Source: UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA submitted to NRP
ATHENS AND TIFTON GA VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES
Sponsoring Institution
Cooperating Schools of Veterinary Medicine
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
STATE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0199907
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2003
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2013
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
200 D.W. BROOKS DR
ATHENS,GA 30602-5016
Performing Department
VBDI
Non Technical Summary
The Georgia diagnostic laboratories will provide diagnostic services to control, diagnose, treat, prevent and eradicate livestock diseases. The services shall be provided for all domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats, swine, equine, poultry, turkey, fowl, dogs, cats, and any wildlife or zoo animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
31139101160100%
Knowledge Area
311 - Animal Diseases;

Subject Of Investigation
3910 - Cross-commodity research--multiple animal species;

Field Of Science
1160 - Pathology;
Goals / Objectives
The Georgia diagnostic laboratories in Athens and Tifton will provide diagnostic services to control, diagnose, treat, prevent and eradicate livestock diseases. The services shall be provided for all domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats, swine, equine, poultry, turkey, fowl, dogs, cats, and any wildlife or zoo animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals. Diagnostic services and laboratory analyses will be conducted to detect, prevent, control and eliminate poisons in livestock and poultry and to determine and detect toxic principles and antidotes for poisonous plants and feeds. These laboratories will conduct investigations on livestock diseases which are not under adequate control or for which treatments are not known, and will work to eradicate foreign and domestic animal diseases, such as pseudorabies in swine. The Equine Infectious Anemia Testing Program will be expanded to allow interstate shipment of horses.
Project Methods
Scientists and specialists is toxicology, virology, bacteriology and pathology will test and analyze samples to determine the cause of disease or death. Specific diseases will be monitored state-wide to determine their epidemiology and economic impact on the affected agricultural commodities.

Progress 07/01/03 to 06/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Veterinary practitioners, veterinary faculty, wildlife and marine biologists, state and federal regulatory authorities. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Several training activities were undertaken in 2012, notably: training of the two quality managers on auditing by the AAVLD Accreditation Committee; training on three staff in NAHLN-sponsored quality workshop at Ames in August 2012; and attendance of 4 personnel at the AAVLD/NAHLN quality training symposium in October 2012. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We publish a semi-annual newsletter that is distributed to all our stakeholders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In 2012, 80,797 accessions were received on which 184,558 tests were performed on a number of species of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, horses, poultry, turkeys, dogs, cats) and various wildlife or exotic animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals.

Publications


    Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12

    Outputs
    OUTPUTS: The Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL)and the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory (TVDIL) are components of the Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDLs), which are supported primarily by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The two laboratories have obtained full accreditation with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) through December 2012 and have been audited for reaccreditation in November 2012. In order to accomplish their mission of safeguarding public health, enhancing the health of all animals and improving the economic well-being of the Georgia livestock producers, the two laboratories maintain a wide range of testing services covered in the disciplines of microbiology, pathology and toxicology. The AVDL is a core lab member and the TVDIL is a member lab of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). In this capacity, the laboratories maintain certified proficiency testing services for several endemic and foreign animal diseases, including: avian influenza, Newcastle disease, Johne's disease, classical swine fever, foot and mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, scrapie, chronic wasting disease and equine infectious anemia. In 2012, 80,797accessions were received on which 184,558 tests were performed on a number of species of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, horses, poultry, turkeys, dogs, cats) and various wildlife or exotic animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals. The Georgia VDLs have continued to improve testing capacity by adding several molecular diagnostic tests, which permit faster and more reliable detection of disease than traditional methods. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

    Impacts
    The Georgia VDLs contribute to the economic well-being of Georgians by providing essential diagnostic services to practicing veterinarians and by conducting surveillance testing for economically important diseases, as well as, for state and federally regulated diseases. As a member of the NAHLN, the VDLs help ensure the safety of the nation's food supply by maintaining testing capacity for foreign animal diseases that could be introduced into the United States either accidentally or intentionally (agroterrorism). The faculty and staff of the Georgia VDLs contribute to the collective knowledge of diagnostic veterinary medicine by the development of newer and more rapid diagnostic tests and by publishing papers in scientific journals and books.

    Publications

    • Stone BM, Blyde DJ, Saliki JT, Morton JM 2012. Morbillivirus infection in live stranded, injured, trapped, and captive cetaceans in Southeastern Queensland and Northern New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 48:47-55.
    • Anthony SJ, St Leger JA, Pugliares K, Ip HS, Chan JM, Carpenter ZW, Navarrete-Macias I, Sanchez-Leon M, Saliki JT, Pedersen J, Karesh W, Daszak P, Rabadan R, Rowles T, Lipkin WI 2012. Emergence of fatal avian influenza in New England harbor seals. mBio; in press.
    • Bell DR1, Berghaus RD, Patel S, Beavers S, Fernandez I, Sanchez S 2012. Seroprevalence of tick-borne infections in military working dogs in the Republic of Korea.Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.
    • Smith KF, Yabsley MJ, Sanchez S, Casey CL1, Behrens MD, Hernandez SM 2012. Salmonella isolates from wild caught Tokay Geckos gekko gecko imported to the U.S. from Indonesia.Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.
    • Fraser CL, Sanchez S, Newman NJ, Biousse V 2012. What to do with the cat Cat scratch disease Ophthalmology.
    • Moges Woldemeskel 2012: The role of ticks and tick control in the management of cutaneous dermatophilosis in domestic animals. In Woldemeskel, Moges.Ticks: Disease, Management and Control, Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA; ISBN: 978-1-62081-136-8.
    • Sileshi Mekonnen, Moges Woldemeskel and Solomon Gebre 2012:Ticks infesting domestic and wild animals in the tropics (Ethiopia) and their possible roles in disease transmission. In Woldemeskel, Moges (edit.) Ticks: Disease, Management and Control, Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA; ISBN: 978-1-62081-136-8.
    • Ilha MRS, Coarsey M, Whittington L, Rajeev S, Ramamoorthy S 2012. The occurrence of bovine viral diarrhea virus in hunter-harvested white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus in the state of Georgia, Southeastern USA. J Vet Diagn Invest, 24: 1052-1056.
    • Steven M. Cogar1, Chad W. Schmiedt, Cathy A. Brown, Michel L. Vandenplas, Christy Chessman and David J. Hurley 2012. Effect of spironolactone on chronic allograft nephropathy in rats. J. Nephrol Therapeutic.
    • Schmeidt CW, Nelson SA, Brainard BM, Brown CA, Vandenplas M, Hurley DJ 2012. Bilateral renal ischemia as a model of acute kidney injury in cats Res Vet Sci.
    • Ellis AE, Mackey E, Moore PA, Divers SJ, Hensel P, Carmichael KP, Accola, P, Brown J, Gottdenker N, Keel MK, Shock BC, and Yabsley MJ 2012. Debilitation and mortality associated with besnoitiosis in four Virginia opossums Didelphis virginiana. J Zoo Wildl Med.
    • Charles RA, Kjos S, Ellis AE, Barnes JC, & Yabsley, MJ 2012. Southern plains woodrats Neotoma micropus from southern Texas are important reservoirs of two genotypes of Trypanosoma cruzi and host of a putative novel Trypanosoma species.Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.
    • Woolums AR, Berghaus RD, Berghaus LJ, Ellis RW, Pence ME, Saliki JT, Hurley KAE, Galland KL, Burdett WW, Nordstrom ST, Hurley DJ 2012. The impact of route and timing of multivalent respiratory vaccination on immune responses to booster vaccination at weaning in calves.Am J Vet Res.
    • Sileshi Mekonnen, N.R. Bryson, and Moges Woldemeskel 2012:Acaricide resistance of single and multi-host ticks and comparison of in vitro larval and adult tick bioassay methods. In Woldemeskel, Moges Ticks: Disease, Management and Control, Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA; ISBN: 978-1-62081-136-8.
    • S. Rajeev, Marcia Ilha, Jessica Harrison, Gail Clifton, Amy Grooters, Brian L Wickes, Deanna Sutton 2012. Lagenidium infection in a dog. JAVMA 241: 4 447-449.
    • S. Rajeev, M Woldemeskel, S. Westmoreland 2012. Leptospirosis in a dog. JAVMA 240:8 957-959.
    • Moges Woldemeskel 2012. A concise review of amyloidosis in animals. Vet. Med. Int. Article ID 427296, 11 pages, doi:10.1155/2012/427296.
    • Perrault JR, Miller DL, Eads E, Johnson C, Merrill A, Thompson LJ, Wyneken J 2012. Maternal health status correlates with nest success of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Florida. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e31841.
    • M. Woldemeskel 2012. Current Need for Fast and High Quality Publication on Medical Sciences. J Clinic Experiment Pathol 2:3, e108. doi:10.4172/2161-0681.1000e109.


    Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

    Outputs
    OUTPUTS: The Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) and the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory (TVDIL) are components of the Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDLs), which are supported primarily by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The two laboratories have obtained full accreditation with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) through December 2012. In order to accomplish their mission of safeguarding public health, enhancing the health of all animals and improving the economic well-being of the Georgia livestock producers, the two laboratories maintain a wide range of testing services covered in the disciplines of microbiology, pathology and toxicology. The AVDL is a core lab member and the TVDIL is a member lab of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). In this capacity, the laboratories maintain certified proficiency testing services for several endemic and foreign animal diseases, including: avian influenza, Newcastle disease, Johne's disease, classical swine fever, foot and mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, scrapie, chronic wasting disease and equine infectious anemia. The TVDIL also has CDC approved Select Agent status for Eastern Equine Encephalitis through 2012. In 2011, 83,979 accessions were received on which 203,350 tests were performed on a number of species of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, horses, poultry, turkeys, dogs, cats) and various wildlife or exotic animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals. The Georgia VDLs have continued to improve testing capacity by adding several molecular diagnostic tests, which permit faster and more reliable detection of disease than traditional methods. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

    Impacts
    The Georgia VDLs contribute to the economic well-being of Georgians by providing essential diagnostic services to practicing veterinarians and by conducting surveillance testing for economically important diseases, as well as, for state and federally regulated diseases. As a member of the NAHLN, the VDLs help ensure the safety of the nation's food supply by maintaining testing capacity for foreign animal diseases that could be introduced into the United States either accidentally or intentionally (agroterrorism). The faculty and staff of the Georgia VDLs contribute to the collective knowledge of diagnostic veterinary medicine by the development of newer and more rapid diagnostic tests and by publishing papers in scientific journals and books.

    Publications

    • Nathan M. Beach, Sara M. Smith, Sheela Ramamoorthy, and Xiang-Jin Meng. Chimeric porcine circoviruses containing short amino acid epitope tags in the C-terminus of the capsid gene are infectious in vitro and elicit anti-epitope tag antibodies as well as anti-PCV neutralizing antibodies. J. Virol. 2011 May; 85(9):4591-5.
    • Opriessnig, D. M. Madson, M. Roof, S. M. Layton, S. Ramamoorthy, X. J. Meng and P. G. Halbur. Experimental Reproduction of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2)- associated Enteritis in Pigs Infected with PCV2 Alone or Concurrently with Lawsonia intracellularis or Salmonella typhimurium. J Comp Pathol. 2011 Aug-Oct;145(2-3):261-70.
    • Opriessnig, T., Shen, H.G., Pal, N., Ramamoorthy, S., Huang, Y.W., Lager, K.M., Beach, N.M., Halbur, P.G., and Meng, X.J. 2011. A Live-Attenuated Chimeric Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) Vaccine Is Transmitted to Contact Pigs but Is Not Upregulated by Concurrent Infection with Porcine Parvovirus (PPV) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) and Is Efficacious in a PCV2b-PRRSV-PPV Challenge Model. Clin Vaccine Immunol 18, 1261-1268.
    • P.M. Krimer. Hepatic Enzymes and Indicators. Section IV, Laboratory Tests. Clinical Veterinary Advisor, The Horse, first edition. 2011. Dave A. Wilson, editor. Elsevier. pp. 904-905, 908, 911, 914,924,934,936, and 960-961.
    • Patterson A. R, Johnson J. K, Ramamoorthy S, Hesse R. A, Murtaugh M. P, Pogranichniy R. M, Erickson G.A, Carman. S, Hause B, Meng X. J, Opriessnig T. Inter-laboratory comparison of PCV2 indirect immunofluorescent assay and ELISA results on experimentally infected animals. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2011 Mar;23(2):206-12.
    • Rajeev S, Ilha M, Harrison J, Clifton G, Grooters A. Pathology in Practice: Lagenidium sp. infection in a dog. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (accepted for publication in 2011).
    • Rakich PM, Latimer KS. Chapter 12: Cytology. In: Duncan and Prasse's Veterinary Laboratory Medicine. Clinical Pathology (5th edn). Wiley-Blackwell Press, Ames, 2011, pp33`-363.
    • Rammohan L, Lin K, Wang. C, Ganesan. S and Ramamoorthy S. Dec 2011. Increased prevalence of torque teno viruses in porcine respiratory disease complex affected pigs. Vet Micro. DOI 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.12.013.
    • Sheela Ramamoorthy, Moges Woldemeskel, Alan Ligett, Ron Snider, Robert Cobb, and Sreekumari Rajeev. Brucella suis Infection in Dogs, Georgia, USA. Letter, Emerging Infectious Diseases; Volume 17, Number 12- December 2011.
    • Shender L, Gerhold R, Sanchez S, Keel MK. (2011) Alternaria fungal dermatitis in free ranging Javelina (Pecari tajacu). Journal of WildlLife Diseases. 47(3): 796-799. PMID: 21719857.
    • Sistare FD, Morton D, Alden C, Christensen J, Keller D, Jonghe SD, Storer RD, Reddy MV, Kraynak A, Trela B, Bienvenu JG, Bjurstrom S, Bosmans V, Brewster D, Colman K, Dominick M, Evans J, Hailey JR, Kinter L, Liu M, Mahrt C, Marien D, Myer J, Perry R, Potenta D, Roth A, Sherratt P, Singer T, Slim R, Soper K, Fransson-Steen R, Stoltz J, Turner O, Turnquist S, van Heerden M, Woicke J, DeGeorge JJ. An analysis of pharmaceutical experience with decades of rat carcinogenicity testing: support for a proposal to modify current regulatory guidelines. Toxicol Pathol. 2011 Jun;39 (4):716-44.
    • Stone BM, Blyde D, Saliki JT, Blas-Machado U, Bingham J, Hyatt A & Payne J (2011). Fatal cetacean morbillivirus infection in an Australian offshore bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Aust Vet J 9:452-457.
    • Stone RH, Frontera-Acevedo K, Saba CF, Ambrose D, Moorhead AR, Brown CA. Lymphosarcoma associated with Heterobilharzia Americana infection in a dog. J Vet Diagn Invest 2011 Sep:23 (5):1065-70.
    • Tuten HC, Miller HC, and Ellis AE. 2011. Cuterebrid myiasis (Diptera: Oestridae) in captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at a South Carolina zoo. J Zoo Wildl Med 42:504-507.
    • Wilson VB, Rech RR, Austel MG, Bauer CL, Latimer KS, Sanchez S, Howerth EW. (2011) Cutaneous Mycobacteriosis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 238 (2): 171-173. PMID: 21235368.
    • Woldemeskel M, Ligget A, Ilha M, Saliki JT, Johnson LP. Canine parvovirus-2b-associated erythema multiforme in a litter of English Setter dogs. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 23: 576-580. 2011.
    • Lin, K., Wang, C., Murtaugh, M.P., and Ramamoorthy, S. 2011. A multiplex method for the simultaneous serological detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and porcine circovirus type 2. July 2011. J Clin Microbiol. Epub.
    • Moges Woldemeskel, and C.D. Grice. Extraskeletal Chondroblastic Osteosarcoma. Pathology in practice, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 238 (3): 297-299, 2011.
    • A.R. Patterson, S. Ramamoorthy, D.M. Madson, X.J. Meng, P.G. Halbur, T. Opriessnig. Shedding and infection dynamics of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) after experimental infection. Vet. Micro. 2011 Apr 21; 149 (1-2):91-8.
    • Albanese V, Credille B, Ellis A, Baldwin L, Mueller POE, & Woolums A. 2011. A case of a colocolic intussusception in a horse. Equine Veterinary Education. 23:281-285.
    • Bartlett S J, Sanchez S, Rosenkrantz W. (2011) Bacterial contamination of commercial ear cleaners following routine use. Veterinary Dermatology 22 (6): 546-553. PMID: 21645141.
    • Blas-Machado U, Saliki JT, Sanchez S, Brown CC, Zhang J, Keys D, Woolums A & Harvey SB (2011). Pathogenesis of a Bovine enterovirus-1 isolate in experimentally infected calves. Vet. Pathol. 48:1075-1084.
    • Bossart GD, Romano TA, Peden-Adams MM, Schaefer A, McCulloch S, Goldstein JD, Rice CD, Saliki JT, Fair PA, Reif JS (2011). Clinicoimmunopathologic findings in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus with positive cetacean morbillivirus antibody titers. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 97:103-112.
    • Brown CA. Renal Pathology. In Bartges J and Polzin D (eds) Nephrology and Urology of Small Animals, Blackwell Publishers, 2011.
    • Charles RA, Ellis AE, Dubey JP, Barnes JC, & Yabsley MJ. 2011. Besnoitiosis in a southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus) from Uvalde, Texas. J Parasitol 97:838-841.
    • Dong C., Meng J., Dai X., Liang J.H., Feagins A.R., Meng X.J., Belfiore N.M., Bradford C., Corn J.L., Cray C., Glass G.E., Gordon M.L., Hesse R.A., Montgomery D.L., Nicholson W.L., Pilny A.A., Ramamoorthy S., Shaver D.D., Drobeniuc J., Purdy M.A., Fields H.A., Kamili S., Teo C.G. Dec 2011 .Restricted enzooticity of hepatitis E virus genotypes 1 to 4 in the United States. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2011 Dec;49 (12):4164-72.
    • Ellis AE, Hart K, Elfenbein J. 2011. Lawsonia enteritis in a miniature horse foal. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 238:1417-1419.
    • Generating and Interpreting Test Results: Test Validity, Quality Control, Reference Values, and Basic Epidemiology. Chapter 13. P.M. Krimer. Duncan and Prasse's Veterinary Laboratory Medicine: Clinical Pathology, 5th Ed. 2011. KS Latimer, editor. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 365-382.
    • Ilha MR, Newman SJ. Pathology in Practice: Dermatophytosis in a red panda. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (accepted for publication in 2011).
    • Jankovsky JM, Newkirk KM, Ilha MR, Newman SJ. COX-2 and c-kit expression in canine gliomas. Veterinary and Comparative Oncology (accepted for publication in 2011).


    Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10

    Outputs
    OUTPUTS: The Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) and the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory (TVDIL) are components of the Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDLs), which are supported primarily by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The two laboratories have obtained full accreditation with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) through December 2012. In order to accomplish their mission of safeguarding public health, enhancing the health of all animals and improving the economic well-being of the Georgia livestock producers, the two laboratories maintain a wide range of testing services covered in the disciplines of microbiology, pathology and toxicology. The AVDL is a core lab member and the TVDIL is a member lab of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). In this capacity, the laboratories maintain certified proficiency testing services for several endemic and foreign animal diseases, including: avian influenza, Newcastle disease, Johne's disease, classical swine fever, foot and mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, scrapie, chronic wasting disease and equine infectious anemia. The TVDIL also has CDC approved Select Agent status for Eastern Equine Encephalitis through 2012. In 2010, 91,352 accessions were received on which 157,200 tests were performed on a number of species of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, horses, poultry, turkeys, dogs, cats) and various wildlife or exotic animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals. The Georgia VDLs have continued to expand and improve on testing capacity by adding several molecular diagnostic tests, which permit faster and more reliable detection of disease than traditional methods. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

    Impacts
    The Georgia VDLs contribute to the economic well-being of Georgians by providing essential diagnostic services to practicing veterinarians and by conducting surveillance testing for economically important diseases, as well as, for state and federally regulated diseases. As a member of the NAHLN, the VDLs help ensure the safety of the nation's food supply by maintaining testing capacity for foreign animal diseases that could be introduced into the United States either accidentally or intentionally (agroterrorism). The faculty and staff of the Georgia VDLs contribute to the collective knowledge of diagnostic veterinary medicine by the development of newer and more rapid diagnostic tests and by publishing papers in scientific journals and books.

    Publications

    • Beach NM, Ramamoorthy S, Opriessnig, T., Wu, S.Q., Meng, X.J., , Novel chimeric porcine circovirus (PCV) with the capsid gene of the emerging PCV2b subtype cloned in the genomic backbone of the non-pathogenic PCV1 is attenuated in vivo and induces protective and cross-protective immunity against PCV2b and PCV2a subtypes in pigs. Vaccine. 2010 Dec 16;29(2):221-32. Epub 2010 Oct 31.
    • Bossart GD, Reif JS, Schaefer AM, Goldstein J, Fair PA, Saliki JT (2010). Morbillivirus infection in free-ranging Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Southeastern United States: Seroepidemiologic and pathologic evidence of subclinical infection. Vet Microbiol. 143:160-166.
    • Craig LE, Krimer PM, Cooley AJ. Canine synovial myxoma: 39 cases. Vet Pathol. 2010 Sept; 47(5):931-936.
    • Ellis AE, Brown CA, & Yabsley MJ. 2010. Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae in the colon of two cats. J. Vet Diagn Invest 22: 652-655.
    • Ellis AE, Brown CA, and Miller DL. 2010. Chronic vomiting in a dog. Vet Pathol. 47:991-993.
    • Hoverman, J.T., M.J. Gray, and D.L. Miller. 2010. Anuran susceptibilities to Ranavirus: The role of species identity, exposure route, and novel virus isolates. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 89: 97-107. Ilha MRS, Newman SJ, van Amstel S, Fecteau KA. Uterine lesions in 32 Female Miniature Pet Pigs. Veterinary Pathology 47: 1071-1075. 2010.
    • Ilha MRS, Rajeev S, Watson C, Woldemeskel M. Meningoencephalitis caused by Mycoplasma edwardii in a dog. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 22: 805-808. 2010. (cover of journal)
    • Kent M, Reiss C, Blas-Machado U: 2010, Elevated cardiac troponin I in a dog with an intracranial meningioma and evidence of myocardial necrosis. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2010 Jan-Feb;46(1):48-55.
    • Krimer PM, Duval JM. Postsurgical urinary incontinence caused by gossypiboma in a dog. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2010 Jun 1;236(11):1181-1183.
    • Krimer PM, Phillips K, Sanchez S. Panniculitis attributable to Mycobacterium goodii in an immunocompetent dog in Georgia. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2010 Nov 1;237(9):1056-1059.
    • MS Camus, PM Krimer, BE LeRoy, FS Almy. Serum Protein Electrophoresis Beta-Gamma Bridging is a Poor Predictor for Hepatic Disease. Vet Pathol. 2010 Nov; 47(6):1064-1070.
    • Susan Knowles, Uriel Blas-Machado, Abigail M. Butler, Sara E. Gomez-Ibanez, Michael Q. Lowder, and Richard A. Fayrer-Hosken: 2010, Ameloblastic Fibro-odontoma Associated with a Retained 1 Molar in an Oldenburg Mare. J Vet Diagn Invest 22:987-990.
    • Tang J, Le S, Sun L, Zhang M, Yan X, MacLeod J, LeRoy B, Northrup N, Ellis A, Liang Y, Zwick ME, & Zhao S. 2010. Copy number abnormalities in sporadic canine colorectal cancers. Genome Res 20:341-350.
    • Wiggins MC, Woolums AR, Hurley DH, Sanchez S, Ensley DT, Donovan D. (2010). The effect of various Mycoplasma bovis isolates on bovine leukocyte responses. Comp Microbiol Immunol Infect Dis In pubmed ahead of print. PMID: 20189247.
    • Woldemeskel M, and S .Rajeev. Mast cells in canine cutaneous hemangioma, hemangiosarcoma and mammary tumors. Veterinary Research Communications. 34:153-160, 2010.
    • Opriessnig T, Patterson AR, Madson DM, Pal N, Ramamoorthy S, Meng XJ, Halbur PG. Comparison of the effectiveness of passive (dam) versus active (piglet) immunization against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and impact of passively derived PCV2 vaccine-induced immunity on vaccination. Veterinary Microbiology. 2010: 145(2):177-183. Patterson, A.R., S. Ramamoorthy, D.M. Madson, X.J. Meng, P.G. Halbur, T. Opriessnig. Shedding and infection dynamics of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) after experimental infection. Veterinary Microbiology. 2010 Nov 4. [Epub ahead of print].
    • Rajeev S., RD. Berghaus, MW. Overton, ME. Pence, and CA. Baldwin. Comparison of fluorescent antibody and microscopic agglutination testing for Leptospira in pregnant and nonpregnant cows from 10 dairy herds. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, Vol. 22, Number 1, January 2010. Roellig D, McMillan K, Ellis AE, VandeBerg J, Champagne D, and Yabsley M. 2010. Experimental infections of two South American reservoirs with four distinct strains of Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitology 137:959-966.
    • Rowles TK, Schwacke LS, Wells RS, Saliki JT, Hansen L, Hohn A, Townsend F, Sayre RA & Hall AJ. Evidence of susceptibility to morbillivirus infection in cetaceans from the United States. Marine Mammal Science; first published online: 28 June, 2010, DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00393.x.
    • Saylor, R.K., D.L. Miller, M.W. Vandersea, M.S. Bevelhimer, P.J. Schofield, and W.A. Bennett. 2010. Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome caused by Aphanomyces invadans in captive bullseye snakehead (Channa marulius) collected from south Florida, USA. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 88: 169-175.
    • Susan Knowles, Elizabeth W. Uhl, Uriel Blas-Machado, Abigail M. Butler: 2010, Intrapericardial ectopic 1 thyroid carcinoma in a cat. J Vet Diagn Invest 22: 1010-1013.


    Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09

    Outputs
    OUTPUTS: The Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) and the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory (TVDIL) are components of the Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDLs), which are supported primarily by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The two laboratories recently obtained full accreditation with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). In order to accomplish their mission of safeguarding public health, enhancing the health of all animals and improving the economic well-being of the Georgia livestock producers, the two laboratories maintain a wide range of testing services covered in the disciplines of microbiology, pathology and toxicology. The laboratories are also core members of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). In this capacity, the laboratories maintain certified proficiency testing services for several endemic and foreign animal diseases, including: avian influenza, Newcastle disease, Johne's disease, classical swine fever, foot and mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, scrapie, chronic wasting disease and equine infectious anemia. In 2009, 100,135 accessions were received in which 173,404 tests were performed on a number of species of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, horses, poultry, turkeys, dogs, cats) and various wildlife or exotic animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals. The Georgia VDLs have continued to expand and improve on testing capacity by adding several molecular diagnostic tests, which permit faster and more reliable detection of disease than traditional methods. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

    Impacts
    The Georgia VDLs contribute to the economic well-being of Georgians by providing essential diagnostic services to practicing veterinarians and by conducting surveillance testing for economically important diseases, as well as, for state and federally regulated diseases. As a member of the NAHLN, the VDLs help ensure the safety of the nation's food supply by maintaining testing capacity for foreign animal diseases that could be introduced into the United States either accidentally or intentionally (agroterrorism). The faculty and staff of the Georgia VDLs contribute to the collective knowledge of diagnostic veterinary medicine by the development of newer and more rapid diagnostic tests and by publishing papers in scientific journals and books.

    Publications

    • Grant RJ, Banyard AC, Barrett T, Saliki JT, Romero CH (2009). Real-time RT-PCR assays for the rapid and differential detection of dolphin and porpoise morbilliviruses. J Virol Methods 156:117-123.
    • Gray MJ, DL Miller, JT Hoverman. Review of the ecology and pathology of amphibian ranaviruses. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 87: 243-266. 2009.
    • Gray, MJ, DL Miller, and JT Hoverman. First report of Ranavirus infecting lungless salamanders. Herpetological Review 40(3): 316-319. 2009.
    • Green, D.E., M.J. Gray, and D.L. Miller. Chapter 26. Disease Monitoring and Biosecurity. Pp 481-505. In. K Dodd (ed.). Amphibian Ecology and Conservation. A Handbook of Techniques, Oxford University Press, New York. 2009.
    • Hernandez-Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, Rakich PM, Blas-Machado U. Comparison of CO(2) laser and 4.0 MHz radiosurgery for making incisions in the skin and muscles of green iguanas (Iguana iguana). Vet Rec. 2009 Jan 3;164(1):13-16.
    • Hernandez-Divers S, Hensel P, Gladden J, Hernandez-Divers SM, Buhlman KA, Hagen C, Sanchez S, Latimer KS, Ard M, Camus AC. (2009) Investigation of shell disease in map turtles (Graptemys spp.) Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 45:637-652.
    • Fulton RW, Blood KS, Panciera RJ, Payton M, Ridpath JF, Confer AW, Saliki JT, Burge LT, Welsh RD, Johnson BJ & Reck A (2009). Lung pathology and infectious agents in fatal feedlot pneumonias and relationship with mortality, disease onset, and treatments. J Vet Diagn Invest 21: 464-477.
    • Goodman L, B Torres, J Punke, L Reynolds, A Speus, A Ellis, and S Budsberg. 2009. Effects of Firocoxib and Tepoxalin on Healing in a Canine Gastric Mucosal Injury Model. J Vet Intern Med 23:56-62.
    • Hines, M.E. II. Experimental Ruminant Models of Paratuberculosis. Chapter 19. In. Paratuberculosis: Organism, Disease and Control. (Eds) Marcel Behr, Desmond Collins. CAB International. 2009.
    • Krimer PM, Harvey SB, Blas-Machado U, Lauderdale JD, Moore PA. Reversible fibroadenomatous mammary hyperplasia in male and female New Zealand White rabbits associated with cyclosporine A administration. Vet Pathol. 2009 Nov;46(6):1144-1148
    • Miller D.L., J. Wyneken, S. Rajeev, J. Perrault, D. R. Mader, J. Weege, and C. Baldwin. Pathological findings in hatchling and post-hatchling leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Florida. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 45(4): 962-971. 2009
    • Miller, DL, J Schrecengost, A Merrill, J Kilgo, HS Ray, KV Miller and CA Baldwin. Hematology, Parasitology and Serology of free-ranging coyotes (Canis latrans) from South Carolina. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 45 (3): 863-869. 2009
    • Miller, D.L., J. Wyneken, S. Rajeev, J. Perrault, D. R. Mader, J. Weege, and C. Baldwin. Pathological findings in hatchling and post-hatchling leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from Florida. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 45(4): 962-971. 2009
    • Miller, D.L., M.J. Gray, S. Rajeev, A.C. Schmutzer, E.C. Burton, A. Merrill, and C. Baldwin. Pathological findings in larval and juvenile anurans inhabiting farm ponds in Tennessee, U.S.A. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 45(2): 314-324. 2009.
    • Morse, BW, DL Miller, KV Miller and CA Baldwin. Population health of fallow deer (Dama dama) on Little Saint Simons Island, Georgia, U.S.A. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 45(2): 411-421. 2009.
    • Nollens HH, Rivera R, Palacios G, Wellehan JFX, Saliki JT, Caseltine SL, Smith CR, Jensen ED, Hui J, Lipkin WI, Yochem PK, Wells RS, St. Ledger J, Venn-Watson S (2009). New recognition of Enterovirus infections in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Vet. Microbiol. Epub ahead of print. doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.05.010.
    • Rajeev S, DA Sutton, BL Wickes, DL Miller, D Giri, M Van Meter, EH Thompson, MG Rinaldi, AM Romanelli, JF Cano, J Guarro. Isolation and characterization of a new fungal species, Chrysosporium ophiodiicola, from a mycotic granuloma of a black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta). Journal of Clinical Microbiology 47(4):1264-1268. 2009.
    • Roellig DM, AE Ellis, and MJ Yabsley. 2009. Genetically different isolates of Trypanosoma cruzi elicit different infection dynamics in raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). Int J Parasitol. 39:1603-10.
    • Roellig DM, AE Ellis, MJ Yabsley. 2009. Oral transmission of Trypanasoma cruzi with opossing evidence for the theory of carnivory. J Parasitol. 95:360-364.
    • Sleeman J M, B. Manning EJ, Rohm J H, Sims JP, Sanchez S, Gerhold RW, Keel K. (2009) Johne's Disease in a free-ranging white-tailed deer from Virginia and subsequent surveillance for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.45:201-206.
    • Spotts Whitney EA, Ailes E, Myers LM, Saliki JT & Berkelman RL (2009). Prevalence and risk factors for serum antibodies against Leptospira antibodies among U.S. veterinarians. J Am Vet Med Assoc 234:938-944.
    • Stephen B Harvey, Leanne C Alworth, and Uriel Blas-Machado. Molar Malocclusions in Pine Voles (Microtus pinetorum). J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2009 Jul;48(4):412-415
    • Todd-Thompson, M, DL Miller, PE Super, and MJ Gray. Chytridiomycosis-associated mortality in a Rana palustris collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA. Herpetological Review 40(3):321-323. 2009.
    • Burton, EC, MJ Gray, AC Schmutzer, DL Miller. Differential responses of postmetamorphic amphibians to cattle grazing in wetlands. Journal of Wildlife Management 73:269-277. 2009.
    • Woldemeskel M. Vaginal fibrolipoleiomyoma in a Great Pyrenees dog. The Intern. J. Vet. Med. 7(1), 2009.
    • Woldemeskel M and M. Tibbo. Pulmonary Adenomatosis and Maedi-Visna in Ethiopian central highland sheep: A microscopic study. Trop Anim Health Prod. DOI 10.1007/s11250-009-9520-7, 2009.
    • Yabsley MJ, A Ellis, D Stallknecht, E Howerth. 2009. Characterization of Sarcocystis from four species of hawks from Georgia, USA. J Parasitol 95:256-259.
    • Bryan, LK, CA Baldwin, MJ Gray, DL Miller. Efficacy of select disinfectants at inactivating Ranavirus. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 84(2): 89-94. 2009.
    • Driskell, EA., DL Miller, SL Swist and ZS Gyimesi. PCR detection of Ranavirus in adult anurans from the Louisville Zoological Garden. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 40(3):559-563. 2009.
    • Ellis AE, Harmon BG, Miller DL, Northrup NC, Latimer KS and Uhl EW. 2010. Gingival osteogenic melanoma in two dogs. J. Vet Diagn Invest 22: In Press.


    Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08

    Outputs
    OUTPUTS: The Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) and the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory (TVDIL) are components of the Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDLs), which are supported primarily by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The two laboratories recently obtained full re-accreditation with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). In order to accomplish their mission of safeguarding public health, enhancing the health of all animals and improving the economic well being of the Georgia livestock producers, the two laboratories maintain a wide range of testing services covering the disciplines of microbiology, pathology and toxicology. The laboratories are also core members of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). In this capacity, the laboratories maintain certified proficiency testing services for several endemic and foreign animal diseases, including: avian influenza, Newcastle disease, Johne's disease, classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, scrapie, chronic wasting disease, and equine infectious anemia. In 2008, 106,966 accessions were received on which 161,064 tests were performed on a number of species of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, horse, poultry, turkey, fowl, dogs, cats) and on wildlife or exotic animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals. The Georgia VDLs pioneered efforts in disease reporting to state and federal authorities using Rhapsody software, which transmits data directly from our laboratory information system (thus minimizing human error in this important activity). In May 2008, the Georgia VDLs coordinated a table-top exercise for avian influenza outbreak preparedness; participants in the exercise included the USDA-AVIC, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Department of Health, and two Georgia poultry diagnostic laboratories. The VDLs continued to expand and improve on testing capacity by adding several molecular diagnostic tests, which permit faster and more reliable detection of disease than traditional methods. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

    Impacts
    The Georgia VDLs contribute to the economic well-being of Georgians by providing essential diagnostic services to practicing veterinarians and by conducting surveillance testing for economically important diseases, as well as for state and federally regulated diseases. As a member of the NAHLN, the VDLs help ensure the safety of the nation's food supply by maintaining testing capacity for foreign animal diseases that could be introduced into the US either accidentally or intentionally (agroterrorism). The faculty and staff of the Georgia VDLs contribute to the collective knowledge of diagnostic medicine by the development of newer more rapid diagnostic tests and by publishing papers in scientific journals and books.

    Publications

    • Scott J. Stahl, Stephen-Hernandez Divers, Tanya Cooper, and Uriel Blas-Machado. Evaluation of transcutaneous pulmonoscopy for examination and biopsy of the lung of ball pythons (Python regius), and determination of preferred biopsy handling and fixation (2008). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 233(3):440-445.
    • Hernandez-Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, Cooper T, and Blas-Machado U (2008). Comparison between CO2 laser and 4.0 MHz radiosurgery for incising skin in pigeons (Columba livia). J Avian Med Surg. 22:103-107.
    • Hematology and plasma chemistry reference intervals for mature laboratory pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) as determined by using the nonparametric rank percentile method. Harvey SB, Krimer PM, Correa MT, Hanes MA. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2008 Jul;47(4):35-40.
    • Saliki JT & Wohlsein P (2008). Peste des petits ruminants. In: Foreign Animal Diseases, 7th edition (Brown CC & Torres A, editors), pp. 357-363; United States Animal Health Association, St. Joseph, Missouri.
    • Saliki JT & Wohlsein P (2008). Rinderpest. In: Foreign Animal Diseases, 7th edition (Brown CC & Torres A, editors), pp. 377-382; United States Animal Health Association, St. Joseph, Missouri.
    • Hietala SK & Saliki JT (2008). Laboratory Diagnostic Procedures. In: Foreign Animal Diseases, 7th edition (Brown CC & Torres A, editors), pp. 31-44; United States Animal Health Association, St. Joseph, Missouri.
    • Kirkpatrick JG, Step DL, Payton ME, Richards JB, McTague LF, Saliki JT, Confer AW, Cook BJ, Ingram SH & Wright JC (2008). Effect of age at the time of vaccination on antibody titers and feedlot performance in beef calves. J Am Vet Med Assoc 233(1):136-142.
    • Nollens HH, Wellehan JFX, Saliki JT, Caseltine SL, Jensen ED, Van Bonn W, Venn Watson S (2008). Characterization of a parainfluenza virus isolated from a bottlenose dolphin. Vet Microbiol 128:231-242.
    • Venn-Watson S, Rivera R, Smith CR, Saliki JT, Caseltine S, St Leger J, Yochem P, Wells RS, Nollens HH (2008). Exposure to novel Parainfluenza virus and clinical relevance in 2 bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations. Emerg Infect Dis 14(3):397-405.
    • Sanchez S and Fulton R. Tuberculosis. In: A Laboratory Manual for the Isolation, Identification and Characterization of Avian Pathogens, 5th edition. 2008. ISBN: 978-0-9789163-2-9.
    • Hernandez-Divers SM, Villegas P, Jimenez C, Hernandez-Divers SJ, Garcia MC, Riblet SM, Carroll R, OConnor BM, Webb JL, Yabsley MJ, Williams SM, Sanchez S (2008) Backyard chicken flocks pose a disease Risk for neotropical birds. Avian Diseases. 52:558-566.
    • Murray E. Hines II (2008). Experimental Ruminant Models of Paratuberculosis. In. Paratuberculosis: Organism, Disease and Control. (Eds) Marcel Behr, Desmond Collins. Chapter 19. Submitted to CAB International
    • Woldemeskel, M. Whatley, S.D: Subcutaneous osteolipoma and chondrolipoma in two dogs. DEUT TIERARZTL WOCH, 115 343-345, 2008
    • Tibbo, M., Woldemeskel, M., Aragaw, K. and Rege, J.E.O.: Serum enzymes levels and influencing factors in three indigenous Ethiopian sheep breeds. Comparative Clinical Pathology. Volume 17, Number 3, August 2008, pp. 149-155(7), 2008.
    • M. Tibbo, Y. Jibril, M. Woldemeskel, F. Dawo, K. Aragaw and J. E. O. Rege: Serum enzymes levels and influencing factors in three indigenous Ethiopian goat breeds. Trop Anim Health Prod. Dec, 2008;40 (8):657-66
    • Schmutzer, A.C., M. J. Gray, E.C. Burton, and D.L. Miller. Impacts of cattle on amphibian larvae and the aquatic environment. Freshwater Biology. 53:2613-2625. 2008
    • J.-Y. Yhee, S.-W. Hong, C.-H. Yu, A. R. Doster, U. Blas-Machado, Y.-S. Lyoo, J.-H. Sur (2008). Immunohistochemical Application of an Antibody Specific for Human CD1a to the Diagnosis of Canine Mast Cell Tumour. J. Comp. Path. 139: 40-46.
    • Brookins, M.D., S. Rajeev, T.D. Thornhill, K Kreinheder, and D.L. Miller. Mandibular and maxillary osteomyelitis and myositis in a captive herd of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus). Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 20(6): 846-849. 2008.
    • Miller, D.L., S. Rajeev, M. Brookins, J. Cook, L. Whittington, and C.A. Baldwin. Concurrent infection with Ranavirus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and Aeromonas in a captive anuran colony. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 39(3): 445-449. 2008.
    • Rajeev, S, G. Clifton, C. Watson, and D. Miller. Fonsecaea pedrosoi skin infection in a dog. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 20 (3): 379-381. 2008. (Cover photo for journal).
    • Burton, EC, DL Miller, EL Styer, MJ Gray. Amphibian ocular malformation due to frog virus 3. The Veterinary Journal 177: 442-444. 2008.
    • Elfenbein J, Credille B, Camus M, LeRoy B, Blas-Machado U, Woolums A (2008). Hypoglycemia and hyperlactatemia secondary to lymphoma in an Angus cow. J Vet Intern Med. 22:1441-1443.


    Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07

    Outputs
    Both Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) and Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory (TVDIL) have successfully messaged the NAHLN system prior to June 30, 2007. AVDL has developed and is successfully messaging the Georgia Reportable Animal Disease System (RADS). At the meeting of IT personnel from the veterinary diagnostic laboratories in Georgia, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Cornell, Jeff Duke of Georgia demonstrated the messaging system developed at Georgia and assisted with its implementation for other laboratories. Both AVDL and TVDIL planned and participated in a state-wide training/continuing education program in December 2006 involving homeland security, disease reporting and emergency preparedness. The AVDL continues to be one of the core laboratories of the NAHLN and conducts tests for BSE, CWD, CSF, Scrapie, END, and AI surveillance. In 2007, the AVDL became an official testing laboratory for scrapie. During the past year, the TVDIL tested tissues from over 770 submissions for CSF as part of the USDA CSF surveillance program. After recent inspections of facilities, both laboratories are obtaining estimates for upgrading BSL3 facilities. Due to bankruptcy of the company that was contracted to provide the AVDL's tissue digester, a delivery date is unknown at this time.

    Impacts
    Dr. Jerry Saliki serves on the NAHLN Methods Technical Working Group. Faculty and staff of both laboratories are developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the State Animal Response Team (SART) and are members of various SART teams. Fifteen technicians (9 from AVDL and 6 from TVDIL) are proficiency trained for CSF and FMD. The Athens laboratory has increased CSF/FMD throughput by adapting to the 96-well format this year and the Tifton laboratory has purchased the 96 well thermocycler but not any of the equipment needed for the preparation and processing of 96 samples at one time. Doctor Baldwin attended the NAHLN Bio-security Workshop in Washington DC in September.

    Publications

    • No publications reported this period


    Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

    Outputs
    The Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories (VDLs) are fully accreditied diagnostic laboratories supported primarily by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The mission of the Georgia VDLs is to safeguard public health, enhance the health of all animals and improve economic well being of the Georgia livestock producers. These goals are accomplished by assisting practicing veterinarians in the diagnosis of animal diseases, participating in state and federal surveillance and regulatory programs, conducting problem solving investigations and providing graduate training in diagnostic medicine. In 2004 121,348 accessions were received on which 257,717 tests were performed on all species of domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, swine, horse, poultry, turkey, fowl, dogs, cats) and any wildlife or exotic animals which, if diseased, might endanger the health of domestic animals. The Georgia VDL has received USDA funding ($144,682) to support research in Johne's Disease and $54,307 from the USDA for Johne's disease reduction and management programs for farms within Georgia. The Georgia VDLs, in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Public Health, provided surveillance on all mammalian species for West Nile virus. The faculty of the VDLs continue to develop newer more time and cost efficient diagnoistc tests as needed to serve the state and country. In 2004, more than 10 new ELISA, conventional and real time PCR tests were developed for use in the laboratories. $147,000 in NIH RF funding supports research in the public safety with respect to antibiotic usage in cattle. The faculty of the VDLs contribute to the knowledge of diseases processes and the advancement of diagnosis and management of diseases through and by conducting continuing educational programs in diagnostic medicine. One pathology resident and 1 post doctoral fellow were supported with extramural funds to help veterinarians meet the needs of regulatory and diagnostic medicine.

    Impacts
    The Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic laboratories provide essential diagnostic services to the practicing veterinarians of the state for disease diagnosis and control and thus ensure the economic health of the animal industries in the state. Surveillance testing for economically important diseases as well as state and federally regulated diseases maintains healthy and economically viable animal industry and the health of the people of the state. As a member of USDA National Animal Health Laboratory Network, the diagnostic laboratories help ensure the safety of the nations food supply and are prepared to diagnose foreign animal diseases and prevent agroterrosim within the state of Georgia and the United States. The faculty within the Georgia VDLS contribute to the collective knowledge of diagnostic medicine by the development of newer more rapid diagnostic tests and by publishing in referred journals.

    Publications

    • Robb-Austerman SL, Thomson, JU, and Pence ME. Survey of Veterinarians and Producers on Johne's Disease in Iowa Cattle. Intern J Applied Res Vet Med 2004 2:235-251.
    • Woolums AR, Mason GL, Hawkins LL, Brown CC, Williams SM, Gould JA, Fox JJ, Sturgeon SD, Anderson JL, Duggan FE, Sanchez S, Bartlett PB, Chitwood SW. (2004) Microbiologic findings in feedlot cattle with acute interstitial pneumonia. American Journal of Veterinary Research 65 (11):1525-1532.
    • McGarvey JA, Miller WG, Sanchez S, Stanker L. (2004) Identification of bacterial populations in dairy wastewaters by use of 16SrRNA gene sequences and other genetic markers. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70(7): 4267-4275.
    • Sanchez S, Mizan S, Quist C, Schroder P, Juneau M, Dawe D, Ritchie B, Lee MD.(2004) Serological response to Pasteurella multocida NanH sialidase in persistently colonized rabbits. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology 11 (5):825-834. Rakich PM, Grooters AM, Tang K-N: Gastrointestinal pythiosis in two cats. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 17:263-270, 2005.
    • Wilson HG, Fontenot DK, Brown CA, Kling MA, Stedman N, Greenacre CB. Pseudocarcinomatous biliary hyperplasia in two Green Iguanas, Iguana iguana. J Herpet Med Surg 14(4):12-18, 2004.
    • Wilson, G. H., D. K. Fontenot, C. A. Brown, M. A. Kling, N. L. Stedman, and C. B. Greenacre. Differential Diagnosis of Cholangiocarcinoma and Pseudocarcinomatous Biliary Hyperplasia In Two Female Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana). Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 14: 12-16, 2004.
    • Munday J. S., Egins J., Selcer B. A., and N. L. Stedman. Renal osteosarcoma in a dog. J Small Animal Practice 45: 618-622. 2004.
    • Miller, D. L., Bursey, C.R., Gray, M.J. and Smith, L.M. Metacercariae of Clinostomum attenuatum in Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium, Bufo Cognatus and Spea multiplicata from west Texas. Journal of Helminthology 78:373-376, 2004.
    • Pence, M. and Cole, D. Important elements of the HACCP Process to control Johne's Disease, BVD, and BLV. The bovine Practitioner 38(2):126-132. June 2004.
    • Radi, Zaher A., Miller, Debra L. And Hines, II, Murray E. Case Report. B-cell conjunctival lymphoma in a cat. Veterinary Ophthalmology 7,6:413-415, 2004.
    • Wang, Shao-Chun, Hlien, Huang-Chun, Xia, Weiya, Chen, I.-Fen, et. al. Binding at and transactivation of the COX-2 promoter by nuclear tryrosine kinase receptor ErbB-2. Cancer Cell 6:251261. September 2004.
    • Radi, Z.A., DL Miller, and AD Liggett. 2004. Cutaneous melanocytoma in a llama. Veterinary Research Communications 28:75-78.
    • Miller DL, ZA Radi, SL Stiver, and TD Thornhill. 2004. Cutaneous and pulmonary mycosis in green anacondas (Eunectes murinnus). J Helminthology 78:373-376.
    • Miller, DL, J Hatkin and ZA Radi. 2004. An Escherichia coli epizootic in captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). International J Poultry Science 3.206-210.
    • Radi, ZA, DL Miller and ME Hines II. 2004 Rete testis mucinous adenocarcinoma in a dog. Veterinary Pathology 41:75-78.
    • Radi, ZA, EL Styer, and LJ Thompson. 2004. Black cherry (Prunus serotina) intoxication in a goat; diagnosis by identification of leaf fragments in rumen contents. J Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 16:593-599.
    • Radi ZA, EL Styer and KS Frazier. 2004 Electron microscopic study of canine Babesia gibsoni infection. J Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 16:229-233.
    • Radi ZA, and LJ Thompson. 2004. Renal subcapsular hematoma associate with brodifacoum toxicosis in a dog. Veterinary and Human toxicology 46:83-84.