The wvdl is a critical tool to maintain animal health and product movement in wisconsin and we are key contributor to the nahln as a level 1 laboratory

The University of Wisconsin System has been awarded a $250,000 Cooperative Agreement from the Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative (CFDA 10.304) program. The primary focus of this award is to provide salary support for key administrative personnel and microbiologists at the University's Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL).

The WVDL serves as a critical laboratory within the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), providing disease testing and surveillance services. This funding will enhance the WVDL's capabilities and capacity as a high-quality NAHLN partner, particularly for routine surveillance activities and the ongoing response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. The grant period runs from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024.

We have beenactive in disease testing in response to the hpaioutbreak since march 2022 and are one of the biggest CWD testing laboratories in the network. We do this work as an addition to our regular mission critical work to support wisconsin veterinarians and animal agriculture industries. The primary focus of this proposal is the salary support for keyadministrative personnel and microbiologists. These funds will enhance, manage and support thenahln program at wvdl as a high-quality laboratory partner in the nahln network andincrease microbiologist capabilities and capacity for nahln disease testing in routinesurveillance and the on-going hpaidisease outbreak.wvdl is proud of our important role insafeguarding our agriculture and food safety industries in wisconsin and the USA.?