The FDA CVM Vet-LRN desires to expand the national laboratory capacity to respond to animal food/drug related illnesses or other large-scale animal food/feed emergency events requiring surge capacity testing of implicated diagnostic or animal food samples. The Breathitt Veterinary Center is a fully accredited (AAVLD) animal disease diagnostic laboratory strategically located in Western Kentucky. The objective of this grant application is to provide a cooperative agreement between the FDA CVM Vet-LRN and the BVC whereby the BVC will participate in the Vet-LRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program. Funding provided through the cooperative agreement will be used to provide equipment, supplies, training, and proficiency testing under the aegis of the Vet-LRN Veterinary Diagnostic Program on an annualized basis for a five year period.
Agriculture is Kentucky's number one industry, contributing $5 billion to the state's economy annually. Livestock and livestock product sales generate 65% of the total agricultural revenues. The Murray State University Breathitt Veterinary Center (BVC) is an animal disease diagnostic laboratory dedicated to protecting the invaluable assets of the region by providing the fastest, most accurate, and most dependable animal disease diagnostic services possible. The BVC, with a staff of 45 employees, is housed in a 44,000 sq. ft. facility located on 15 acres of land in Hopkinsville, KY. The facility is centrally located to serve a 200 mile radius including Western Kentucky, Southern Indiana and Illinois, and Northwestern Tennessee. The BVC professional staff includes nine members with Doctorates in Veterinary Medicine and/or Masters and PhD degrees in the fields of Pathology, Microbiology, Virology, Immunology, and Toxicology. The professional staff is supported by laboratory bench personnel each of who hold a minimum of a Bachelor's degree and several have Masters degrees. The laboratory provides full administrative, secretarial/clerical, and maintenance staff in support of diagnostic and research activities. The BVC is accredited for all species by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) through December 2014. The BVC is a member of the USDA National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), the Centers for Disease Control Laboratory Response Network (LRN), and the FDA Vet-Laboratory Response Network (Vet-LRN) (See attached FDA Vet-LRN Acceptance Letter). The center's scope of activity includes the scientific disciplines of Pathology, Microbiology, Molecular Diagnostics, Clinical Pathology, Toxicology, Serology, and Virology. The BVC processes 24,000+ diagnostic cases per year to include over 190,000 tests. The FDA CVM Vet-LRN desires to expand the national laboratory capacity to provide increased sample analyses in the event of animal food or drug related illnesses or other large-scale animal food/feed emergency events requiring surge capacity testing of implicated diagnostic or animal food samples. Objective: The objective of this grant application is to provide a cooperative agreement between the FDA CVM Vet-LRN and the BVC whereby the BVC will participate in the Vet-LRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program. The FDA CVM Vet-LRN grant program is a mutually beneficial opportunity in which the FDA CVM Vet-LRN adds to the national laboratory capacity and the BVC receives support to advance its scope of activity. Funding provided through the cooperative agreement will be used to provide equipment, supplies, training, and proficiency testing under the aegis of the Vet-LRN Veterinary Diagnostic Program on an annualized basis for a five year period.
