Preparation of specimens either for shipment or for personal delivery for rabies diagnosis shall include the following.(1) Damage to the brain caused by shooting or other traumatizing procedures shall be avoided.(2) The head of the suspect animal shall be separated from the body by a qualified person wearing appropriate personal protective equipment as soon as possible after the death of the animal. Only the head shall be submitted with the exception that whole bats and small rodents may be submitted. If only the brain is submitted rather than the entire head, the minimum tissue requirements for rabies testing are a complete transverse cross section of the brain stem and tissue from at least one of the following: cerebellum and/or hippocampus. Submissions that do not meet these tissue requirements will be considered unsatisfactory due to a lack of sufficient material.(3) The specimen shall be immediately chilled to between 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 45 degrees Fahrenheit either in a refrigerator or by packing for shipping with sufficient amounts of refrigerants in the container; the specimen should not be frozen. When shipping, sufficient refrigerant shall be added so the specimen will remain chilled for a minimum of 48 hours. Do not use dry ice. Gel packs or similar refrigerants are recommended. Ice is not recommended.(4) If specimens are shipped, containment in compliance with requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),