How to Submit a Suspected Sudden Oak Death/P. Ramorum Blight Sample

Currently, the University of Illinois Plant Clinic cannot receive samples from states other than Illinois. Do not send us samples from other states. All packages received from other states will be destroyed on receipt. Specific Federal Permit instructions must be followed for interstate movement of samples containing plant pests (insects and pathogens) and soil potentially containing plant pests. Please call the Plant Clinic for further details.

If you have a Sudden Oak Death/Ramorum blight suspect sample you may:

Take a sample to a University of Illinois Extension Unit Office and submit the sample for diagnosis via the DDDI system (Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging).

Map of DDDI locations in Illinois. (Note, this is a large image and may take a while to download over a slow connection.)

You can obtain extension unit office addresses and maps at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cie2/offices/findoffice.cfm. If the sample is still suspect based on DDDI, that sample will be directed to the University of Illinois Plant Clinic for Phytophthora ELISA testing. The fee for SOD samples submitted in this manner is $12.50 payable at the time of sample submission.

OR
Submit a sample directly to the University of Illinois Plant Clinic with the Elisa fee per sample and a specimen data form.

In all cases mailing costs are at the expense of the client, not the extension office.

All Sudden Oak Death/Ramorum blight samples must meet the following requirements:

20 leaves with suspect symptoms
leaflets flat, dry, and placed between dry paper toweling
sample packaged in two layers of zip lock plastic bags
bags clearly labeled with a permanent marker providing: date, host plant, collector's name, phone number, and specific location of the host.

A page with screening questions to help you determine the need to submit a plant sample for sudden oak death/Ramorum blight testing can be found at the Sudden Oak Death Site.