Division 4

Since any vesicular condition in pigs may be foot and mouth disease, special precautions must be taken for the safe packaging of suspected samples. These precautions must be mainly designed to prevent breakage or leakage of containers and the risk of contamination but are also important to ensure that specimens arrive in a satisfactory state. If wet ice is put inside a package escape of water must be prevented. No containers with samples suspected to contain swine vesicular disease virus must be opened once they leave the infected premises and until they arrive to the laboratory.