Samples from the carcases of two slaughter pigs from an abattoir in the South of England are being tested at AHVLA Weybridge for swine fever.
It will be 24 hours (midday Friday) before preliminary results are available, but restrictions have already been placed on premises in Aberdeenshire.
This is the second swine fever alert in the past six months and it emphasises the importance of continued vigilance by producers and abattoirs.
BPEX, BMPA, NPA and PVS have welcomed vigilance shown by abattoirs and producers, and stress that the industry welcomes the opportunity to investigate all suspected cases of notifiable disease.