDL submission form. Please provide all information requested on the form: animal identification, age or body weight, gender, date of onset of disease, major clinical signs, days of gestation if samples originate from abortions, herd size, number of animals affected or dead, date of collection, animal source and location, vaccination history, and differential diagnosis. This latter information is essential for the selection of the most sensitive test system in the laboratory when samples are submitted by mail. Delivery of SpecimensChoose a method of transportation that will ensure timely delivery to the laboratory. We receive U.S. Mail and UPS deliveries Monday through Friday. Other commercial carriers deliver as needed. Upon request, shipping cartons will be returned at the submitter's expense. To be sure that samples receive prompt and proper care, schedule their arrival during standard business hours. Always consider the potential impact of holidays and weekends on shipping schedules before sending packages by commercial carriers. Personal delivery by the owner is often appropriate. Download a map and directions to the VDL for your convenience. After-hours emergency serviceAfter-hours emergency service is available on weeknights, weekends, and during University holidays by calling our on-call student at 515-290-1969 who can assist and also provide access to diagnostic pathologists and toxicologists. After-hours SubmissionsSamples delivered to the ISU VDL after-hours can now be placed directly in a refrigerator located inside the VDL submission door foyer. After entering the foyer, follow the procedure below for leaving samples in the refrigerator for submission:
Testing ScheduleOur goal is to provide accurate results and timely service. However, some diagnostic assays are not performed daily and/or testing schedules may change. If your case involves testing animals for export, testing show animals, testing animals to be sold, and/or testing a large number of samples, please contact the VDL (515-294-1950) prior to submission to verify the availability and turnaround time of specific assays. A phone call will often shorten turnaround time by providing us time to prepare for testing prior to receipt of samples. Biosecurity and Disease Control at the VDLAdmission of unauthorized persons to the post mortem room is prohibited. Diseased animals with a multitude of infectious agents are handled on a daily basis by the laboratory and we wish to avoid transmission of disease to your clients' animals. Diagnosticians will discuss case histories outside the post mortem area. Reporting ResultsAll submissions received by the VDL are assigned an accession number (case number). The referring veterinarian will receive an email or FAX listing the species received, the owner, the VDL accession number, and diagnostician(s) in charge of the case. Results are reported only to the referring veterinarian. When calling to inquire about a case, please be prepared to provide the VDL accession number. If requested, preliminary and/or final results may be telephoned or FAXed to the referring veterinarian. The charge for FAX reporting of results is $1 per fax. Final reports are mailed to the referring veterinarian. The VDL laboratory information management system (ISULIMS) now provides Internet access to laboratory results. A user name and password may be obtained that will allow access to reports and to a running total of charges for each case as soon as each test is completed and approved. This allows continuous access to diagnostic results, which can be printed for your files or saved as an Excel spreadsheet. To sign up for this service, please call the lab at 515-294-1950. Reportable and Quarantinable Diseases PolicySeveral infectious or contagious diseases are considered reportable and/or quarantinable under current regulations. As required by law, these diseases are reported to the responsible state or federal agencies. If you are uncertain about the reporting status of a disease, please contact the office of the State Veterinarian. Notifiable diseases include any livestock or poultry disease designated as a ‘Foreign Animal Disease’ by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Veterinary Services (USDA, APHIS, VS) and also the following:
Consultation and Interpretation of ResultsThe VDL faculty and staff are available for assistance with sample and test selection, as well as to offer tips on preservation and transportation of specimens. The VDL can assist in interpretation of results, but the final diagnosis and plan of action are the responsibility of the referring veterinarian. Additional animal health expertise and information is available through Veterinary Medicine Extension (515-294-3837) and faculty in Food Supply Veterinary Medicine (515-294-3837). Refer to Contact Information for additional information. FeesThe VDL is authorized to charge fees to users of laboratory services. User fees support the wide range of diagnostic services offered and supplement state funding. All fees are billed to the submitting veterinarian. Please consult the printed fee schedule, the VDL website, or call the VDL for current charges. The submission form should be used to indicate specific tests or procedures requested by the referring veterinarian. If multiple tests are requested and/or the diagnostician is instructed to use their own judgment in requesting tests, then an indication of monetary limitations should be provided by the referring veterinarian. Requests for specialized or non-routine testing will be assessed on an individual basis in consultation between the referring veterinarian and the receiving diagnostician, and with the approval of the laboratory director. Invoices and Payment of FeesAlong with the final report, you will receive an invoice showing the case charges. At the end of the month, a statement is sent from the University Accounts Receivable Office showing each invoice number and the charge. You are encouraged to keep the invoice received from our laboratory for cross-reference on the billing from Accounts Receivable. Payment is due on the 15th of the month. A 1.0% finance charge is added after 30 days. VISA, MasterCard and Discover credit cards are now accepted as another form of payment. These transactions can be made in person or by telephone during normal business hours. Returning of Bodies and Cosmetic PostingAs of September 15, 2008, no animal carcasses or ashes will be returned/released to veterinarians or animal owners. Arrangement for pickup by authorized crematory service is an option. No cosmetic posts will be performed on animals/bodies submitted to the laboratory for necropsy/testing. Please call the Laboratory Director with questions and additional details relating to these policies. Return of Biological Agents to SubmitterRapid changes in livestock production and disease management coupled with the fast pace of technology in medicine and diagnostics, have resulted in increased requests for the return of biological agents. The VDL will return isolates either to the submitting veterinarian or to a third party laboratory, e.g., for use in the manufacture of immunizing agents. Because of issues of safety, efficacy, and ownership, the VDL is required by the University to obtain a signed release form prior to providing agents to the submitter. Release forms can be faxed to you and the VDL will accept a faxed, signed copy in return. At present, the cost of providing isolates is $30.00 each for bacterial and $75.00 each for virus isolates. Following a request for a virus isolate, 7-10 days is required to propagate sufficient virus for transfer. If you anticipate multiple requests, we can issue a Memorandum of Understanding that will cover all agents requested within a specified time period. Then with each request you will receive a statement confirming transfer for the specific agent to which the transfer agreement will apply. You can request it from the VDL. |
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