True/False: The initial confirmation of an exotic animal disease can be done at any certified laboratory that is part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not necessarily
• D. Cannot be determined

Answer: (B)

Initial confirmation of an exotic animal disease is not performed by just any NAHLN laboratory. Screening and preliminary testing can occur at many NAHLN member labs, but definitive confirmation for exotic or reportable diseases requires testing at a designated facility with validated, disease-specific assays and appropriate biosafety and regulatory oversight. In practice, suspect samples are routed to a lab such as the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) or another APHIS-approved confirmatory facility within NAHLN to obtain definitive confirmation. This ensures test accuracy, proper chain of custody, and regulatory acceptance. So the statement is false because initial confirmation cannot be done at any NAHLN lab.