Submitted by: Stacie Hotham, Diagnostic Chemica! Limited

As many of you know, it has recently come to our attention that the current USDA regulations require the recipients of proficiency testing samples containing pathogens to obtain a USDA veterinary permit for these transports within the United States. This regulation not only covers proficiency samples, but also the shipment of livestock and poultry viral or bacterial pathogens from anywhere within the United States to require such a permit.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR LAB ? If you are obtaining known pathogens that are of the nature described above, you will need a permit to have these materials shipped to you. This means if you are obtaining known isolates to use as controls from the NVSL (just an example) you will need a permit to have these shipped to you. The onus for this process is on the recipient of the materials, not the shipper.

Unfortunately, the bacteriology specimens that we send to you as a part of the VLA Quality Assurance Program fall into this category. We have asked every facility involved in the portion of the Program to supply us with such a permit so that we can ship them bacteriology samples in November.

Laboratories; which do not a have a permit in place, should apply for one at their earliest convenience. If your lab receives other domestic isolates from other U.S. labs, you may wish to note this on the application, so the USDA can write the permit as broadly as necessary. You can apply online for this permit at the following web site: www.aphis.usda.Qov/vs/nclie. If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly via phone (802 285 6160) or e mail jshotham@pshift.com">jshotham@pshift.com