If a practitioner suspects a foreign animal disease, he or she:

• A. Is responsible for submitting appropriate samples to the State Animal Health Official (SAHO), who will forward them to diagnostic laboratories
• B. Is responsible for submitting appropriate samples to national diagnostic laboratories
• C. Is responsible for reporting a suspected foreign animal disease to the Assistant Director (AD) or State Animal Health Official (SAHO).
• D. Is responsible for submitting appropriate samples to local diagnostic laboratories

Answer: (C)

When a practitioner suspects a foreign animal disease, the immediate step is to report it to the state’s designated authority, the State Animal Health Official or the Assistant Director. This establishes the official chain of command for the investigation, containment, and response, and triggers the coordination with federal authorities and diagnostic laboratories as needed. The SAHO/AD decides when and where samples should be submitted and ensures proper biosafety, reporting, and traceability throughout the process. Directly handling sample submissions to other laboratories or bypassing the official reporting channel can delay response, bypass required procedures, and potentially allow the disease to spread. So the critical action is to alert the SAHO or AD right away, which then guides subsequent sampling and testing through the appropriate official channels.