NAHLN Enhancement Discussion Symposium

The National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) was established in 2002. In the early years, NAHLN was built to a level of national recognition through participation and partnerships that span all sectors. NAHLN continues to succeed based on that strong foundation. What has proven most important to the achievements attributed to NAHLN are the collaborative partnerships that have encouraged us over the years to be responsive to the changing needs of our mission. In 2015, the NAHLN Coordinating Council recommended a restructuring for NAHLN that would allow us to achieve our original surveillance and response goals and expand our capability and capacity for detecting emerging and zoonotic diseases to protect animal health, public health, and the nation’s food supply. The restructure provided NAHLN the flexibility to respond to future national animal health testing needs. The NAHLN gained this flexibility through clearer designation of network members’ roles and responsibilities, and through the ability to more easily expand or contract NAHLN testing capabilities and capacities.

Although NAHLN has successfully met our mission utilizing the “new” structure, it has been almost 10 years since we made these changes. We are always looking for opportunities to enhance, and further strengthen the current NAHLN framework to efficiently, accurately, and timely respond to animal/human public health disease outbreaks and current and future pandemics. With that in mind, the NAHLN Coordinating Council supported developing a NAHLN Enhancement Symposium to evaluate options for NAHLN to consider in identifying specific activities or developing specialty centers that support the needs and technological opportunities in diagnostic medicine including surveillance, epidemiology, and response. The areas for discussion under this project include innovations in the resilience of veterinary diagnostics, surveillance, resource sharing, and the generation of a competent workforce for enhancing the One-Health approach in the US.

The NAHLN Enhancement Symposium occurred on October 12, 2023, as part of the Annual American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD)/United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) meeting and was funded by the National Institute for Food and Agriculture and through the American Rescue Plan Act. The half-day Symposium included an introduction provided by Dr. Debbie Reed, a current Director of a Level 1 NAHLN laboratory, and Dr. Bruce Akey, a former NAHLN laboratory Director who has represented three different NAHLN laboratories. This was followed by four presentations that provided background and structure for other significant response organizations. Dr. Greg Tyson, Director of the Food and Drug Administration-Center for Veterinary Medicine Vet-LIRN, described their mission and activities including areas of collaboration with NAHLN and collaborations with other groups such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), integrated consortium of laboratory networks (ICLN), and the food emergency response network (FERN). Dr. Bounalan Pavade, a pathologist from India and located in Paris with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), provided a virtual discussion on WOAH support in place for veterinary laboratories regionally and globally. Chris Mangal, MPH, Director of Preparedness and Response, discussed the history, membership, funding, partnerships, and response of the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Finally, Jasmine Chaitram, MPH, MT, Chief of the National Laboratory Response System Branch, Division of Laboratory Systems for the CDC, talked about increasing public health laboratory testing capacity during emergencies.

Following these organizational-focused presentations, we switched gears toward specific laboratory-based topics with a presentation by Dr. Cyndi Clark from the Aegis Laboratory in Nashville, TN, on high-throughput diagnostics. The Aegis Laboratory peaked during COVID at greater than 80,000 samples tested per day! Dr. Kevin Lahmers spoke to us about the use and benefits of diagnostic sequencing in the laboratory and included application, validation, training, pathogen discovery, communication, and next steps. Dr. Stephen Cassle, an Associate Coordinator for NAHLN, wrapped up the presentation portion of the symposium by talking about the need and process for logistics and resource management by reviewing the 3M Executive Summary for best practices from across the globe for a successful supply chain.

The presentations were all excellent and stimulated questions and discussion! Following a buffet-style dinner provided to all registered participants, a closed meeting was held that included NAHLN laboratory Directors and their designees. During this portion of the meeting, we discussed the vision of NAHLN in 5 years or 10 years. How important is high-throughput testing in the average NAHLN laboratory? Is sequencing the diagnostic wave of the future? What should resource management include? Information provided in the presentations definitely stimulated a robust discussion among the group!

What are the next steps? Develop a white paper with the discussion points from the NAHLN Enhancement Symposium. The white paper will describe the needs of the NAHLN and potential solutions. Our goal is to have a completed white paper by Spring 2024. We plan to provide more opportunities to voice opinions on the future of the NAHLN. Feedback will be sought from the NAHLN laboratory directors and other stakeholders such as state animal health officials and members of the animal agriculture industry. More to come! 

Article submitted by Christina M. Loiacono, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Coordinator, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL. 

As this outbreak continues, numerous blanket deviations are still available to aid with multiple aspects of associated diagnostics.

 NVSL-SOP- 0068.05

• Use of VetMax Gold SIV kits due to shortage of AIV kits
• Testing of fox and other mammals for HPAI
• Use of IndiMag Pathogen Extraction Kit
• Use of WI-1732.02 for HPAI outbreak
• Use of KingFisher DuoPrime

 NVSL-WI-0055.02

• Use of KingFisher DuoPrime

NVSL-WI-0048.06

• Use of VetMax Gold SIV kits due to shortage of AIV kits

The NAHLN Program Office has also began using Zendesk to manage IT associated issues, including those associated with messaging and the outbreak. You may have noticed that emails you received came from Zendesk, and many of you have created accounts to help manage tickets that involve your laboratory. This has proven an excellent way to track issues and have all correspondence in one location. Feel free to include the Zendesk email on any issues you are sending to NAHLN.IT@usda.gov. The Zendesk email to use is nahln_it_support@usda7579.zendesk.com.

An updated NAHLN Electronic Messaging Guide (NVSL-WI-1781.02) was distributed on December 14, 2023. This guide includes updated Submission Reasons and reflects the new standards that went into place on August 1, 2023, a product from the Messaging Standards Committee. Issues with messaging from field responders are often reported to the NAHLN Coordinators and someone from the NPO will reach out to the appropriate lab when indicated. The NPO is always willing to field questions around messaging or set up a call to walk through reported issues.

The Q4 NAHLN Exercises and Drills Working Group webinar featured three speakers who covered multiple HPAI outbreak-related topics, including sequencing, the laboratory liaison position within the Incident Management Team, and a Wildlife Services overview of both avian and mammal cases. Friday Laboratory Response Calls continue as an opportunity to relay or share information, generate discussions, and serve as an overall open communication opportunity for all NAHLN laboratories. Everyone is welcome to join these calls at 1pm CST; and if additional Zoom invitations are needed, please let us know at NAHLN@usda.gov.

We are all hopeful that the arrival of winter temperatures and weather will help to halt wild bird movement and therefore additional virus introductions. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for this outbreak! 



Article submitted by Kelli Almes, DVM, DACVP, Associate Coordinator, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.

With the overarching goal of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network - National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NAHLN-NBAF) Partnership to expand the reach of NBAF while simultaneously enhancing the capabilities and capacities of the NAHLN, FY 2024 marks the first year that the NAHLN-NBAF Partnership will be fully implemented. The NAHLN coordination team selected five host laboratories across the country to serve as regional representatives to combat the threat of foreign animal and emerging diseases to protect our nation’s agricultural and food supply systems. In review, the following laboratories were selected:

• Region 1: New York - Animal Health Diagnostic Center & New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
• Region 2: Virginia - Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services
• Region 3: Michigan - Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
• Region 4: Arizona - Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
• Region 5: Washington - Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory

Since the announcement of the Partnership by Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, in October of 2023, the host laboratories have been diligently working to identify scientists with expertise in assay development, new diagnostic techniques, and an understanding of the risk to animal agriculture within their regions. Three of the five labs (60%) have identified scientists and are currently working to hire personnel within their university systems.

To coordinate amongst the various laboratories, the NAHLN Program Office initiated monthly meetings with the laboratory directors and support personnel within the laboratories. These recurring meetings are aimed to provide prioritization of efforts between the laboratories, establish the rules of engagement for collaboration, and finally to ensure a common understanding of direction for the team. To help the laboratories better understand how USDA, NAHLN, and NBAF can support their mission, subject matter experts (SME) from NBAF and the Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health have provided briefs at the monthly meetings. Dr. Cassle, NAHLN Associate Coordinator in charge of the program, has visited one of the laboratories in the Partnership, Michigan State University, and has plans to visit the other four laboratories in the spring. His objective is to better understand the needs of the laboratories as well as their capabilities and capacities.

Early in the formation of the partnership, the team was presented with an opportunity to participate in a pilot project for an emerging disease. With assistance from Michigan State University and the Unusual Morbidity and Mortality Events (UME) Team, the Partnership laboratories started collaboration to help identify the cause for the canine respiratory disease outbreak. These efforts included the formation of a working case definition, identification of standard tests to be performed, and how the laboratories can collaborate with sharing of information and samples for testing. While this disease complex is not directly related to agricultural animals, the Partnership laboratories expect this project to provide the framework for working together in future emerging disease threat investigations.

More information about the NAHLN-NBAF Partnership can be viewed here. Your point of contact for further questions and guidance is Dr. Stephen Cassle, NAHLN Associate Coordinator. He can be reached at Stephen.Cassle@usda.gov or 787-677-0912.

Article submitted by Stephen E Cassle, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, Associate Coordinator, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL. 

UME involvement with Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease

The UME Team has been working with state officials since October 2023 regarding canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC) cases. APHIS VS – including the UME project – is not soliciting or formally tracking reports of illness. Responses to these reports are being led by state agencies and are varied, depending on resources and authorities.

The UME project is designed to facilitate access to advanced diagnostic testing in situations when there is an elevated or unusual morbidity or mortality event that primary/first-line diagnostics have failed to find a cause for disease. For the canine respiratory situation, the UME team has been using the Cornell respiratory panel as a loose benchmark for expected primary/first-line diagnostics (Canine Respiratory Disease Advisory | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine). Colorado has also recommended a primary screening panel (VDL Test Info - Respiratory screen - Canine (colostate.edu) for their response. 

To date, the UME program has approved funding for six CIRDC cases. 

Results are from a range of cases with varying treatment schedules and sample collection dates but include:

• A single swab sample moderately positive for Mycoplasma cynos by PCR.
• A blood sample found Canine herpesvirus (100 reads), Klebsiella pneumoniae (500 reads), and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (20 reads). No new pathogens were detected by 16S metagenomics.
• Two cases where sequencing is pending.
• Two cases pending sample submission.

Due to the mixed backgrounds and resulting inconclusive results for a single etiologic agent, the UME Team has moved to using the following case definition for the canine respiratory situation:

Samples from acutely ill dogs within 72 hours of onset and prior to treatment that fail to yield findings on established respiratory panels for CIRDC.

If you or your state partners identify cases that meet the criteria above and wish to pursue advanced diagnostics for them, you can request UME funding to support that testing at a NAHLN laboratory. The UME Team can be reached at APHIS.UME@usda.gov for further details.

Clinical veterinarians are being advised to manage these cases as they normally would and can refer to the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases guidance document for managing respiratory infections ( https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.14627).

If you have cases beyond the canine respiratory disease situation you would like the UME Team to consider, please send an email to APHIS.UME@usda.gov. Include as much of the following information to allow us to process your requests faster:

1. a synopsis of the basic epidemiology and prior testing history for case(s) of interest, and
2. a diagnostic plan for the specimens from those cases (including an estimate of costs).



Article submitted by Kimberly A Lehman, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, Director, Diagnostic Bacteriology & Pathology Laboratory, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL



Lab director: Yan Zhang, DVM, PhD, DACVM

Quality Manager: W. Reid Robertson

Dr. Raymond “Ray” Reed, an Arizona native and lifetime champion of agriculture and veterinary services, was largely responsible for the establishment of work that resulted in what is now the Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AZVDL). The laboratory was established in 1983 and moved to the current building in 1994. The laboratory was initially housed on the University of Arizona campus within the Department of Veterinary Science & Microbiology. The faculty and staff of the Department of Veterinary Science often took calls from the public about animal husbandry concerns and regarding diagnostic questions. This was true even when there was only one veterinarian working at the college in the 40’s. The college moved to establish a diagnostic laboratory to provide this service specifically. 

The University of Arizona is a land-grant university, with the first employee hired in 1890 being a professor of agriculture and director of the Experiment Station. Arizona’s infamous 13^th Legislature as a territory, being often called the ‘thieving thirteenth’, was instrumental in the initiation of the university’s establishment in Tucson. Agriculture has been an important pillar in the university’s growth. In 1903, the Experiment Station began the study of ecological relationships with livestock and rangeland grazing. 

The Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory joined NAHLN in 2002, as one of the initial 12 laboratories in the network.

What are your three biggest accomplishments as a diagnostic laboratory?  

• The Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory prides itself on being one of the 12 founding NAHLN laboratories that has provided the NAHLN and clients timely and professional service for the last 40 years. The induction of the AZVDL into the network enhanced its ability to provide service to the NAHLN via the integration of a BSL-3 laboratory, upgraded necropsy suite, and incineration capabilities.
• In addition to providing exceptional service to the NAHLN at our home laboratory, the Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has provided assistance to another NAHLN laboratory during an outbreak by sending our highly trained staff to help mitigate the massive influx of sample processing. This benefits both the host and visiting laboratories as it provides opportunities to exchange ideas and best practices and builds inter-lab cooperation.
• In 2023, the Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory was selected as one of five regional laboratories, representing the Southwest region, to support a new partnership between the NAHLN and the NBAF. The scientist stationed at the Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will spearhead efforts spanning the eight Southwest laboratories. They will collaborate with the four scientists representing other regions, the NAHLN Program Office, and the NBAF. 

What do you believe your biggest benefit to NAHLN is or will be? 

Given its proximity to the US-Mexico border and substantial indigenous population, the AZVDL plays a critical role in protecting the US animal industry, as well as public health. The AZVDL strengthens the NALHN’s capacity to detect, identify, and monitor foreign, emerging, and novel animal and zoonotic pathogens using state-of-the-art techniques. The collaborative research partnerships the AZVDL has with academic institutions, such as the University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Bio5 Genetics Core, College of Public Health, and regional veterinary laboratories improve early detection, surveillance, and response strategies for the NAHLN.

Geographical isolation from most NAHLN labs and the proximity to the US-Mexico border requires proactive measures to detect, prevent, and control economically high consequence animal disease outbreaks. Utilizing next-gen sequencing (NGS) technology, the laboratory will strengthen its ability to surveil a wide range of animals for diseases, enabling early detection of foreign, emerging, and novel pathogens. Collaborating with the University’s resources and NAHLN- NBAF partners, the AZVDL will establish robust disease surveillance systems using NGS diagnostics, advanced analytics, and data integration. This deeper understanding of disease dynamics, transmission, and potential zoonotic threats will lead to more effective early detection and control of infectious animal and zoonotic pathogens. 

The AZVDL has expanded its team with skilled technicians, pathologists, a microbiology section head, and a NAHLN-NBAF Regional Scientist, allowing for higher sample volume and comprehensive analyses using NGS technology. State-of-the-art NGS equipment, including a sequencer, sample preparation systems, and advanced bioinformatics tools, facilitates rapid and accurate genomic analysis, enhancing the lab's ability to detect and characterize foreign, emerging, and novel animal pathogens. By achieving these objectives, the AZVDL aims to strengthen early detection, characterization, and disease surveillance, improve current diagnostics, and enhance the overall response to animal diseases in the region and the NAHLN. capacity building programs, training workshops, and hands-on laboratory training conducted by the AZVDL will ensure the sustainability and long-term impact of the project. Collaborative efforts between the AZVDL and its partners will contribute to protecting animal and public health in the Southwest region, particularly considering the infectious disease challenges near the US-Mexico border.

Our “prem ID” and our people; we are just over an hour away from three of the largest ports from Mexico into Arizona. Arizona shares 372 miles of border with Mexico, and the AZVDL is the closest laboratory near the border. Our Tucson location is easily available by plane, rail, and land. We are not often hindered by weather interruptions or most natural disasters. The AZVDL staff is dedicated and has an amazing pool of knowledge and experience.  

Laboratory Background: What is your laboratory’s specialty, area of focus? 

Utilizing NGS for Enhanced Disease Detection

NGS technology offers significant advantages for detection of infectious agents. NGS allows for rapid and extensive analysis of genetic material from various animal and zoonotic pathogens. Incorporating NGS into the laboratory will enable the detection and monitoring capabilities for a wide range of animal diseases with greater accuracy and efficiency. AZVDL has invested in state-of-the-art NGS equipment and bioinformatics resources to effectively analyze and interpret the extensive amount of sequencing data. This will enable the laboratory to identify foreign, emerging, and novel pathogens using whole genome sequencing (WGS), track disease spread using targeted and nontargeted sequencing, and provide crucial information for intervention and prevention strategies to the NAHLN. The AZVDL will establish collaborative research partnerships with the University of Arizona Bio5 Genetics Core, regional veterinary laboratories, and NBAF scientists to enhance disease surveillance and response capabilities. These partnerships will facilitate the exchange of knowledge, resources, and expertise to improve early detection and characterization methods, diagnostic techniques, and data analysis tools. Through collaborative research projects, the AZVDL will contribute to the development of new diagnostic tests, the validation of innovative techniques, and the exploration of emerging pathogens in veterinary medicine as well as public health alike. This interdisciplinary approach will not only enhance the laboratory's capabilities but also promote knowledge dissemination and foster a culture of continuous improvement within the NAHLN.

Engaging Indigenous Communities in Research and Surveillance

The AZVDL recognizes the importance of engaging the region’s indigenous communities in disease surveillance and response efforts. Arizona is home to one of the largest indigenous populations and has the most tribal lands of any state in the nation. Indigenous people have unique farming techniques and traditional practices that can influence disease transmission dynamics. The AZVDL will actively involve indigenous communities in diagnostic methodologies, knowledge exchange, and the development of culturally relevant disease prevention strategies. By partnering with tribal leaders, community members, and local organizations, the AZVDL will establish a collaborative framework that respects and incorporates traditional knowledge and practices. This approach will improve early detection, disease surveillance in indigenous communities, and foster mutual trust, cultural sensitivity, and long-term sustainability in disease prevention and control initiatives.

Capacity Building and Training Programs

The AZVDL will conduct comprehensive capacity-building and training programs. These initiatives will target regional veterinary laboratory staff, regional scientists, veterinarians, and stakeholders involved in disease surveillance and response activities. The capacity-building programs will encompass a wide range of activities, including training workshops, seminars, and hands-on laboratory training. The AZVDL will leverage its partnership with academic institutions, such as the University of Arizona's College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio5 Genetics Core, to access a pool of experts who specialize in various disciplines. These experts will contribute their knowledge and skills to the training programs, covering areas such as pathology, microbiology, molecular methodology, epidemiology, public health, and NGS technologies. Through these capacity-building efforts, the AZVDL aims to enhance the technical expertise of regional veterinary diagnostic laboratory staff, improve laboratory practices, and develop a skilled workforce capable of effectively utilizing advanced technologies and implementing best practices in disease surveillance and detection.

Starting with the naming of the college as Veterinary Science, the public has sought diagnostic expertise from the faculty and staff on subjects from heard health to companion animals. This open-ended culture of assistance and service to all continues to this day. The laboratory has changed over the years, driven by community needs and leadership. Currently we are focusing on growing our capacity to be a robust region in the network, ready to be an easily turned gear of the machine that the NAHLN will need to be to meet an outbreak. 

Total number of staff?  18 technical and administrative staff with four board certified pathologists and two board certified microbiologists, one being the Director.

Number of staff dedicated to NAHLN activities?

8 full-time technical staff with Molecular, Bacteriology/ASM project, IT and Quality. Receiving/Accessioning personnel are integral to high-through-put activities in a laboratory but they are not considered fully dedicated to NAHLN activities.

Photos provided by Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Article submitted by Traci Imlau, Program Assistant, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.

Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ISU VDL)

Department Chair and Executive Director: Dr. Pat Halbur

Lab Director: Dr. Rodger Main

Quality Manager: Kelly Boesenberg-Smith

The ISU VDL was established in three rooms in the basement of the Veterinary Quadrangle building on ISU’s central campus in 1948. From those humble beginnings, the ISU VDL moved to its current location in 1976. When the current facility was populated, the laboratory consisted of 10 faculty and 20 staff members processing approximately 16,000 cases a year. Today, ISU VDL’s team of 25 faculty and 155 staff members processes approximately 120,000 cases and conducts more than 1.5 million tests annually. The ISU VDL is the only full-service and fully accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratory in the State of Iowa. 

The ISU VDL is nested within the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine. The ISU VDL faculty utilize the substantive flow of case material as a center piece in training the next generation of veterinarians and as the source of applied research questions that are of high relevance to the stakeholders being served.  

As a food animal centered veterinary diagnostic laboratory, the ISU VDL works to do its best to meet the ever-evolving needs of the most progressive livestock and poultry producers in the world.

What are your three biggest accomplishments as a diagnostic laboratory?

• In response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the ISU VDL was able to stand up a public health testing laboratory to support the Covid-19 testing needs of ISU and local health care providers here in central Iowa. All of this was accomplished without any lapse to our core animal health services over the course of the pandemic period.

• During the 2015 and 2022 highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks, the ISU VDL provided daily service supporting the Iowa poultry industry. This allowed health officials across the state to help contain the outbreak while maintaining producer’s continuity of business.

• In early 2024, the ISU VDL will begin to populate (Phase I) its new, built-for-purpose, diagnostic laboratory. This has been a multiyear project, being built in two phases, that will allow us to continue to support the livestock and poultry producers, while training the next generation of veterinarians and scientists and remaining a cutting-edge resource for animal health questions. When fully completed (Phase I and II), this new state-of-the-art veterinary diagnostic facility (~$142 million, 180,000 gross square ft) aims to play a substantive role in supporting the needs of Iowa and US animal agriculturalists and associated industries for generations to come.

ISU VDL began its longstanding partnership and service in the NAHLN in 2002. The ISU VDL is currently a Level 1 Laboratory in the NAHLN and maintains approximately 50 technical staff proficiency trained in support of the various molecular and serology tests conducted in support of NAHLN activities. Additionally, the ISU VDL’s information technology team members have long played an active role in the NAHLN and AAVLD Information Technology committee efforts. The ISU VDL currently hosts the Veterinary Health Information Standards website that serves as a resource in support of efforts to expand the use of common diagnostic data standards and HL7 messaging capabilities across the NAHLN.

Photos provided by Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Article submitted by Traci Imlau, Program Assistant, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.

Getting to Know Us –

Dr. Yared Kidane