Sample Shipment Instructions

• Pack samples in a small ice chest made of plastic or sturdy styrofoam which will not be damaged in transit. Ice chests (other than styrofoam) will be returned to the sender.
• Add pre-packaged ice substitutes. To prevent freezing, separate the samples from the ice with newspaper or other insulative material.
• Place completed Sample Submission Form(s) (page 1-8) (forms available from FPS) for each stock sampled within a waterproof plastic bag and enclose in ice chest.

NOTE: Clients should always include a Sample Submission Form (page 1-8) with a submitted sample which provides the species, brood year, clinical signs, time of onset, sample date, number of samples submitted and other very important information. Clients should not assume a previous telephone call will take the place of submitting this written information. In the future, samples submitted without this paperwork may be refused or at least delayed in processing. When in doubt about anything, clients should consult a pathology staff member and not forget the paperwork.

• Close, seal, and label the ice chest with appropriate instruction for the type of sample enclosed (i.e., “Live Fish – Do Not Freeze” for live samples
• Ship via express air or air freight (if you know it will not get bumped off the flight) as soon as possible. Instruct the airline to refrigerate the sample upon its arrival in Anchorage or Juneau. If sent early in the week, fewer air freight and delivery problems are encountered. Avoid shipping on Fridays.
• Contact the courier services currently used by the FPS in Anchorage or Juneau to have the sample(s) delivered. The delivery services must be told correctly on which airline the samples are being transported, flight number, air-bill number, the arrival time, and whether the package is traveling by Goldstreak or air freight. Unless special circumstances dictate otherwise, clients are expected to ship samples such that they may be received by the labs and therefore, processed during regular hours.

NOTE: The cost of shipping samples to the pathology labs is the direct responsibility of the user unless the samples are submitted as a courtesy request by lab personnel. This cost includes the delivery services used by both labs, which are inexpensive compared to the cost of pathology staff time and loss of laboratory processing time when pathology personnel have to pick up samples at the airport.

• Phone the Fish Pathology Lab to notify that the sample is enroute. Please provide the flight number, airbill number, and expected time of arrival. Subsequently check to see if it has arrived. It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure that the sample arrives at the laboratory in satisfactory condition.