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| LVMDL at LSU Part of Homeland Security Efforts
According to Dr. H. Wayne Taylor, director of the LVMDL, the $750,000 awarded by the USDA will be used to enhance the detection capabilities and diagnostic network of the lab, which reviews more than 25,000 cases each year. These cases involve pets, livestock, and wildlife from throughout the state and across the country. In addition to providing diagnostic services, the LVMDL researches selected animal diseases that impact the economics of the animal industry in Louisiana. These combined services outline the LVMDL’s role in homeland security efforts. Taylor said that while most of these diseases pose no threat to human health, they do have devastating economic consequences. Each year, the U.S. exports millions of dollars of agricultural
products. When a foreign animal disease is detected, the affected
areas are quarantined, and the livestock are usually destroyed.
In some cases, new livestock may not be introduced until an area
has been free of the disease for more than one year. Whether such
a disease is naturally or intentionally introduced, quick detection
and response efforts are critical. Once an animal shows signs of disease, the veterinary practitioners notify the diagnostic lab. Samples are collected and then sent to labs such as the LVMDL. Prior to the funding from the USDA, there were only two veterinary diagnostic labs in the country—Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa—capable of identifying foreign animal diseases. The time required to transport and process samples to these two labs would allow the disease to spread at a dangerous rate and would jeopardize significant amounts of land and livestock. Funding from the USDA will allow the LVMDL, as well as the other selected labs, to review samples faster and begin the emergency response and containment efforts much sooner. The LVMDL was opened at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1980 in response to a request from the commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The facility is accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. Written by: Teresa Devlin | University
Relations Related Links: LSU School of Veterinary Medicine |
In
2002, the 
The
U.S. agricultural markets, like many other markets throughout the
world, are vulnerable to contagious diseases, said Taylor. Some
of these diseases include foreign animal diseases, which are classified
as diseases that are not present or those that have been eradicated
from the U.S. Foreign animal diseases that are highly contagious
include African swine fever, African horse sickness, foot-and-mouth
disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza, hog cholera, and Newcastle
disease.
In
addition to combating the threat of foreign animal disease, the
LVMDL is also actively working with a number of state agencies to
research and eradicate West Nile Virus. Dr. Alma Roy, assistant
director of the LVMDL, said that the lab has been involved in testing
and tracking the spread of West Nile throughout the state. This
information is then shared with state agencies, such as the Department
of Public Health, who in turn prepares and communicates the appropriate
messages to Louisiana citizens.
