Private Testing Outside of Breakdown Situations

1. When private testing is carried out as part of a TB breakdown situation, refer to What and When to Test, Dealing with Positive Results in Private Tests. In Wales private testing is not permitted in TB breakdown herds.

2. Official Veterinarians (OVs) who wish to undertake private testing (either skin or blood tests) on behalf of owners must seek permission in advance from APHA. This is not only because the tuberculin is owned by APHA but it is also a legal requirement in the TB Orders of England, Scotland and Wales and it is important to remind the OV that they must send in a copy of the skin test chart (TN52A/TN52A(Welsh)/TN52B/TN52B(Welsh)) to APHA. It also allows checks on the competency of the OV/PVS to perform a skin test and that they have the correct equipment available.

3. When an owner or an OV contacts APHA, the OV must complete Part 1 of the Request to Test Form (TN184/TN184(Welsh)) and return it to APHA. The Request to Test Form (TN184) includes certification by the OV regarding the qualifications and experience the OV has in testing camelids.

4. APHA will check that the OV has the Official Controls Qualification (Veterinarian) Tuberculin Testing (OCQ(V) - TT) qualification from Improve International. If this check is satisfactory, the OV may be given permission to carry out private testing, using part 2 of the Request to Test Form (TN184/TN184(Welsh)). On completion of the test, the OV must complete Part 3 and return it to APHA with the test chart to record the details.

5. APHA Starcross offers serial DPPVetTB/IDEXX tests on private blood samples from camelids. The Camelid TB Serology Package - Private Sample Submission Form (TN186) should be used when submitting samples for a private test. Owners will be expected to pay for this test. It is recommended that a single bovine or a comparative tuberculin skin test is applied 10 to 30 days prior to blood samples being taken for DPPVetTB/IDEXX private testing, as this will maximise the sensitivity of the blood test.

6. Owners may also wish to have their camelids privately blood tested at their expense using the Enferplex test. After requesting permission from APHA, the PVS can arrange this directly with SureFarm Ltd. APHA does not offer private Enferplex TB testing to camelid keepers, only statutory Enferplex tests. As with the DPPVetTB/IDEXX combination of tests, it is recommended that a skin test is applied 10 to 30 days prior to blood samples being taken for Enferplex private testing, as this will maximise sensitivity of the blood test. The serial DPPVetTB/IDEXX test combination and the four-antigen interpretation of the Enferplex test have equivalent high specificity.

7. In Wales, private testing can take place (herds presumed TB-free, pre-movement or pre-export testing, movements for mating and to shows) using the comparative skin test and/or either serial DPPVetTB/IDEXX blood testing, or Enferplex, providing permission is applied for to APHA and results are reported to APHA as soon as is reasonably possible. It is recommended that the skin test is used prior to all antibody testing.

8. In England, a singleton (first time) TB positive result at the two-spot (antigen) interpretation of Enferplex test will not trigger statutory movement restrictions at that stage. However, if the animal tests positive again on the two-spot interpretation of Enferplex within 30 days, it will be considered an 'inconclusive' animal. APHA will serve a Notice Prohibiting Movement of Specified Animals (TN02) on the 'inconclusive' animal only. An 'inconclusive' animal will be subject to a one comparative intradermal skin test followed 10-30 days later by a four-spot Enferplex or serial DPPVetTB/IDEXX test funded by APHA. SureFarm or the private veterinarian commissioning the private Enferplex test are required to inform APHA regional offices of any repeat positives on the two-spot interpretation of this test or any four-spot Enferplex positives.

9. Where a presumed TB free (i.e. unrestricted) camelid herd has undergone private voluntary TB testing (e.g. pre/post-movement, pre-sale/show or pre/post-export) that discloses reactors to either a comparative skin test, or to the serial DPPVetTB/IDEXX tests or four-antigen Enferplex test, APHA must be notified and those animals will be compulsorily removed by APHA and attract compensation (unless in Scotland where additional re-testing may be considered). Notification by the Private Veterinary Surgeon (PVS) or from the laboratory will trigger herd movement restrictions and a new TB breakdown.

10. In England and Scotland, APHA will not enforce slaughter or pay compensation for positives to the Enferplex test unless deemed positive to four or more antigens ('four-spot' rule) in order to minimise the probability of false positive results and unnecessarily culling animals and imposing restrictions.

11. In England and Scotland, when no Visible TB lesions are disclosed at PME of an animal positive to a private TB test and PCR (or culture) results are negative for M. bovis, each camelid in the herd must undergo one government-funded comparative tuberculin skin test with negative results to resolve the (unconfirmed) TB incident and lift the herd movement restrictions. If no private tuberculin test (or injection with PPDB for antibody boosting purposes) had been carried out in the affected herd, this test will be conducted at least 60 days after the removal of the test-positive animal(s), provided the TB test positive animal(s) has/have been isolated effectively and the removal of the TB test positive animal(s) from the farm has not been delayed . If private tuberculin test (or injection with PPDB for antibody boosting purposes) had been carried out in the affected herd, this test will be conducted at least 90 days after the private skin test, provided the TB test positive animal(s) has/have been isolated effectively and the removal of the TB test positive animal(s) from the farm has not been delayed. If this test is clear, a follow-up private antibody test is strongly recommended after six months to check for M. bovis infection in the herd. If any of the reactors to the original private TB test proves positive for M. bovis infection on PCR testing (or bacteriological culture), the normal testing protocol for confirmed TB breakdowns in camelid herds will apply.

12. In Wales, following removal of reactors to a private TB test where no TB lesions are disclosed at PME, the herd will lose its OTF status and the testing requirements for OTF suspended should be followed.