Contagious equine metritis (CEM) specimen collection guide

Printable Version Sample Submission for Contagious Equine Metritis Cultures.pdf

 

 

Future submissions of CEM samples for culture to the UKVDL

A guideline has been issued by USDA/APHIS for CEM culture.  To assure compliance to this guideline and the continued monitoring of equine health we offer this memo:

Specimen identification:

  • CEM Accession Form must include: Name, address, telephone & signature of submitting veterinarian. Owner/Agent contact information including: Name, address, telephone.
  • Location of horse including county
  • Unique identification of the horse

 

Sample collection:

  • Samples should be collected and submitted by an accredited veterinarian, federal veterinarian or state animal health official (SAHO).
  • Sample collection should include date and time.
  • Each sample should be uniquely identified and include the anatomical site of collection.
  • Small diameter (mini-tip) rayon swab should be used for clitoral sinus sampling.
  • Expired, degraded media or in any transport media other than Amies media with charcoal will be rejected.
  • Cervical, uterine or endometrial swabs must be collected with a guarded uterine swab of adequate size.
  • Specimen swabs submitted for culture must be placed in Amies transport medium with charcoal (single swab per tube) and delivered to the laboratory, when shipping, with sufficient ice packs to keep the specimens cold until arrival. Direct delivery or overnight shipment is the method of choice as specimens must be set up in the laboratory no more than 48 hours after collection.  Samples arriving after 48 hours from collection will not be tested.

While every effort will be made to process samples at the time of submission, to allow correct processing of all samples, those received after 3:00 pm cannot be guaranteed to be set up that day for bacterial culture.

 

The UKVDL has a CEM Accession Form  Forms | University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (uky.edu)) under CEM Culture form.

 

Please contact our Bacteriology laboratory or Diagnostic Services at 859-257-8283 for further information.