Investigation skills and samples
Skills to help confirm a diagnosis
and prevent further cases
Neurological syndrome differentials and sampling guide for cattle
Causes of neurological signs in cattle in northern Australia and what samples to send to the lab.
2024-2025 Cattle Skin Survey
Participation in this survey keeps awareness of skin lesions - and focus on LSD exclusions - front of mind.
Mastering your brain smear technique
How to do brain and organ smears to help the diagnostic workup in the laboratory (eg rule-out tick fever).
Collecting maggots for Screw Worm Fly surveillance
Use Animal Health Australia's kits to collect maggots and send to the lab when investigating myiasis (flystrike) in northern Australia.
Lumpy Skin Disease resources
Lumpy Skin Disease, a pox virus infecting cattle and buffalo, has been spreading rapidly across Asia in 2021. It has never been reported in Australia. Ring the EAD Hotline if you suspect a case.
Collecting Johne’s disease samples
Lab requirements for faecal samples collected for JD testing for stock movements, export testing or clinical diagnosis.
Guides to collecting and preserving plant specimens
Guides to collecting and preserving plant specimens and contact details for services to northern Australia.
Collecting and transporting ocular fluids
Get useful diagnostic biochemistry up to 48 hours after death by sampling and submitting ocular (eye) fluid in a livestock post mortem.
Laboratory diagnosis of botulism
Samples to send the lab in suspect cases of botulism in livestock to rule-out common differentials and help confirm the diagnosis.
Using jab sticks (aka pole syringes)
How to use a jab stick (pole syringe) to sedate or medicate cattle that you can't, or don't want to, get close to.
Mastering your blood smear technique
How to run a blood drop along the slide for a perfect blood smear - a great aid when investigating sudden death or ill thrift.
Disease mapping
Dr Tristan Jubb's practical approach to livestock disease investigations - where the focus is reaching a confirmed diagnosis and preventing further cases.
NABS SDI Field Guide
The Field Guide describes the NABS SDI process, differential diagnoses for clinical syndromes of cattle in northern Australia and what samples to collect.