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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. Samples are collected from sheep with raised temperatures and include jugular blood collected into a plain tube to provide serum for an antibody test, and a heparinised blood sample to be used for PCR. Serum from in-contact ruminants is also submitted, as well as spleen and lymph node from all post-mortem cases.  

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. Samples are collected from sheep with raised temperatures and include jugular blood collected into a plain tube to provide serum for an antibody test, and a heparinised blood sample to be used for PCR. Serum from in-contact ruminants is also submitted, as well as spleen and lymph node from all post-mortem cases.  

There is an array of laboratory tests available for the diagnosis of bluetongue, and the table below published by DEFRA¹ summarises these:

There is an array of laboratory tests available for the diagnosis of bluetongue, and a table b published by DEFRA¹ summarises these: