Diagnosis of diseases in livestock: Do's and not do's

Successful diagnosis of a disease in food-producing animals depends in many times on proper collection and handling of specimens, as well as careful clinical observation and evaluation of the diseased animals. During the period required to complete the appropriate laboratory tests, an awareness of the potential problems of disease spread to animals at risk and the available palliative treatments is essential. Because most microbial-induced diseases in herds or flocks cannot be effectively treated once the problem is established, management through prevention and control of the disease must be instituted to offer the maximum protection to animals at risk. Thus, the course of disease management for infectious diseases is oftentimes a difficult judgment decision. This paper presents a brief general guide to specimen collection and laboratory methods used for diagnosis of diseases in production animals. (omitted)