Swine vesicular disease suspicion: what should your next steps be?

• A. Keep careful records of your observations and send blood samples to Plum Island
• B. Quarantine the herd and send blood and fecal samples to a local diagnostic laboratory
• C. Call state and federal animal health authorities for help
• D. Send the herd to a commercial abattoir, specifying that the meat is not to be used for human consumption

Answer: (C)

When you suspect swine vesicular disease, notifying authorities immediately is essential. It’s a reportable foreign animal disease in many regions, and a rapid, coordinated response is needed to protect animal health and trade. By calling state and federal animal health authorities, you trigger the official investigation, establish appropriate movement controls, and get guidance on how to collect and submit samples for confirmatory testing at authorized laboratories (such as NVSL). This ensures proper chain-of-custody, correct sample types, and the right lab testing, while you implement the necessary biosecurity and quarantine steps under official direction. Swine vesicular disease can resemble other vesicular diseases like foot-and-mouth disease, so treating it as a potential FAD until proven otherwise is critical, and authorities will direct you on what to do with the herd. Actions taken without this coordination can risk spreading the disease and complicating reporting and containment.