Continued Integration of the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center in to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The purpose of this project is to continue development of The Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center's (NeVDC) capabilities to function as an integrated diagnostic laboratory resource of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). As an integrated laboratory, the NeVDC must 1) anticipate the increase in the number of test submissions and 2) strive to improve the efficiency of accurate laboratory testing, with emphasis on foreign animal diseases (FADs) as well as emerging and re-emerging threats. The funds requested to support these objectives will be used to verify and validate assays to diagnose FADs, bluetongue disease and brucellosis. It is anticipated that the work described will increase the technical familiarity and confidence of the laboratory staff in performing the diagnostic assays described. Further, the work described will increase the understanding of the relative diagnostic power and discrimination provided by the tests in question. It is also anticipated completion of the assay evaluations will generate more powerful diagnostic strategies that would appropriately utilize additional confirmatory testing strategies (perhaps developed as a direct consequence of this work). The major outcome would therefore be improved diagnostic strategies for brucellosis and bluetongue disease and greater confidence in the laboratory diagnosis of these disease problems. Funds requested will also be used to provide additional training for veterinarians and veterinary technicians involved in Nebraska emergency responses to disease outbreaks. The outcomes of these training sessions would be increased awareness of the problems associated with disease outbreaks that threaten animal well-being, animal commerce, human health and the traditional delivery of veterinary care. It would be expected that participants would develop response plans that would minimize the impacts of such disease outbreaks. Some of the funds requested will be used to support installation of a new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). It is expected that the successful integration of the Iowa Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory LIMS into the NeVDC will result in a case reporting and archiving system that allows more efficient use by the laboratory staff with enhanced search capability. It is also expected that the database archives of the Iowa and Nebraska laboratories will be available to both diagnostic laboratory staffs. This effort would represent a strong interaction between a NAHLN Core laboratory and a member laboratory. The availability of such data derived from searches of the LIMS should result in better research grants and published papers and reports. These improvements would come through better documentation of current disease problems and therefore better justifications for research work.

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APPROACH: Objective 1. Test methods will be verified and validated to support the diagnosis of these specific diseases: (avian influenza, classical swine fever, Q fever, bluetongue, brucellosis and other emerging threats as required). Currently available National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) standard procedures or commercial assays will be evaluated for suitability in the NeVDC. Emphasis will be placed on evaluating high throughput screening test methods and complementary confirmatory assays. Investigators will prepare evaluation plans and subsequently prepare data summaries with conclusions once the laboratory work is complete. A significant component of the diagnostic work will also include proficiency training and re-certifying staff that run NAHLN FAD and other surveillance tests, including reviews and audits of the relevant standard procedure documents. <P>Objective 2. Conduct training conferences attended by veterinarians that have signed agreements to assist in emergency responses across the region and could also be available for emergency laboratory operations. Attendees will get a one hour presentation on laboratory preparedness and surveillance activities and 4.5 hours of table top exercise activity regarding a suspect surveillance methodologies as well as diagnostic criterion for affirmed diagnosis. These training sessions would increase the awareness of the problems associated with disease outbreaks that threaten animal well-being, animal commerce, human health and the traditional delivery of veterinary care. It would be expected that participants would develop response plans that would minimize the impacts of such disease outbreaks. <P>Objective 3. The Laboratory Information System of the Iowa Veterinary Diagnostic laboratory will be installed and integrated in to operations of the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center by early 2009. It is expected that the successful integration of the IVDL LIMS into the NeVDC will result in a case reporting and archiving system that allows more efficient use by the laboratory staff with enhanced search capability. It is also expected that the database archives of the Iowa and Nebraska laboratories will be available to both diagnostic laboratory staffs. <P>Objective 4. Train select research scientists to use the enhanced LIMS to generate summary data to support new research investigations. It is anticipated that this work would have an epidemiological emphasis. Examples of data search projects would include incidence and prevalence estimates as well as diagnostic assay performance evaluation, resulting in better research grants and an increase in published papers.