Can I test a group of animals, for example a group of reptiles kept together or birds in an aviary?

Group or flock testing is considered good practice for both animal health and public health monitoring, particularly in established collections or breeding groups.

Where possible, testing individual animals will always provide the most accurate and actionable information.

Group testing is most appropriate when a stable group of the same species has been housed together for a prolonged period — for example, a long-established group of leopard tortoises or leopard geckos maintained under the same conditions.

If parasites are detected that may require treatment, group testing cannot determine the parasite burden of each individual animal. In these situations, individual testing may be recommended to guide appropriate management or treatment decisions.

If multiple species are housed together, or if animals of the same species have only been housed together for a short period, the risk of false-negative results increases. In these cases, individual testing is strongly advised.