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Karesh, D.V.M Subject: Update on World Courier shipping of samples from Congo Importance: High Hi guys, I just spoke with World Courier about transporting the bat samples from Brazzaville to Hamilton Montana. The good news is that they will pick up from Brazzaville. However, we have a challenge with respect to cold chain: 1) They cannot provide, nor will they transport dry ice. I asked about whether they would transport a dry shipper, and the representative thought so, but is getting confirmation 2) My understanding is that we don't have access to a dry shipper in Brazzaville, and that it could take weeks, if not longer to buy one and get it set up for sample transport (am I correct?) So, I have two thoughts about this, and I defer to Heinz and Vincent on this... Should we attempt to transport only the sera on wet ice packs? I'm thinking that at least antibodies are fairly stable and though the samples will thaw, we should still be able to detect EBOV antibodies if they're present. Or, do you think we could send the throat, rectal, and urine swabs in Nuclisens lysis buffer as well, with the hope that nucleic acid would survive a thaw process as well? I would have liked to send the set in VTM, but I'm sure we would lose any opportunity to culture virus without proper cold chain. The samples would go via France (the World Courier office based there is in charge of Congo). I didn't, but will ask if they could add dry ice to the package once it reaches France for the transit between there and the US, for what it's worth. Is there another way to source a dry shipper rapidly? From Kinshasa? Any other thoughts? I started a job order for the shipment with our account: Job #9400, if anyone needs to reference it. Thanks, Jon Jonathan H. Epstein DVM, MPH Associate Vice President EcoHealth Alliance I 460 West 34th Street - 17th floor I New York, NY 10001 (direct) I (mobile) I (EHA office) www.ecohealthalliance.org EcoHealth Alliance empowers local conservation scientists worldwide to protect nature and safeguard ecosystem and human health.