2.1.2 Solid specimens
Whole organs or pieces of viscera covered by the intact
- sufficient core material can be obtained for inoculation into different types of media
- the use of aseptic technique during necropsy will ensure the core material is not contaminated with bacteria (see Section 1.3.2)
When septicaemic sepsis is suspected, culture of bone marrow from a 6–10 cm of aseptically cut piece of rib, or from aseptically collected brain tissue, will often yield the bacterial cause of the infection, as these organs are less accessible to post-mortem invasion by commensals.
Specimens collected from animals recently treated with antimicrobials may contain sub-lethally injured bacteria that will not grow in the laboratory and should be avoided. What should the submitting professional do if this cannot be avoided?
Answer
Information about any antimicrobial treatment should be specified in the
Specimens collected from organs of animals euthanised using barbiturates are also suitable for bacterial culture, as barbiturates do not have an antibacterial activity.
2.1.1 Fluid/semi-fluid specimens
