Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
(N/A)
EAST LANSING,MI 48824
Performing Department
VET DIAGNOSTIC LAB
Non Technical Summary
Successful completion of these efforts will result in the laboratory meeting key responsibilities required to maintain Level 1 Laboratory designation and enhance the network's overall capacity and capability. Laboratories with accredited quality management systems, trained personnel, the ability to electronically message test results, and active participation in routine surveillance and emerging disease and foreign animal disease investigations are critical to maintaining our preparedness and strength as a network.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Our goal is to help support early detection, rapid response, and appropriate recovery from high-consequence animal diseases.Specific objectives are: 1) Meet all responsibilities of a Level 1 laboratory as outlined in the 2021 Agreement for Participation in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) As a Level 1 Laboratory. 2) Increase NAHLN capabilities and capacity to address an adverse animal health event such as an emerging disease detection or foreign animal disease outbreak.
Project Methods
Quality System: The VDL quality system will continue implementation of risk assessment which was introduced in January of 2021 to ensure that the concept is understood and consistently performed throughout the VDL. The laboratory will continue to expand and build on the capabilities provided by the electronic quality management system Q-Pulse, by purchasing additional licenses, providing online training for laboratory personnel, and engaging with Q-Pulse experts to optimize use of the product. Q-Pulse provides critical support for document management, tracking of corrective/preventative action, enhanced audit and asset management, and improved training records, greatly aiding in compliance with the AAVLD standard. In addition, funds will be utilized to ensure quality assurance of equipment by annual recertification of pipetters, laboratory hoods, and BSL-3 space.Staff training for foreign and emerging animal diseases: The VDL will continue to participate in the NAHLN-administered proficiency tests for avian influenza, swine influenza, APMV-1, CSF, FMD, CWD, Scrapie, and SARS-CoV-2 testing. The VDL will cross-train technical staff not responsible for conducting NALHN tests in performance of routine testing that would be disrupted should an emergency arise that would pull NAHLN testing technicians away from their daily activities. The VDL plans to continue offering workshops, roundtables, and other events to prepare for emergency outbreaks or emerging diseases. Funds are requested to support travel to the annual AAVLD meeting to attend NAHLN related committee sessions and keep abreast of national disease trends. In addition, VDL will increase the number of employees trained to work in the BSL-3 laboratory, continuing to build laboratory surge capacity.Laboratory information management system (including NAHLN messaging): The VDL will continue engage in messaging proficiency tests and any planned exercises, along with messaging any approved foreign animal disease investigation or surveillance testing of NAHLN-approved disease agents. Laboratory efforts in this area will focus on maintaining robust IT support to meet NAHLN requirements and messaging requirements. These will include a major upgrade to the LIMS (Cerner) and the equipment which supports the program, continued maintenance of the LIMS including any updates needed to maintain and improve functionality of the product. NAHLN sample handling, processing, and testing capacities (including enhancement of biocontainment capabilities): The laboratory will stand prepared to provide diagnostic testing for suspect cases of avian influenza, Newcastle disease, etc. The VDL will leverage NAHLN funding to increase capacity to meet expanding molecular diagnostic needs in support of NAHLN project goals, including needs faced during an adverse health event caused by the presence of an emerging disease or foreign animal disease. We will also leverage NAHLN support to maintain and enhance our biocontainment capabilities including re-verification of our BSL-3 spaces, as well as for biosafety cabinet inspection and certification; and HEPA filter inspection to ensure appropriate biosafety and biocontainment.The ability to detect and track drug resistant bacterial infections has quickly become an emerging disease issue in the United States and around the world. Strain typing methods like pulse field gel electrophoresis and multi locus sequence typing has been replaced by whole genome sequencing (WGS) in recent years. However, WGS is expensive and the turnaround time for real-time disease tracking is still not practical in veterinary hospitals. Fourier transformed-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) creates bacterial fingerprinting based on unique polysaccharide spectrum profiles has been used to successfully type bacteria to strain level. This technique is a high throughput system which can type bacteria with only a fraction of the time and cost when compared to WGS. The primary goal of this project is to build a spectra database of antibiotic resistant isolates (multiple drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp.) from clinical and environmental samples at Michigan State University Veterinary Medical center (MSU VMC). This will greatly help align antibiotic therapy with antibiotic resistance pattern to enhance antibiotic stewardship practices at MSU VMC. A secondary goal of this project will be to assess and validate the accurate identification Salmonella spp./serotypes and E. coli/Shigella serotypes using this technology. Currently these bacteria can only be differentiated by traditional serotyping methods, multi-gene PCR's or WGS, which are labor intensive, expensive and causes delay in reporting due to high turnaround time. The FT-IR (IR Biotyper, Bruker) will be used at MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for routine diagnostic testing in support of animal health, NAHLN initiatives and in support of human health (zoonotic risks) investigations with other Federal, State, and local agencies.Inter-laboratory activities in support of the goals of the NAHLN: Our scientific staff will continue to participate regularly in NAHLN program office meetings, including Director, IT, and Methods Technical Working Group. The VDL Quality Manager will continue to participate in development and execution of the basic and advanced courses of the NAHLN Management System. The VDL will have representatives at the annual AAVLD meeting to attend and participate in NAHLN related committee sessions.