Diagnostic Confirmation and Communication Protocol

If you suspect a new, regulated, or otherwise significant pest including SELECT AGENTS:

1. Contact the sample state's:
   1. State Plant Regulatory Official (SPRO).
   2. State Plant Health Director (SPHD). The SPHD will need to enter the information into the ARM system and provide a diagnostic receipt form to the lab submitting the sample. Samples cannot be shipped (and will not be accepted by APHIS's Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostics Laboratory) without the diagnostic receipt from ARM.  If shipping a sample to the PPCDL, send an email to APHIS-PPQCPHSTBeltsvilleSampleDiagnostics@usda.gov prior to shipment.
   3. Courtesy contact the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) or State Department of Agriculture (SDA) local diagnostician, who may receive similar samples.
2. Contact the USDA APHIS PPQ PPQ Domestic Diagnostic Coordinator for instructions on how and where to mail a sample for confirmation. More about: Requesting USDA confirmation for a suspected pest id.
3. Use USDA-PPQ FORM 391 with sample submissions.
4. Ship samples via overnight express courier (e.g. DHL, FedEx, UPS). DO NOT REQUIRE A SIGNATURE UPON RECEIPT.
5. Official USDA results will only be reported back to the SPHD and SPRO. They are responsible for forwarding official USDA results to sample submitters, diagnosticians and other relevant entities. Following up is recommended to determine outcome. See section "Notification of Results".

6. NPDN Regional Center Labs 
   If you need assistance in identifying a potentially new/high impact pathogen, contact your regional center staff before sending samples.

   Also, contact your state's local SDA and/or NPDN contact for testing capacity.

   • Southern Plant Diagnostic Network (SPDN)
   • North Central Plant Diagnostic Network (NCPDN)
   • Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network (NEPDN)
   • Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN)
   • Great Plains Diagnostic Network (GPDN)
   • National Plant Board Regulations page

Download the printable diagnostic Confirmation and Communication Protocol CHECKLIST

National Pest Program

USDA Plant Pest and Disease Programs

Select Agent Program

Contact your state’s SPHD, SPRO and the USDA (PPQ.Domestic.Diagnostic.Coordinator@usda.gov) for instructions on how and where to mail a sample for confirmation.

Your Plant Disease Diagnostic lab’s 526 permit contains this or similar language: “If any organism listed as a Select Agent is identified from materials associated with this research, the 526 permit holder is required to notify APHIS, Agriculture Select Agent Services (AgSAS) immediately by phone at 301-851-3300 option 3, and contact within seven (7) days of identification submit APHIS/CDC Form 4A (Report of Identification of a Select Agent or Toxin in a Clinical or Diagnostic Laboratory) to APHIS, AgSAS; 4700 River Rd, Unit 2, Riverdale, MD 20737.” See instructions here.

Failure to comply with this requirement is a violation of the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002. 

Contact your organization's Safety Officer to determine their role and requirements in the specific detection.

List of current select agents

• Peronosclerospora philippinensis (P. sacchari)
• Coniothyrium glycines (formerly Phoma glycinicola and Pyrenochaeta glycines)
• Ralstonia solanacearum
• Rathayibacter toxicus
• Sclerophthora rayssiae
• Synchytrium endobioticum
• Xanthomonas oryzae