Division I.1.1 Tissues for virological examination on cell culture

Before shipment or transfer to the laboratory, pieces of the organs to be examined shall be removed from the fish with sterile dissection tools and transferred to sterile plastic tubes containing transport medium.

The quantity of fish material suitable for virological examination on cell culture and by RT-qPCR is dependent on fish size. Thus, whole alevin (body length < 4 cm), viscera including kidney (4 cm < body length < 6 cm) or, for larger size fish, kidney, spleen, heart and/or encephalon, and ovarian fluid from brood fish at the time of spawning shall be the tissues to be sampled.

Ovarian or seminal fluid or organ pieces from a maximum of 10 fish may be collected in one sterile tube containing at least 4 ml transport medium and represent one pooled sample. The tissue in each sample shall weigh a minimum of 0,5 gram (g).

The virological examination on cell culture shall be started as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours after the collection of the samples. In exceptional cases, the virological examination may be started at the latest within 72 hours after the collection of the material, provided that the material to be examined is protected by a transport medium and that the temperature requirements during transportation can be fulfilled.