The university of misosuri veterinary medical diagnostic laboratory (vmdl) is a level 1 laboratory of the national animal health laboratory network (nahln)

The University of Missouri System, through its Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL), was awarded a $250,000 Cooperative Agreement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative (FADI) program (CFDA 10.304). The purpose of the award is to support the VMDL's role as a Level 1 laboratory within the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), with a focus on maintaining and improving its capabilities and capacity for early detection and reporting of emerging, re-emerging, and foreign animal diseases. Key objectives include meeting NAHLN Level 1 laboratory responsibilities and increasing VMDL's ability to address adverse animal health events such as disease outbreaks. This funding will enable the VMDL to continue providing critical diagnostic testing, surveillance, and reporting services to protect animal health, public health, and the nation's food security, particularly given Missouri's significant livestock and wildlife populations.

The vmdl is committed to support nahln mission of protecting animal health, public health, and nation's food security. In 2022-2023, missouri ranked third nationally for beef cows, seventh for HOG, and seventh for turkey production. Missouri also has approximately 1.4 million deer and 500,000 hunters who harvest more than 300,000 deer annually. An outbreak of high consequence emerging, and foreign animal disease would potentially threaten the state's animal health, food security and economic vigor. Currently, the vmdl is approved to test the following agents: african swine fever, classical swine fever, avian influenza, newcastle disease, chronic wasting disease (CWD), foot-and-mouth disease, pseudorabies, and swine influenza. The vmdl is also a nahln-approved lab to conduct ASF/CSF surveillance, hapi surveillance of wild birds, and antimicrobial resistance surveillance in animal pathogens. The vmdl electronically messages diagnostic results of abovementioned diseases to aphis database. As a nahln level i lab, the vmdl will continue to focus on maintaining and further improving its capabilities and capacity for early detection and reporting of emerging, reemerging and foreign animal diseases and conditions. The specific objectives of this proposal are to 1) meet all responsibilities of a level 1 laboratory as outlined in the 2023 agreement for participation in nahln as a level 1 laboratory, 2) increase vmdl capabilities and capacity in addressing an adverse animal health event such as an emerging disease detection or foreign animal disease outbreak. The project has a significant impact on nahln mission and activities aimed at protecting US animal health and food security.