Mammalian Serology
Properly performed serology requires appropriate amounts of uncontaminated serum. Sample collection technique and timely submission significantly impact the quality of the laboratory results. The following outline is provided to assist in the submission of samples for optimal results. Check individual tests under "remarks" for special handling requirements.
- Aseptically collect adequate amounts of blood for the number of tests requested.
- Collect blood in a clean, tightly sealed, leakproof tube or container (red top tube or marble topped serum separator tube).
- Leave tubes in a horizontal position for several hours at ambient room temperature (not below freezing).
- Submit samples as soon as possible. Leave the tubes in an upright position at room temperature or in a refrigerator overnight.
- Pack samples securely to prevent breakage. Packages should contain ice packs if samples will be in transit more than 24 hours or during warmer months of the year. Use courier service whenever possible as the routine delays which occur in mailing can result in deterioration of sample quality.
- Fill out submission forms completely and legibly and submit with samples. Be sure to indicate the tests to be performed as well as clinical history and purpose of test, (e.g. sale, diagnostic, etc.). Number all samples to match forms using consecutive numbers only.
- Whenever possible, send clear serum which has been aseptically transferred to a sterile red top serum tube. We will accept clotted whole blood samples with the understanding that they may have to be reported as hemolyzed or non-testable if they arrive in poor condition.
- The test schedules are flexible. In some instances setup is based on demand with a minimum and maximum time shown. Contact the serology section of the laboratory to which you are submitting samples in advance when you need a group of animals tested within certain time constraints. Allow 1-2 days extra for transport of samples between PADLS laboratory locations.
- Acute serum samples will be tested within the same run as convalescent samples when submitted together.
- Turn around time based on laboratory working days and on one-time test with negative results. Suspect samples will be retested requiring additional time.
Export testing or special needs: Contact PADLS laboratory prior to sample collection to schedule all necessary tests. Large volume export testing especially requires advance notification due to limited availability of some reagents and to allow scheduling of technical time to ensure timely reporting of results.
*Additional fees may apply, click Here for more information.
Codes for test requests
AGID - Agar gel immunodiffusion
HA - Hemagglutination
RID - Radial Immunodiffusion
BAPA - Buffered acidified plate assay
HI - Hemagglutination inhibition
RSAT - Rapid slide agglutination test
Card - Rapid Card Test
LA - Latex agglutination
SN - Serum neutralization
CF - Complement fixation
MA - Micro agglutination
SPT - Std. Plate-Standard Plate Test
ELISA - Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
RAP - Rapid automated presumptive
STT - Standard tube test
| Test/Agent | Price (diag.)* | Site | Procedure | Species | Tissue/Specimen | Setup | Turn-Around | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaplasmosis | $5.00 | PVL | CF | Bovine | 1 ml serum | Th | 1 day (if neg) | Presumptive positive results will be sent to NVSL for confirmatory testing |
| 14 days (if pos) | ||||||||
| $4.50 | cELISA | 1 ml serum | Th | |||||
| Bluetongue | $4.00 | PVL | AGID | Ruminants | 1 ml serum | W | 2 days | Presumptive positive results will be sent to NVSL for confirmatory testing |
| $5.00 | CF | 1 ml serum | W | 2 days | ||||
| $4.50 | cELISA | 1 ml serum | Th | 1 day | ||||
| Bovine Leukemia (BLV, bovine leukosis) | AGID $4.00 |
NBC | AGID, ELISA | Bovine | 1 ml serum | T, F | 3 days | Please contact lab before shipping large groups (300 +) of samples to assure availability of testing. |
| ELISA $4.50 | PVL | AGID, ELISA | 1 day | |||||
| PSU | ELISA | 1 ml serum | 2 days/week call for info. | 1-5 days | ||||
| Bovine Pre-purchase Panel | $15.00 each | PSU | Johne's ELISA, leukosis ELISA, p.i. BVD, Neospora | Bovine |
Serum- 2 tubes per animal |
See listings under individual tests | 7-12 days | p.i. BVD performed only at PSU |
| PVL | ||||||||
| Bovine Reproductive Panel | $30.00 each | PSU | BVD SN, IBR SN, Leptospirosis, Neospora | Bovine | 3 ml serum | M | 7-12 days | Haemophilus is only performed on submission of paired samples due to difficult interpretation regarding reproductive problems. - IBR and BVD tests performed only at PSU. Haemophilus sent to Texas (TVMDL) for testing. |
| PVL | ||||||||
| Bovine Respiratory Panel | $30.00 each | PSU | BRSV SN, BVD SN, IBR SN, PI3 HI | Bovine | 3 ml serum | M | 7 days | BRSV results will be processed in 3 weeks. BVD test performed only at PSU BRSV-SN sent out to TVL |
| Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) | Call for pricing |
Send out to TVMDL | SN | Bovine | 1 ml serum | W | 14 days | Test to be arranged only through PSU, forwarded to TVMDL for testing. |
| Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVD) (See Mammalian Virology for virus isolation from persistently infected animals) | $5.00 | PSU | SN | Bovine | 1 ml serum | M | 7-12 days | Test performed only at PSU Samples must be received before 2 pm on Friday. |
| Brucellosis (Brucella abortus) | $1.25 Out of state: $1.55 |
PVL | BAPA | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1 day | Unless specific tests are requested, those necessary for Pennsylvania classification will be done. | |
| $1.25 Out of state: $1.55 |
CARD | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1 day | ||||
| $5.00 | CF | 1 ml serum | M | 3 days | Herd Surveillance samples should be sent to PVL | |||
| $2.00 out of state: $2.50 |
SPT | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1 day | ||||
| $2.00 out of state: $2.50 |
STT | 1 ml serum | M, T, W | 2 days | Milk samples can be submitted as: | |||
| $1.00 out of state: $1.25 |
RAP | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1 day | ||||
| $1.50 out of state: $1.85 |
Rivanol | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1 day | 1. refrigerated fresh whole milk | |||
| Ring Test | 50 ml fresh whole milk (minimum) | M - Th | 3 days | 2. frozen fresh whole milk | ||||
| 3. formaldehyde preserved fresh milk | ||||||||
| $1.25 | PSU |
CARD | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1-2 days | |||
| $2.00 | SPT | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1-2 days | ||||
Brucellosis, Canine (Brucella canis) |
$Call | PVL | RSAT | Canine | .5 ml serum | M - F | 1 day | |
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE) |
$4.50 | PVL |
cELISA | Caprine |
1 ml serum | M | 1 day | |
| Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) | $4.00 | PVL | AGID | Ruminants | 1 ml serum | Upon request | 3-5 days | |
| Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) | $7.50 | NBC PVL | AGID | Equine | 1 ml serum | M - F | 3 days | For same day ELISA results, samples must be received by noon. Results for samples received after noon will be available the next day |
| $20.00 | NBC PVL | Coggins ELISA | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1 day | |||
| Equine Rhinopneumonitis (EHV 1, 4) | $11.00 | PSU | SN | Equine | 1 ml serum | M | 7-10 days | |
| Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) | $11.00 | PSU | SN | Bovine | 1 ml serum | M | 7 days | See Mammalian Virology for virus isolation |
| $Call | ELISA | On request | 5-7 days | |||||
| Johne's Disease (Mycobacterium paratuberculosis) | $4.00 | PSU PVL | AGID | Ruminants | .5 ml serum | M - W | 3 days | See Bacteriology for fecal culture. |
| AGID and ELISA performed at PVL and PSU | ||||||||
| $4.00 Milk $5.00 |
ELISA | 1 ml serum | 2 days/week call for info. | 1 day | ||||
| Leptospirosis | PVL | MA | Canine | 1 ml serum | M, F | 1-5 days for neg results | L. bratislava test is performed routinely for caprine, ovine, canine, equine and porcine species. | |
| 5 serovars $9.00 | ||||||||
| L. canicola | Equine | Samples screened and titered the same day, if time allows. | 3-7 days for positive results | L. bratislava is available for cattle upon request | ||||
| L. grippotyphosa | Ruminants | |||||||
| L. hardjo L.icterohaemorrhagica L. pomona | Porcine | |||||||
| L. bratislava | ||||||||
| Neospora caninum | $6.00 | PSU | ELISA | Bovine | 1 ml serum | 2 days/week call for info. | 7 days | |
| PVL | 1 day | |||||||
| Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) | $4.00 | PVL | AGID | Ovine | 1 ml serum | M - Th | 3-5 days | |
| Parainfluenza Type 3 (PI-3) | $4.00 | PSU | HI | Bovine | 1 ml serum | M - Th | 1-5 days | Test performed Monday only at PSU |
| See Mammalian Virology for virus isolation | ||||||||
| Porcine Parvovirus | $4.00 | PSU | HI | Porcine | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1-5 days | |
| Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) | $5.50 | PSU | ELISA | Porcine | 1 ml serum | 2 days/week call for info. | 1-5 days | |
| PVL | ||||||||
| Porcine Reproductive Panel | $Call | PSU | (includes Leptospirosis, PRV, PRRSV, Parvovirus) | Porcine | 3 ml serum | M, F | 10 days | Leptospirosis performed only at PVL |
| Parvovirus performed only at PSU | ||||||||
| Pseudorabies (PRV) | Regulatory N/C Diagnostic $4.50 Out of state $5.65 | PVL | ELISA - gpl differential | Porcine | 1 ml serum | M - F | 2 days | |
| Swine Influenza | $4.00 | PSU | HI and H3 | Porcine | 1 ml serum | M - F | 1-5 days | Routinely test for antibodies to both H1 and H3 subtypes |
| West Nile Virus | Neurologic equine No charge | PVL | ELISA IgM | Equine | 1 ml serum | W | 3 days | Testing on equine samples only. Submission form needs to include symptoms and vaccine history on neurologic animals for no fee testing. Vaccine does not interfere with IgM test. |
|
In State Diagnostic $12.00 Out of state $15.00 |
IgG testing done by arrangement only during off season |
Note: Samples should be sent to arrive at least by 2:00 PM the day before the scheduled laboratory test day.
