Disinfect the top of a can of evaporated milk and open with a disinfected can opener
Moisten the drag swab with evaporated milk and collect the sample
Place each drag swab in a separate 18 ounce Whirl-Pak™ bag containing sufficient evaporated milk (about 1 tablespoon) to keep the swab moist in transit
An 18 ounce bag enables us to add test materials to your sample
PLEASE DO NOT use small sandwich bags, snack bags, or an excess of evaporated milk
Press the air out of the Whirl-Pak™ bag and seal by twirling the bag three times while holding the wire end tabs, or folding the end over tightly three times
Bend the wire tabs over the bag edges to hold the seal
Make sure the outside of the Whirl-Pak™ bag is clean, dry and clearly labeled to correspond to the SE Submission Form
Please use a separate SE Submission Form for each barn sampled
Place all sealed Whirl-Pak™ bags from a barn in a gallon Ziploc® bag
Specify PCR or Culture test on SE Submission Form
Complete the SE Submission Form and place it in a separate, clean Ziplock® bag to prevent contamination of the paperwork if a leak should occur
Keep the samples cool (40°F – 45°F) during collection if sample collection requires more than 6 hours
- Remove Perforation/ Add milk/ Add swab - Twirl to close - Press tabs to seal
Place samples in a shipping container with frozen gel packs to keep samples cool (40°F – 45°F)
Ideally, samples should be shipped the same day as collected and received by MVDL within 48 hours
Ship to: MVDL, 1911 West Lincoln, Bozeman, MT 59718 via priority overnight delivery (FedEx or UPS)
Note: discounted flat rate shipping is available through our web portal; please log in at https://mvdl.mt.gov or contact us for more information
Notify MVDL by calling 406-994-4885 with shipment date and number of samples in shipment
For best turn-around-time, ship on Monday and Tuesday
If chick paper collection occurs on a Friday, refrigerate samples and ship on Monday
Do not ship samples on Friday or Saturday
Upon arrival, MVDL will assess and record transit time and temperature to verify that samples are acceptable for testing
MVDL will notify the submitter prior to testing if sample quality or sample identification is questionable
P0