6.11 Animal specimens must be sent direct to the Institute for Animal Health,
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Pirbright Laboratory (Pirbright) for testing.
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In the United Kingdom, bluetongue is a notifiable disease and so samples from suspected cases should be submitted to the Institute for Animal Health (Pirbright) for laboratory diagnosis. Advice detailing the samples required is available from [http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/documents/bluetongue_technical.PDF DEFRA].
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Specimens required
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6.12 It is essential for the diagnosis of BT that the most appropriate specimens are
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carefully collected and properly transported. The following specimens are required for
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the diagnosis of BT.
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· Two 10 mL samples of blood from the jugular vein of each of up to six sheep with
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high (in excess of 40.5°C) temperatures.
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- One 10 mL of blood is run into a sterile bottle and allowed to clot to provide a
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serum sample for the antibody test
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Technical Review - Bluetongue: The Virus, Hosts and Vectors