Division II.3 Official investigation and diagnostic methods to rule out the suspicion of or to confirm the presence of infection with WSD

When the presence of infection with WSD is required to be confirmed or the suspicion of such infection is required be ruled out in accordance with Article 28 of Directive 2006/88/EC, the following inspection, sampling and testing procedure shall be complied with:

1. (a)

   the official investigation shall include at least one health inspection and one sampling of 10 crustaceans when clinical or post-mortem signs consistent with infection with WSD are observed or 150 crustaceans when clinical or post-mortem signs are not observed. The samples shall be tested using the diagnostic method set out in point II.2 (two-step PCR);

2. (b)

   the presence of WSD shall be considered as confirmed when two-step PCR followed by sequencing, following the detailed methods and procedures set out in this Part 6 of Annex II, is positive for WSSV and, when pathognomonic signs of WSD are present in the selected hosts.

   The suspicion of WSD may be ruled out, if those tests reveal no further evidence of the presence of WSD.