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Diagnostic testing

APHA offers diagnostic testing on a variety of different sample types for livestock, equine, avian and wildlife species.

Submit your samples using our online submission service

The Animal Disease Testing Service, ADTS is APHA's digital submission service.

Features include:

  • paper-free sample submission direct to testing laboratory
  • sample and test tracking
  • live results
  • a fully mobile service
  • free postage.

Find out more and register:

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Find out more about our services

If you have a query about our diagnostic tests, please contact your local Veterinary Investigation Centre

Guide to help with sample and test selection

APHA’s guide on sample and test selection, Livestock & Wildlife Disease Diagnosis at APHA provides you with guidance on the samples required and tests used for common disease presentations for both livestock and wildlife. 

You can also access this guide through the Animal Disease Testing Service.

If the guide does not answer your query, please contact one of our Veterinary Investigation Officers at your local Veterinary Investigation Centre. 

Submission samples

All diagnostic tests for one submission should be sent together to a single location, that location should be the best one for the tests you need. These are shown in the tests and locations table.

For example, if you have bloods for serology and tissue for culture work, send the submission to a bacteriology lab. Please do not send samples to locations not shown in the table as this will create delays in testing.

To help you chose the best location to send your samples to, we recommend that you use our digital Animal Disease Testing Service. This provides information on where to send samples, gives you a submission reference, and allows you to track progress and receive results.

The service also allows you to send all samples to a single location if that is your preference, will advise the best location for the tests you have selected, and generate dispatch notes and address label information.

All samples should continue to be submitted using the species specific forms. We use your data extensively for surveillance, and are always grateful for the time you spend providing it. It also ensures you receive the subsidised surveillance price list. 

Animal Health and Welfare (AH&W) Pathway for England - Information and Guidance

Sheep

AH&W Pathway, Worming Treatment Check.

Please take note of the following important points:

  • If you choose APHA as your testing laboratory, then email a request for a Worming Treatment Check (WTC) sampling kit, to APHA VIC Carmarthen General Mailbox Carmarthen@apha.gov.uk - upon receipt of the request, APHA Carmarthen will provide 15 sample pots for the collection of 10, preferably 15 faecal samples pre-treatment from a group of lambs.
  • Sampling ewes is contrary to SCOPS advice, so please sample lambs <12 months-old that have not had any anthelmintic treatment over the previous 4 weeks.
  • A further 15 sample pots will be sent for the collection of the 10-15 faecal samples post-treatment, if a positive count resulted from the pre-treatment test samples. Each set of sample pots will be accompanied by a copy of the Worming Treatment Check Test Submission Form.
  • The samples will be tested using the Worming Treatment Check test (TC1668) -When post treatment samples are submitted these should be crossed referenced using the submission number provided on the preliminary report.
  • To get the best result, consider monitoring faecal egg counts in advance and only start the WTC test when there is an egg count high enough to indicate the need for treatment.
  • Also refer to the SCOPS guidance and please read the full information document.

Please contact your local Veterinary Investigation Centre if you have any questions or want to discuss this test.

Cattle

Guidance to follow

Pigs

Guidance to follow