Guidelines for taking diagnostic samples from pigs
Thermo Fisher global diagnostic solutions include both ELISA and PCR tools that help you manage a wide range of production animal diseases.
To support veterinarians, we’ve created a series of best practice guides that outline how, where, and when to take samples from pigs for submission to diagnostic laboratories.
Ultimately, the laboratory performing the diagnostic test has the final say on the sample type and transport conditions of samples being submitted for testing. The reader of these guides should confirm with their specific testing laboratory that the collection methods and transport conditions are acceptable to the testing laboratory.
Preview
Description
Nasal swabs
Nasal swabs can be tested by culture for the presence of B. bronchiseptica and toxigenic P. multocida, which jointly cause progressive rhinitis atrophicans (pRA).
Oral fluids
Oral fluids may be used to monitor animals with signs of disease, but are also used for prognostic profiling to estimate the circulation of pathogens in swine populations.
Tissue
Some protozoa, helminth parasites, and viruses (e.g., rotaviruses and coronaviruses) can be identified using different microscopy techniques with tissue samples of the small and large intestines as well as other tissues.
Blood
Blood samples can be tested for the presence of antibodies against a range of pathogens, including PRRSV, M. hyopneumoniae, SIV, Salmonella, Trichinella, PHV-1, CSF, and more.
Tonsil scrapings and tracheobronchial swabs
Tonsil scrapings can confirm the presence of A. pleuropneumoniae, while tracheobronchial swabs can confirm the presence of M. hyopneumoniae. In either case, PCR-based tests can be used to detect pathogen RNA and DNA.
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) can be tested by culture for the presence of a range of bacterial pathogens causing pneumonia, including A. pleuropneumoniae, B. bronchiseptica, and P. multocida.
Cervical swabs, semen, and urine
Cervical swabs, semen, and urine can be tested by culture for the presence of a range of bacterial pathogens causing urinary tract diseases (UTD) and/or reproductive disorders either in boars or sows.
Feces
Some protozoa, helminth parasites, and viruses (e.g., rotaviruses and coronaviruses) can be suspected or identified by analyzing fecal samples with different microscopy techniques.
For Veterinary Use Only. For In Vitro Use Only. Regulatory requirements vary by country; products may not be available in your geographic area.