The goal of the CVM Vet-LRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program is 2 to complement, develop, and use university, state and federal veterinary diagnostic laboratory 3 resources and expertise in order to increase national laboratory capacity to detect, respond to 4 and recover from a catastrophic animal food/feed contamination event, either microbial or 5 chemical. The program's funding allows provision for equipment, supplies, and personnel; 6 training in standardized testing methodologies; participation in proficiency testing in those 7 methodologies; participation in method enhancement activities to extend analysis capability; and 8 analysis of surveillance and emergency outbreak samples. Vet-LIRN laboratories nationwide 9 strengthen the overall food safety system through increased capacity and capability to detect 10 adulterations affecting animals raised for human consumption or companion animals consuming 11 ingredients used in both animal and human food products. The Washington Animal Disease 12 Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) at Washington State University is well positioned to effectively 13 function as a regional laboratory in the CVM Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory 14 Program. Since 1974 WADDL has provided full laboratory diagnostic services (approximately 15 300,000 tests annually), including pathology, microbiology and toxicology, to veterinarians and 16 animal owners throughout the Pacific Northwest. WADDL actively participates in multiple 17 national laboratory networks (Vet-LIRN, USDA-NAHLN, CDC-LRN) and is well practiced in 18 standardized methods, equipment, proficiency testing, electronic reporting, and national disease 19 surveillance programs emphasizing early detection and response. WADDL has a mature 20 laboratory quality system based upon international ISO 17025 laboratory standards, being fully 21 accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians laboratory 22 accreditation program since 1978. Using FDA-Vet-LIRN funding during 2012-2017 WADDL 23 successfully participated in sample analysis for surveillance and consumer report investigations, 24 provided proficiency testing, electronic reporting, and quality system implementation, and 25 participated in special projects on companion animal salmonellosis, and methods development 26 and matrix extension for analytical chemistry testing. The laboratory is fully capable and highly 27 competent to participate in FDA/Vet-LIRN key project areas of sample analysis, providing 28 analytical data to support regulatory use, and participating in additional projects regarding 29 method development, validation and matrix extension.
The FDA Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program enables, nationwide, the analyses of animal diagnostic samples and animal food/drug products. The Program fills a gap for the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) regarding veterinary diagnostic samples that greatly facilitates early detection of and response to animal food/drug adulteration and contamination events. Through the Vet- LIRN program, FDA leverages the expertise of a national system of university, state and federal veterinary diagnostic laboratories to provide additional capacity and capability, obtain veterinary diagnostic information critical to ORA response, and strengthen the overall national food safety system.
