Accredited veterinarians have a long history of successful participation in the eradication and control of USDA Program Diseases and other domestic diseases of swine. Their knowledge of the health history of their clients' operations, collecting the appropriate samples, and properly labeling, packaging, and shipping them to designated veterinary diagnostic laboratories was, and is, essential to swine health management. Due to the participation of accredited veterinarians, hog cholera and pseudorabies have been eradicated from domestic swine and the prevalence of trichinellosis has decreased in the United States, serving to protect public health.
Essential to eradication and control of diseases, domestic or foreign animal, is surveillance through observation and testing. Ensuring the right samples are collected, labeled, packaged, and shipped are vital steps in obtaining an accurate diagnosis. This module will review proper collection techniques for domestic animal diseases and other important steps to enhance diagnostic accuracy.
Center for Food Security and Public Health