CVM Vet-LRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory ProgramAlready in 2012, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 22 people in the UnitedStates and two people in Canada became ill with a Salmonella infantis infection as a result ofcontact with pets or pet food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.To support the FDA'smission of promptly detecting, analyzing, minimizing, and ultimately preventing these incidentsand any other outbreaks related to pets and pet food, the South Dakota State University(SDSU) Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Lab (ADRDL) seeks to partner with theCenter for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Veterinary Lab Response Network (Vet-LRN) VeterinaryDiagnostic Lab Program. Broadening the veterinary lab network and increasing facility capacitywill go far to strengthen the overall food safety system.To expand food safety and security efforts by mitigating future pet and pet food relatedoutbreak in human society, the SDSU ADRDL's objectives include the following: Increasing SDSU ADRDL's abilities to handle surge capacity testing of implicated diagnostic or animal food samples linked to animal food or drug related illnesses and other large-scale animal food/feed emergency events Facilitating early detection of animal food/drug adulteration or contamination Initiating quality management systems and consultations between the Vet-LRN Program Office (VPO) and the SDSU ADRDL management group Participating in short-term method development, method validation projects, and possible Matrix Extension assignments Developing the laboratory's consensus-decision-making system, size, and formatThe SDSU ADRDL staff consists of experienced personnel with substantial knowledge inpathological and microbiological analysis of animal diagnostic specimens. As partners in thisprogram, they will obtain FDA designated training, complete proficiency testing, and usestandardized analysis methods and equipment platforms along with analytical worksheets andelectronic reporting. The lab staff will transition to the new analysis methods as they aredeveloped and validated. They will also work closely with the Vet-LRN to share and reportdata in a timely manner.
Relevance to Public Health In the event of a pet or pet food related illness outbreak or other large-scale animal food/feed emergency events, SDSU ADRDL's participation in this program will support public health by providing surge capacity analysis of implicated diagnostic and animal food samples. Because animal food events often signal threats to the human food system, this program puts an extensive system in place that effectively responds to animal food security emergencies, uses its information in prevention efforts against pathogens and animal foods that cause disease outbreaks, strengthens the infrastructure that protects the human food system, and ultimately safeguards American consumers.
