VET-LIRN FEED CONTAMINANT SURVEY

Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory ProgramPAR-18-604Vet-LIRN Feed Contaminant SurveyIndiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory Purdue UniversityProject Summary/AbstractThe current study will follow up on surveys of feed contaminants conducted in 2007 and 2012 bydetermining the recent incidence of chemical and biological feed contamination events that havebeen diagnosed in U.S. veterinary diagnostic laboratories, including Vet-LIRN laboratories, from2012 to the present, and will gauge the diagnostic capabilities of those laboratories.The Objective of this Capacity-Building agreement is to support enhanced human and animalfood safety through a survey of feed contamination incidences at veterinary diagnosticlaboratories. More specifically, it will ascertain the number of chemical and biological feedcontamination events that have been diagnosed in U.S. veterinary diagnostic laboratories,including Vet-LIRN laboratories, from 2012 to the present, and will gauge the diagnosticcapabilities of those laboratories. A second objective of this project will be to support training ofveterinary students in diagnostic toxicology, including contamination of animal feeds, expertisewhich is needed to help replace an aging workforce in this area. The Specific Aim of this projectis to conduct a survey of state veterinary diagnostic laboratories for information regarding thenumber of diagnoses and identification of contaminants in feeds, and for determining thediagnostic capabilities of those laboratories. This project will also include supplementaltoxicology training of two senior veterinary students through externships at the University ofCalifornia, Davis where they will study livestock and companion animal veterinary toxicologyincluding that pertaining to feed-related contaminants, while they are contributing to the surveythrough initial communications with laboratories, inquiries, and follow-up calls. The surveyresults will help to promote collaboration and integration among member laboratories, willsupport national capacity/capability development, and will help guide method development andvalidation projects.