Services, fees and accreditation
The Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory (BSL) is the veterinary laboratory of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF).
BSL supports biosecurity in Queensland by providing world-class testing and diagnostics for animal pests and diseases. We accept samples of and conduct fully-subsidised testing for any animal that presents a biosecurity risk to animal or human health.
Services and priorities
We monitor and diagnose diseases:
- in Queensland's livestock industries
- of farmed aquatic animals
- of bees
- of wildlife in cases of mass or unusual mortality.
Our focus is on high-priority diseases such as:
- foot-and-mouth disease in livestock
- lumpy skin disease in cattle
- Japanese encephalitis in pigs
- African swine fever in pigs
- avian influenza in birds
- influenza A in pigs
- African horse sickness in horses
- white spot disease in prawns
- rabies
- varroa mite in bees.
Infection with Ehrlichia canis has been removed from the national list of notifiable animal diseases and canine ehrlichiosis is no longer considered a notifiable incident in Queensland.
Fees now apply for PCR and ELISA tests for E. canis at BSL.
You can contact your commercial veterinary laboratory to check their testing availability. Read our guidelines for veterinarians dealing with suspected cases of E. canis.
Our testing priority is based upon the likelihood of an emergency animal disease and the potential scale of its impact. Find out more in our specimen receipt policy.
We also participate in animal disease surveillance programs such as:
- Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Freedom Assurance Project (TSEFAP) to maintain Australia's freedom from transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)
- National Arbovirus Monitoring Program (NAMP) to monitor the distribution of insect-borne viruses and ensure market access for livestock
- Screw-Worm Fly Surveillance and Preparedness Program (SWFSPP) for early detection of screw-worm fly (an insect pest of warm-blooded animals).
Additionally, we provide testing for health certification of animals for export, accreditation and control of endemic animal diseases. See our schedule of fees for charges.
Fees and fee exemption criteria
We accept specimens from any animal species in Queensland if a disease incident presents an unacceptable risk to the health of the community or commercial livestock. If the specimens satisfy the conditions in our specimen receipt policy they will be processed free of charge.
In general, specimens will be exempt from a service fee if all these criteria are met:
- there is a public benefit
- specimen advice sheet contains clinical history, owner information, and epidemiological and other relevant information
- specimens are appropriate for the clinical history and suspected disease(s)
- specimens are associated with a disease incident.
Fees will apply to specimens that are:
- for health and export testing
- for certain accreditation schemes
- referred for testing from other laboratories.
The person submitting the sample will be invoiced if laboratory charges apply.
The person or organisation submitting the sample is responsible for the cost of transporting it to the laboratory.
Quality system and accreditation
We comply with the international standard for the competence of testing laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025:2017). Our compliance is assured by accreditation from the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA). This accreditation provides confidence that our testing is consistent, accurate and scientifically valid, and is performed by technically competent staff.
We are accredited in the field of Animal Health for the following classes of test:
- anatomical and aquatic pathology
- bacteriology, including mycology
- genetics
- molecular testing
- necropsy services
- parasitology
- serology
- virology.
We also hold NATA accreditation in the field of Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Media Products. This applies to testing for sterility and freedom from contamination of biological materials intended for veterinary use (innocuity).
The NATA scope of accreditation covers our 2 laboratories:
Accreditation means we:
- comprehensively validate or verify our test methods and equipment
- fully train our staff, and further develop and test their competency—for example, through formal national and international proficiency-testing programs
- regularly review laboratory capability to further develop our scope of testing
- have a strong customer focus and value your feedback
- strive for continuous improvement and world-best scientific practice
- have comprehensive systems for
- regular internal auditing
- traceable sample and document movements and records
- equipment checks and calibrations
- corrective and preventative action
- control over scientific chemicals, kits and consumables
- data and reporting, and document control.
Our commitment to quality is outlined in our quality assurance policy statement.
Information sharing
We collect information to perform diagnostic testing for the management, control and reporting of animal and plant diseases.
If required, some of this information and samples may be given to 1 or more of the following animal and plant health authorities or laboratories.
- ACE Laboratory Services
- AGRF
- Animal Health Australia
- Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health
- Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Lab, University of Sydney
- Berrimah Veterinary Laboratory
- Birling Avian Laboratory
- ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Government of Western Australia
- Chemical Residue Laboratory, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
- CSIRO
- CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness
- CSIRO Australian National Insect Collection
- Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania Animal Health Laboratory
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Diagnostic and Laboratory Services – Animal Pathology, Western Australia
- Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute
- Gribbles Veterinary Pathology
- Griffith University
- IDEXX Laboratories, Brisbane Laboratory
- Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, NSW Health Pathology
- James Cook University
- Microbiological Research Group, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
- Murdoch University School of Veterinary Medicine
- National Mycology Reference Centre, University of Adelaide
- Plant Biosecurity Laboratory, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
- Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation Chemistry Centre
- Queensland Health Central Pathology Laboratory (Queensland Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory)
- Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services
- Queensland Health Prince Charles Hospital Pathology Laboratory
- Queensland Herbarium
- Queensland Museum
- Regional Laboratory Services
- University of Melbourne Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health
- University of Melbourne Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory
- Veterinary Diagnostic Services, Agriculture Victoria
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Charles Sturt University Veterinary Services
- Vetpath Laboratory Services
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory
- Plant Health Australia
- Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation
- Queensland Health
- Safe Food Queensland
- University of Melbourne
- Wildlife Health Australia
- Last reviewed: 26 Jun 2024
- Last updated: 26 Jun 2024