Participation in the FDA Vet-LIRN Cooperative Agreement Program to strengthen analysis of animal food or animal drug samples that may be adulterated and investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks.

1 Project Summary/Abstract The focus of this proposal is to seek funding for the Arkansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture through the Cooperative Agreement Program offered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Office of Research Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and

Response Network (Vet-LIRN). Through its participation AVDL can partner with Vet-LIRN laboratories in strengthening CVM's capability and capacity to conduct case investigations of animal food or animal drug samples that may be adulterated and investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks. AVDL is an ISO 17025 Accredited diagnostic laboratory and is

part of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. AVDL has the staff, equipment, technology, and management system that will benefit and support Vet-LIRN through necropsy services, sample analysis, surveillance, and animal food/drug emergency outbreak testing. AVDL is a full-service ISO 17025 accredited veterinary diagnostics laboratory centrally

located in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. It is a Level-2 National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) and a Vet-LIRN recognized laboratory. The laboratory is organized around the veterinary pathology service with sections devoted to necropsy, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, virology, microbiology, clinical pathology, serology, and analytical

chemistry where toxicological analyses are performed. Approximately 15,000 diagnostic cases are processed each year, with an additional 18,000 Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) cases and 5000 National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) cases. The core competency of the lab is the large-animal necropsy service. Vet-LIRN's stated desire to augment the

CVM's capability to characterize animal diagnostic specimens will find no more competent partner than the AVDL.