CVM laboratories receive $2M from USDA to support diagnostic and monitoring needs

The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) and Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory (MPTL) received a combined $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the 2023 American Rescue Plan funding allocated to National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) member labs. The funds will be used to expand the laboratories’ IT capacity, improve quality assurance processes, and upgrade equipment.

NAHLN is a network of animal disease diagnostic laboratories that was created by the USDA to provide ongoing disease surveillance, respond quickly to disease events, communicate diagnostic outcomes to decision makers, and meet diagnostic needs during animal disease outbreaks. The VDL and MPTL provide surveillance for foreign animal diseases such as African swine fever and participate in the response to disease introductions such as the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

With the new USDA funding, which was shared among all NAHLN member labs, the VDL and MPTL will add equipment and staff that will allow them to meet the growing demand for diagnostic and monitoring services. “This additional funding from the NAHLN will help us to move projects forward faster, to accelerate the modernization and automation of the laboratories while keeping high quality standards,” reports Albert Rovira, interim director of the VDL.