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The specific goals for 2009-2010 are as follows: Improving and refining our quality control and quality assurance programs is a primary goal for the laboratory in the upcoming year. The quality team was instrumental in work completed to ensure that all testing procedure and SOP documents meet AAVLD standards, and the ISU VDL received notification of having achieved full AAVLD accreditation through December 31, 2012. The team has also played an integral role in overseeing the BSL-3 remodel that is nearing completion at the VDL, and will continue to be involved in staff training. <P> The Molecular Diagnostic section has conducted high-throughput capacity scenarios utilizing routine diagnostic tests, and will carry out training and proficiency testing of additional technicians to expand testing levels. The ISU VDL IT team will continue to enhance data management and analysis through the LIMS system. <P> Our laboratory has been transmitting all CSF results via HL-7 messaging and is prepared to transmit HPAI results utilizing the messaging system. An important aim of the upcoming year is to expand the epidemiologic tracking of disease incidence utilizing data mining. The BSL-2 facility remodel to meet BSL-3 standards was recently completed and preparation for certification is under way. <P> Events that occurred during the past year, including the flooding of 2008 and the revision of NAHLN checklist documents, presented opportunities for the VDL to collaborate and interact with our local, state, and federal regulatory partners. We will continue to seek out these opportunities for collaboration to ensure ISU VDL preparedness plans align with our regulatory and industry partners.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: <BR> The accompanying proposal serves to support a renewal application for continued membership of the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL) as a core laboratory in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), APHIS, and AAVLD. Enhancing animal disease monitoring capabilities and capacity, demonstrating competence and compliance of well-defined testing standards, increasing collaboration between state and federal diagnostic laboratories, and improving foreign or emerging animal disease testing and containment capabilities are all core objectives of the ISU VDL and the NAHLN. The laboratories in the network have defined capabilities and standards for recognition, testing, diagnosis, and reporting of animal diseases. Core member laboratories are expected to contribute to the surge capacity of the federal veterinary laboratory system if large scale or rapidly spreading foreign animal disease (FAD) or bioterrorism events occur. Our goal is to continue the work that has been ongoing since 2002 to enhance our testing capacity, refine our technician training program, utilize our network of university faculty and stakeholders to maximize early disease recognition and response, and to engage our clients in the need for preparedness activities. These activities will maximize our ability to respond to a FAD incident and to work in collaboration with our livestock partners to protect animal agriculture.
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APPROACH: <BR> The ISU VDL will continue to build on the laboratory Quality System by conducting internal audits of all laboratory sections to ensure continued updating and refinement of SOP documents and adherence to AAVLD standards. We plan to replace the current paper-based quality documentation system by integrating the Q-Pulse quality system management software package. In addition, the quality team is developing an operations manual for the recently remodeled BSL-3 laboratory. They will conduct operational training and perform in-house preparedness exercises in BSL-3 conditions that emphasize staff importance in surveillance, response, and recovery. The Molecular Diagnostic laboratory supervisor will be coordinating employee cross-training to increase our proficiency-trained and tested technicians. The IT section is creating a data mining program that will summarize diagnostic information within the LIMS database. We will focus on increasing the use of electronic submissions and premise identification in addition to linking our LIMS system with global mapping software to improve epidemiologic animal health surveillance. We believe that the continued development of our ability electronically receive, assemble, and distribute diagnostic information is critical component of enhancing our laboratories emerging or foreign animal disease preparedness. We have and will be holding a series of meetings with animal health officials to ensure both the ISU VDL employees and the animal health officials are well educated on roles, responsibilities, and FAD preparedness. The recent situation with the 2009 H1N1 Flu Outbreak Virus surveillance and response plans have provided the opportunity to work with animal health officials while demonstrating the importance of outreach efforts to practitioners and producers on the importance of disease surveillance .