Border disease

Description

Border disease is caused by a Pestivirus (Flaviviridae) infection of the foetus in early pregnancy. Infection of naïve, pregnant ewes can lead to placentitis, foetal death, and abortion. Affected lambs are born 2-3 days prematurely and many die before or at weaning. Surviving hairy shaker sheep remain infected and excrete the virus throughout their lives.

Border disease or hairy shaker disease is a congenital disorder of lambs and outbreaks of infertile ewes and abortion. Affected lambs are undersized with extremely hairy coat and may exhibit involuntary muscular tremors, mainly of the trunk and hind limbs. The nervous signs gradually disappear in surviving lambs within 3-4 months of age. Other affected lambs can have skeletal defects such as dropped pasterns and mandibular brachygnathia.

Diagnosis and tests available

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is supported by history, clinical signs and the demonstration of Pestivirus in affected lambs and antibody in the ewe.

Tests available

Test	Sample(s) required	Days of the week test is conducted	Turnaround time¹
Histopathology examination	Fixed tissue	Monday –Friday	Up to 2W for brain samples. Up to 5D for spinal cord samples.
Pestivirus antibody AGID	Whole blood (red top tube) or foetal fluid	Tuesday & Friday	3-5D
Pestivirus antigen capture ELISA (PACE)	Whole blood (red top tube), lithium heparin blood (green top tube) or EDTA blood (purple top tube)	Batch tested 2-3 times weekly	5-7D
Pestivirus PCR	Clotted blood (red top tube), EDTA (purple top tube)	According to demand	2-3D
Pestivirus VNT	Whole blood (red top tube)	Batch tested on Friday	1-2W

Please Note: D= Working day(s), W- Week(s). TAT does not include weekends and public holidays.

¹Turnaround times are provided as a guide only. For specific information about your submission please contact Customer Service.

Additional Information

Specimen requirements

Blood (with anti-coagulant)
10ml of blood from the affected lamb and its mother collected in a lithium heparin treated evacuated tube 10ml of blood from the affected lamb and its mother collected in an EDTA tube Submitted chilled
Blood (without anti-coagulant)
For animals over 3 months of age collect 10 ml of blood into a plain red top tube Do not use serum separator tubes. Submit chilled
Fixed tissue
Fixed brain and spinal cord Submit fixed in neutral buffered formalin at a 10:1 ratio of formalin:tissue
Foetal fluid
Pericardial, pleural or peritoneal (in order of preference). Submit chilled
Fresh tissue
Fresh lung, spleen and mesenteric lymph node - collect aseptically Whole lamb or foetus (and foetal membranes) Submit chilled in an insulated container
Semen
Semen straws or raw semen (please contact the laboratory prior to submission. For regulatory testing samples must be shipped at specified temperatures)
Swab
Nasal swab collected from affected animal Send in viral transport media (PBGS) PBGS can be requested online Used in cases of respiratory disease, where one is trying to detect acute infections rather than PI animals.

Note

Heparinised blood from young animals (under 6 months of age) allows PACE analysis of the buffy coat without interference from maternal antibodies in the serum.

Customer Service

Contact Customer Service for enquiries relating to testing and results, quotations and pricing, couriers, sample submission and invoicing.

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CONTACT DETAILS
Phone	1800 675 623
Email	laboratory.services@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Operating Hours	8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays) 8:30am-12:00pm Saturday (for deliveries only)
Postal Address	Private Bag 4008, Narellan NSW 2567

Quotations

For Animal export, Plant health or Veterinary quotations, please complete the online quotation request

For Edible oil & oilseed or Feed quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wagga Wagga on (02) 6938 1957

For Plant nutrition, Soil health or Water quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wollongbar on (02) 6626 1103

Submission Forms

Veterinary Specimen Advice Form

Please Note: These documents are not fully web accessible, please contact Customer Service (laboratory.services@dpi.nsw.gov.au) for more information.

Courier services and specimen delivery

For NSW submissions, please contact the relevant Customer Service team for courier account details and to order consignment notes.

For submitters outside of NSW, Couriers can be contacted directly to make bookings and arrange collection of packages at the submitters own cost.

Commercial couriers may use either road or air transport and specimens should therefore be packed in accordance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements. Most submission sent by veterinarians to the SVDL for testing are defined as “Biological Substance Category B” and must be packed according to the IATA packing instructions 650 (Biological Substance Category B). As requirements for transport can change, customers should consult with their transport agent to obtain current requirements.

Samples may also be hand delivered to the site during normal business hours (8.30am - 4.30pm).

Sample Type	Laboratory	Street Address
Animal (including aquatic animals)	NSW Animal and Plant Health Laboratories (APHL)	EMAI, Woodbridge Road, Menangle NSW 2568