The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) is enhancing its services to better support livestock owners and exhibitors during the livestock show season. To improve testing efficiency and accuracy, starting May 1, the AVDL added a Thursday testing day for swine pseudorabies and brucellosis. This additional testing day will be available until the Arkansas State Fair, scheduled for October 10-19, 2025. Both Monday and Thursday sessions have an 8 AM cutoff to ensure timely processing. Samples submitted after the cutoff time will be held until the next scheduled day.

To ensure a seamless testing process, please review the sample submission guidelines below. Timely submissions will help prevent delays and maintain sample integrity.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) no longer accepts brucellosis card tests, requiring a larger sample volume for initial testing at the AVDL and confirmatory testing at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL). A minimum of 1mL of serum is required to perform both screening and confirmatory testing.
• To minimize the risk of hemolysis and contamination, especially during the summer months, carefully separate the serum from the blood clot after spinning down the blood tubes to isolate blood cells. Transfer the serum into a properly labeled tube before submission. The AVDL advises using priority or overnight shipping to ensure timely sample delivery and maintain integrity.
• Each sample must have a valid Federal ID; however, the sample tubes do not need to display the full 15-digit ID. Instead, they can be labeled using the last three digits of the Federal ID or a unique tube number assigned by the veterinarian.
• To ensure seamless participation in the shows, please send in your samples at least three weeks before you need the results. Timely sample submissions help reduce potential testing delays caused by factors such as insufficient sample volume, poor sample quality, shipping disruptions, and extended reporting times due to confirmatory testing at NVSL.
• Test results are valid for 90 days from the reporting date.

For additional information, please contact the AVDL at 501-823-1730.