YOUR MONTHLY NEWS & UPDATES
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Laboratory Diagnosticians' News Matters
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Executive Director’s Message
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COVID and our Annual
Meeting Planning
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As an organization, the highlight of our calendar year is the annual meeting. It is where we come together to share science, the strategies of our business, encourage the next generation of veterinary lab diagnosticians, recognize outstanding leadership, and enjoy the company of friends and colleagues. Ours is a tight knit community of professionals and getting together has become more than just a business endeavor, it has become a part of the rhythm of our professional and personal lives.
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The AAVLD Executive Board is closely monitoring the current pandemic situation, reviewing predictions for the Fall, and working closely with our meeting partner (USAHA) to develop an effective strategy for the Annual Meeting, while recognizing that safety will be a primary factor. Our conference hotel is currently preparing safety strategies which they will share with us shortly. Abstract submission is now open and we have already received submissions. Ironically amid these challenges, the need to meet, discuss and collaborate have probably never been higher.
We will keep the membership informed in the weeks ahead and ask that they continue to prepare and submit their abstracts. COVID topics will be a big part of the program this year.
If you wish to comment on these matters, please send an email to:
Thank you for being AAVLD members and for your dedication to the vital work that you do daily. There is no wonder as to why you were all declared essential employees. Be safe and wishing you all good health.
David Zeman, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Executive Director
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President's Message
Dear AAVLD members,
Our work during the pandemic is continuing. We realize we have miles to go and lot of goal posts still to hit, but I am thankful for the collaborative and cooperative spirit from you all as we continue to make some changes.
The current pandemic has emphasized that protection of human and or animal health cannot be achieved if we don’t invest well in our laboratory infrastructure, people and training programs. It’s ironic that our network of veterinary diagnostic laboratories (VDL) was a little better prepared for handling this pandemic than our human health partners and hence several of the AAVLD laboratories stepped up to deliver wherever the need on the human side was acute.
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None of this is possible without having an infrastructure that is ready to go and fight pandemics, or other outbreaks. We have learned from HPAI, ASF, and FMD outbreaks that have happened here in the US or in different parts of the world, and such experiences continue to shape our disease preparedness on the animal side. I still believe there is lot more work and continued investment needed on this front.
Once we begin to come out of the shadows of this pandemic and start handling the economic challenges, it will be critical that the support to the AAVLD labs continues and the agricultural leaders continue to invest in maintaining, enhancing and protecting this infrastructure in every state. Knowing that this need is critical, we along with our One Health partners and animal health groups have been advocating for funding needs for the AAVLD and NAHLN network labs. Our joint
letter
for supplemental funding was delivered to the US Congressional leaders with AVMA’s support. AAVLD was subsequently invited to update staffers from the Energy and Commerce Committee (representing the full committee, oversight and health subcommittee), explaining to them the role the NAHLN and the AAVLD labs are playing in the pandemic and how our laboratories. even though technologically and experientially ready, had to jump through honerous administrative hoops before offering human testing assistance. The AAVLD Executive committee and Government Relations Committee also met with the APHIS leadership (Drs Healey, Sifford and Lautner) to discuss the current ask with the Congress and highlight the funding needs for the upcoming year. We intend to continue this dialogue with Congress and USDA leadership. Through these ongoing interactions, we know there is great support and deep appreciation of what NAHLN and AAVLD offers and delivers but we are also keeping an eye on how the Farm Bill and the CARES Act monies can go to further strengthen AAVLD laboratories. We are encouraging leaders of each State/University member laboratory to remain engaged with their State Animal and Public Health departments including the emergency management organizations, as some of the funding is likely to flow through those channels too.
I realize fully well this is a tough year for everyone but there are tremendous opportunities to carry out important work and serve the animal health needs, community and public in general. Thank you all for stepping up to new challenges and warm wishes to all as we adjust to a new normal.
Stay safe and healthy,
Deepanker Tewari BVSc, PhD, DACVM
President 2020
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Veterinary Diagnostic Labs Continue to Play
Role in COVID Testing
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Editor’s Note: In our April AAVLD Newsletter, we shared several stories on this topic. Here are more stories kindly shared from various sources. DHZ
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This veterinary lab is the linchpin in one state’s coronavirus testing approach
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May 12, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. EDT The Washington Post
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Emily Cooper, assistant director of the lab, with, from left, Akhilesh Ramachandran, a veterinarian who supervises covid-19 testing; Anil Kaul, a physician who oversees and approves the lab's human testing; and Jerry Ritchey, who was interim director of the lab until April 30. (Oklahoma State University)
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This Washington Post article from May 12, 2020 describes the efforts of the Oklahoma State University Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory to perform human specimen testing. It also discusses the issues with authorization for performing such tests. To see the full story go to the Washington Post link below.
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Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (CSU) to process human COVID-19 tests
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Source:
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
NEWS FROM THE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
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The Biosafety Level 3 facility at the CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is capable of processing tests for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. (John Eisele/CSU photo)
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At the ready to help the local community process more coronavirus tests, the
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
at Colorado State University is bringing its expertise in animal disease surveillance into the human health world.
The laboratory conducts over 600,000 tests annually, helping identify and diagnose a variety of animal diseases for veterinarians, livestock producers, pet owners, government agencies, and animal-health companies. From a technological perspective, adding SARS-CoV-2 testing to its repertoire of capabilities is actually pretty simple. SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
“We respond to animal disease outbreaks often,” said Kristy Pabilonia, director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. “What we do here on a daily basis uses the same processes and technology for animal testing as those used for human testing.”
In their Biosafety Level 3 facility, a special laboratory for testing highly infectious bacteria and viruses, high-throughput testing equipment can test 96 samples at a time, multiple times a day. The diagnostic test, called a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay, detects a virus’s nucleic acid (SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus) in each sample to determine if the virus is present.
“Because we test large populations of animals, we have a diverse testing scope and capabilities for testing large numbers of samples using our high-throughput equipment,” Pabilonia said.
Securing certification
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The Biosafety Level 3 facility, a special laboratory within the CSU diagnostic lab, tests highly infectious bacteria and viruses. (John Eisele/CSU photo)
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Although the lab is capable of running tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, attaining the correct permissions and certifications to run human tests presented some challenges. While already accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians as a quality laboratory testing facility in the veterinary world, it also needed Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification for laboratory testing performed on humans.
Partnering with CSU’s
Health and Medical Center
, which already runs a CLIA-certified laboratory, the veterinary lab was able to apply for and expedite certification for its facility. The CSU lab also worked directly with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to obtain human samples for validation testing.
“What the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory does to validate its tests and maintain its quality standards is equally as high as the Health and Medical Center,” said Heather Pidcoke, CSU’s chief medical research officer. “They were able to gain certification for human testing within about two weeks.”
The quality system requirements for CLIA-certified labs are similar to those required by the veterinary association and are based on an international laboratory standard. With high quality standards, processes, and training already in place, becoming certified by CLIA and getting the testing system up and running was easy to do.
“We are collaborating with the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and provided some technical guidance on transitioning to a CLIA lab,” said Lori Lynn, associate executive director of the CSU Health and Medical Center. “We’re continuing to discuss what large-scale testing might look like and how we could work together to address testing of the CSU community.”
Prepared for partnership
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Kristy Pabilonia leads the CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. (John Eisele/CSU photo)
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Ready to pitch in with extra testing capacity, the lab is working with local public health authorities to set up a process for accepting samples from medical providers. The lab will also be available to validate tests from CSU research studies, because human tests used in research can’t be used to provide diagnoses to participants.
With its large-scale facilities and equipment, the lab plans to perform testing for COVID-19, in addition to its existing commitments. This includes taking on additional rabies testing for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment so the state can free up resources to focus on COVID-19 testing.
“We’re not sacrificing what we do for animal health patients,” Pabilonia said. “We’re still up and running, and will continue to provide our regular lab services.”
Just as the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory identifies diseases in animals, its contributions to COVID-19 testing in Colorado is doing the same for people, too.
“We want to help our community,” Pabilonia said. “We already have the knowledge, training, and capacity, so we want to step in and offer what we can.”
Not a coronavirus testing site
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory processes human samples, but it doesn’t collect them. It is not a place for people to get swabbed for coronavirus. Samples can only be submitted by medical authorities and researchers.
While there is some evidence humans can transmit the virus to cats and ferrets, if your pet or other animal becomes ill, do not bring your animal to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for testing. Instead, call your veterinarian to let them know that you are bringing a sick pet that was exposed to a person with coronavirus. Do not take the animal to a veterinary clinic until you have had a discussion with clinic staff. Tell them about any contact the animal may have had with someone with the COVID-19 infection.
Animals can be tested for coronavirus, but it is only done in rare cases and requires several approvals from state officials.
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Oregon State’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab teams up with local lab to test for COVID-19
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April 15, 2020
STORY BY:
Oregon State University Newsroom
SOURCE:
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CORVALLIS, Ore. — As health centers nationwide continue to struggle with limited testing for the virus that causes COVID-19, the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (OVDL) at Oregon State University is teaming up with the private Corvallis-based WVT Laboratory to increase novel coronavirus testing for medical providers in Oregon and beyond.
The collaboration will be able to run at least 500 tests a day, said Dr. Mark Ackermann, director of the OVDL and a professor and board-certified pathologist in OSU’s Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine.
Ackermann said the two facilities have complementary capabilities that make the expanded testing capacity possible. OSU’s veterinary diagnostic lab has the instruments and technical knowledge to run RNA extractions and virus detection on COVID-19 test swabs, but is federally accredited to conduct tests with animal samples, not human samples. WVT normally processes drug tests and has the necessary accreditation, lab infrastructure and experience working with human samples, but lacks the instruments and viral extraction expertise.
“It’s amazing with a group of educated, motivated people, how fast things can happen,” said Manny Cruz, owner of WVT Lab. “It’s like we met in the classroom, like, ‘Gosh, my house works for this, but I need the appliances from your place; if you bring the appliances from your house, we can start cooking!”
WVT has leased two instruments from the OVDL, which is part of the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, and hopes to be up and running by the end of the week. OSU staff will extract viral genetic material from the COVID-19 test swabs and then complete the process at WVT by running polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to determine which samples test positive for the virus. They also will train WVT staff to do the assays.
Running at full capacity, WVT will be able to complete up to 100 tests per hour per machine, Cruz said.
The connection between OSU and WVT came at an opportune time for both. The veterinary diagnostic lab had hit a wall in its pursuit of accreditation to run human samples. And WVT’s normal business of testing urine samples for the presence of drugs and alcohol for the Department of Human Services disappeared amid the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-home order.
On March 31, after Cruz furloughed his eight staff members at WVT, lab supervisor Rylan Reddekopp reached out to Benton County health providers offering the team’s services in their now-abundant free time.
Two hours later, Cruz said, Dr. Bruce Thomson, a local retired physician who still works closely with the county health department, walked in the door and shared what OSU’s veterinary lab was hoping to do. Thereafter, the collaboration came together quickly.
Veterinary lab staff have validated and verified the testing protocols and will soon begin processing samples while training WVT staff in some of the testing process, Ackermann said. Meanwhile, Cruz has already brought back a few furloughed staff members and hopes to bring back all eight employees as testing ramps up.
Medical providers will be able to submit requests and send in samples for COVID-19 testing in the same way they send requests for routine bloodwork, Cruz said. And because WVT is a national lab, they can accept samples from anywhere in the country, though Cruz said he wants to prioritize local testing needs first.
The OVDL is still handling veterinary cases including rabies diagnostics, herd health, food production health and animal transport. And lab staff are still caring for animal emergencies, and are prepared to test animals for COVID-19 if necessary. The veterinary lab is also working toward getting accreditation to test human samples, as it might be useful in the future, Ackermann said.
The two labs will be able to receive samples from local medical providers, and depending on need, may be called on to run tests for medical centers outside Corvallis or Oregon.
“When (the pandemic) first happened, I thought, ‘Our medical systems here in the U.S. will handle this.’ I didn’t realize they don’t have the capacity we do on the veterinary side,” Ackermann said. “But getting this arrangement — it’s fantastic that we can help.”
About the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine:
The primary mission of the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine is to serve the people of Oregon and the various livestock and companion animal industries by furthering the understanding of animal medical practices and procedures. Through research, clinical practice and extension efforts in the community, the college provides Oregon's future veterinarians with one of the most comprehensive educations available anywhere.
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Animal Disease Labs Step In To Help Meet Need for COVID-19 Testing
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SOURCE:
IOWA PUBLIC RADIO NEWS
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At the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Phil Gauger is one of the veterinarians who used sophisticated DNA analysis tools to diagnose porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Now, the same equipment and expertise is being used in COVID-19 testing. AMY MAYER / IPR FILE
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Many of the public health labs determining whether people have COVID-19 have become at least overworked or, at worst, overwhelmed. Some of the country’s animal disease labs have stepped in to help.
Rodger Main, director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at Iowa State University, says early in the COVID-19 outbreak, he and leaders from the University of Iowa’s State Hygienic Lab got on the phone to discuss how they could collaborate.
Listen
Listening...
4:29
“In that conference call, it became clear what their constraint was, (which) was largely around this high throughput nucleic acid extraction,” Main says. “Those instruments and technologies are things that we use day to day in the diagnostic lab.”
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An earlier coronavirus
This might sound familiar: a coronavirus is spreading fast through a population. It’s fatal to some, only a few days of illness for others. At diagnostic labs, staff work around the clock processing samples, confirming the genetics of the virus and trying to re-trace its spread.
That’s what was going on at the Iowa State vet lab when researchers identified the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus.
The disease was known to exist abroad but had never been in the United States before 2013, when piglets started dying of dehydration after they didn’t respond to treatment or recover as they would have from other illnesses. Before veterinarians could get a handle on it,
PED spread
from the Midwest across much of the country, eventually killing millions of piglets. (Older pigs would get sick, recover, and gain some immunity to it. PED is not a threat to human health.)
The sophisticated DNA testing process used for PED, which is a coronavirus, is the same as what public health labs are now using for COVID-19. In some cases, the exact same machines are now testing human samples.
After the initial call regarding the pandemic, Main says it became obvious how the vet lab could help the public health lab. Both rely on two key tools, the KingFisher 96 high throughput nucleic acid extraction instrument and a real-time PCR testing machine, the ABI 7500. Main says his team in Ames packed some up and sent them to Iowa City, where staff at the State Hygienic Lab were already trained and could use them right away. Very quickly the testing capacity for the COVID-19 virus in Iowa increased. Similar collaborations are happening around the country.
Human animals
The Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab (OADDL) has perhaps gone the farthest the fastest to support testing for COVID-19.
“Turns out, not all animals are humans, but all humans are animals,” says Kenneth Sewell, who oversees OADDL as the vice president for research at Oklahoma State University.
“We are now dually certified,” he says. With the blessing of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the animal diagnostic labs, and cooperation from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the OADDL can now test human samples.
The fast-track certification obviously came in response to COVID-19 and with the intention of increasing Oklahoma’s statewide testing capacity. But Sewell says the certification isn’t limited to the current crisis. It allows the animal lab to help with other human conditions in the future, though there aren’t currently any such plans.
In fact, even with how similar the diagnostic work is, including the qualifications and training of the people who work in the labs, Sewell says there was never any plan or expectation that the animal lab would get drafted into service for a human disease outbreak.
But when Oklahoma state officials called upon the public research universities to band together and brainstorm ways to fight COVID-19, one thing that emerged, as it had in Iowa, was the realization that the animal lab was uniquely positioned to ease the burden on the state’s public health system. Sewell says a task force set about making it happen and then things took off quickly.
“We’ve gone from not thinking about this at all to a functioning laboratory in about 12-13 days,” he says. In the first couple of days, the animal lab’s contributions practically doubled COVID-19 testing in Oklahoma. Sewell cautions that figure diminished as private labs got up to speed in the state, but it’s still a significant and necessary role.
“We really need to be testing a lot more people than we’ve been testing,” he says.
Other animal diagnostic labs are exploring whether they, too, might be able to take on some human testing, Sewell says, with some reaching out to him to hear what the process involved.
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Although this photo was taken at the South Dakota Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory in Brookings, South Dakota, it is the same type of real-time PCR testing machine that Iowa's veterinary lab sent to the state's public health lab. CREDIT AMY MAYER / IPR FILE
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Not just testing
David Zeman heads up the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. He says other animal labs have
tested pets
for possible COVID-19 infection and many have sent
ventilators and other equipment
to human clinics and hospitals.
The University of Illinois vet diagnostic lab helped confirm the COVID-19 diagnosis of a
zoo tiger
in New York City.
Zeman says infectious disease monitoring and response is an every-day activity for veterinary diagnosticians, and that may not be the case for public health doctors.
“It’s less of a giant of their activity because we live in a society where we have excellent public hygiene and sanitary sewer and clean water,” he says. “Infectious disease just is not as big a thing as perhaps it was 100 years ago.”
But infectious diseases, including novel ones, continue to spread in animals, especially livestock. So even as they support public health labs in many and new ways, Zeman says the vet diagnostic labs must keep animal health as their top priority.
“Even though they have the resources and skill, they don’t necessarily have the freedom to just drop the main mission or else you’re going to create problems in the food supply.”
To wit: a
commercial turkey flock
in South Carolina tested positive for a fast-spreading strain of bird flu earlier this month. And pork producers fear the arrival of
African swine fever
, a virus that has decimated the Chinese hog population and could cost the U.S. pork sector tens of billions of dollars if it were to infect commercial pig farms here.
Iowa State’s Rodger Main applauds the work human health labs are doing, and he says in a post-COVID-19 world, an animal disease outbreak might give them a chance to return the favor.
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Animal health laboratories aid testing for COVID-19 in people
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Several partner with human health care, work under existing approvals
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By
Greg Cima
Published on
April 30, 2020
Veterinary diagnostic laboratories are helping overwhelmed public health laboratories identify COVID-19 in people.
One—the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University—conducted polymerase chain reaction–based assays on more than 10,000 nasopharyngeal swabs in three weeks.
Dr. Jerry Ritchey, interim director of the Oklahoma State laboratory, said state public health authorities had trouble keeping up with the volume of incoming samples. The OADDL worked with the governor’s office, state public health department, and partners in the OSU Center for Health Sciences to become eligible to accept samples from humans.
“At our diagnostic laboratory, we had the equipment and expertise to perform high-volume testing because that’s what we do normally,” Dr. Ritchey said.
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In about three weeks, the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University conducted polymerase chain reaction–based assays for the COVID-19 virus in more than 10,000 samples from human medicine. (Courtesy of Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine)
That typical work includes testing for animal disease outbreaks and conducting disease surveillance. But Dr. Ritchey and other laboratory directors said working in human health care involves additional procedures and standards for processing individual tests as well as meeting the documentation and privacy requirements for each patient.
Testing at OSU began at the end of March, and about 4% of the samples sent from human health facilities tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, Dr. Ritchey said.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, regulates all diagnostic testing on humans in the United States—with exceptions for research—through the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments program. The agency certifies about 260,000 laboratory entities through that program, according to CMS.
Veterinary diagnostic laboratories usually have no need for CLIA certification. The laboratory directors at OSU and veterinary diagnostic laboratories at Colorado State University and Oregon State University, instead, formed partnerships with human health care laboratories to work under their existing certifications.
Dr. Ritchey said Anil Kaul, MD, from the OSU Center for Health Sciences, was working as clinical director for the veterinary college’s COVID-19 diagnostic testing, meaning reports from the laboratory bore his name as the person responsible for those test results.
A CMS spokesperson said a veterinary degree meets the education requirements to direct a CLIA-approved laboratory conducting high-complexity testing, although a veterinarian also would need certification by one of the HHS-approved boards that evaluate the qualifications of individual laboratory directors.
Veterinary laboratories capable, if called
Though the U.S. Department of Agriculture coordinates animal disease responses, the veterinary laboratories decided on their own whether to help test human samples for the virus, without federal coordination, said Joelle R. Hayden, spokesperson for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The agency runs the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which was monitoring the laboratories’ capacities to test for animal diseases while they aided the COVID-19 response.
On April 15, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) authorities published guidance stating that veterinary laboratory personnel possess the skills and experience to help public health services meet the surge in demand for diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 in humans.
“Testing of human specimens in veterinary laboratories should be part of a coordinated government-led Public Health response and laboratories performing COVID-19 diagnostics should ensure they comply with regulations regarding the laboratory testing of human specimens,” according to the guidance.
VDL officials also need to consider the impact of the added work on animal health and welfare, veterinary public health, trade, food safety, food security, and their own people and finances, according to the OIE guidance. Keeping laboratory staff members healthy is the priority, and laboratory managers should stagger employees’ schedules and evaluate their health daily.
Recommendations from an American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians task force state that member laboratories have limited resources to maintain their capacities for animal health work while they help peers in human health respond to the pandemic. The document focuses on testing for SARS-CoV-2 in animals, encouraging testing only on individual animals on the basis of health and COVID-19 exposure, rather than any blanket testing that could compete with public health laboratories for resources.
Dr. Deepanker Tewari, 2020 AAVLD president, said in an April newsletter to members that all veterinary diagnostic laboratories remained open to provide essential services. Many tested animals, aided human testing, or found other means of supporting public health.
“It is for every member to realize that our efforts and work are more important than ever,” he wrote.
Veterinary laboratories aid state, local efforts
The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine hosts the River Road Testing Lab, a facility set up during the pandemic to process COVID-19 virus tests in people. The laboratory is a collaboration with 18 local medical facilities, said Ginger Guttner, communications manager for the veterinary school.
Diagnosticians began work in the laboratory March 23 and processed about 2,500 samples in the first month. A physician at a nearby hospital helped the laboratory gain CLIA approval. The state had 25,739 total positive human cases and 1,540 COVID-19 related deaths as of April 23.
“Together, we are easing the burden on the other labs throughout the state,” Guttner said.
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Laboratory technicians Sara Watson and Christina Weller, of the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, test for the COVID-19 virus in samples from human patients in the biosafety level–3 laboratory. (Photo by John Eisele/CSU)
Dr. Kristy Pabilonia, interim director for the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, said her laboratory accepted its first 60 nasopharyngeal swabs for testing in early April, following a few weeks of validation, resupply, and CLIA registration, which allows human health work pending an audit for full certification. The director of the CSU Health Network laboratory, Bruce Smith, MD, is serving as director of the VDL CLIA laboratory.
The laboratory was ready to handle more testing, Dr. Pabilonia said, and she expected to do more testing in the near future. But she noted that commercial laboratories are taking on increasing numbers of samples as well.
Dr. Pabilonia said that in exercises, her laboratory handled upward of 1,200 animal diagnostic samples in a day. With the different procedures for handling and documenting human samples, she expects the laboratory could handle 300-500 daily.
The Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, located at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, is working with the human hospital Parkview Health to start conducting COVID-19 tests for human patients. Testing began after the laboratory received CLIA certification to conduct human diagnostic testing, with Parkview agreeing to provide clinical oversight. The laboratory was certified days after Purdue leaders suggested using the ADDL to address the state’s limited testing capacity and need for resources, according to an April 17 university press release.
Dr. Mark R. Ackermann, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, said physicians and physician groups near the university asked for help processing samples at a time when he and others at the laboratory were looking for ways to contribute. The owners of nearby Willamette Valley Toxicology Laboratory wanted to contribute as well and had CLIA certification but lacked the equipment to perform the testing, he said.
By moving a PCR machine and staff to Willamette’s laboratory, employees of the institutions could work together under the existing approvals, he said.
As private laboratories began testing, state health authorities told Ackermann his animal disease laboratory’s capacity wasn’t needed, Dr. Ackermann said. But nearby physicians still wanted faster testing for their own patients, plus Oregon State University researchers needed a place to test 4,800 samples for an epidemiology study that could help measure community prevalence of the virus.
“We’ll still be handling all of our veterinary samples,” he said. “But we have the capacity to help out with the COVID testing. We want to do that to support the response.”
In April, his laboratory began taking in samples for the study and conducting testing for community members, including commercial fishing employees who will spend months away from shore.
Other laboratories contributed equipment. The Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, for example, sent 2,000 COVID-19 sampling kits to hospitals in cities with TAMU campuses, including Galveston, McAllen, and Fort Worth. Laboratory officials made the kits from their existing stocks of swabs, vials, and transport medium—materials that were back-ordered for months as the need for testing surged.
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An employee at the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Oklahoma State University conducts PCR assays for the COVID-19 virus in humans. (Courtesy of Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine)
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine donated medical supplies useful in both clinical care and diagnostic testing, including swabs and transport medium needed by human health care providers.
Dr. Francois Elvinger, executive director of Cornell’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center, said his team contacted the New York State Department of Health with an offer to help conduct PCR assays for human patients, and he said the offer stands. But conducting the testing would involve clearing regulatory hurdles. He also noted that commercial laboratories were increasing testing as well, and they may be more efficient in that work.
Dr. Elvinger’s laboratory adopted staggered schedules so that only half his staff members worked in the laboratory at any time. They handled about 85% of their typical caseload as of mid-April, and he saw a decline in submissions starting in mid-March.
Dr. Pabilonia estimated her laboratory had received about 30% fewer submissions for animal care since the pandemic started, including a substantial drop in routine tests such as vaccine antibody titers.
“We’re still getting the normal amounts of livestock testing,” she said.
In April, the diagnostic laboratory’s site included a notice that laboratory employees continued accepting samples but performed triage to determine the order of testing, and results for routine sampling might take longer than usual.
Submissions to Oregon’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory declined during the pandemic, Dr. Ackermann said.
Dr. Ritchey saw steady numbers of samples during the pandemic. Some of that ongoing work comes from agriculture, where disease sampling continued, but he heard other regions had substantial declines in overall submission numbers.
“There might be a slight downtick, but it’s really not noticeable, to be honest with you,” Dr. Ritchey said.
When health departments catch up, he assumes his role will quietly shift back to solely working in animal health.
“It’s been tough,” he said. “It’s long hours many days—every day, actually. But, overall, it’s been rewarding.”
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Annual AAVLD Meeting
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Nashville, Tennessee
October 15-21, 2020
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Thank you for considering submitting an abstract for presentation of your work at the 2020 AAVLD Annual Meeting. According to a recent member survey, the quality of presentations in the Scientific Oral and Poster Sessions is the single most important reason for attending the AAVLD Annual Meeting.
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Please note:
Pathology Slide Seminar abstracts is a separate submission option. Please follow instructions.
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Clarivate Analytics ScholarOne
is the official AAVLD provider of online abstract submission and management services. If you are a current AAVLD member and have previously submitted an abstract, you can submit your abstract for the 2020 meeting by logging in to the AAVLD 2020 Abstract Submission Site with your User ID and Password. For non-members, or if you did not receive an email from ScholarOne containing your User ID and Password, follow the instructions on the website for creating a new account. After login, follow the online instructions to submit your abstract.
Publication in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation (JVDI), the official journal of the AAVLD
:
We encourage submission of manuscripts to the JVDI based on your oral and poster presentations at the annual meeting. Manuscripts accepted by the JVDI editor after scientific peer-review will be published as refereed journal articles. Guidelines for format and style of manuscripts are published in the journal and on the AAVLD website (
www.aavld.org
). Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts to the editor for processing prior to the meeting if possible.
AAVLD Annual Awards
All award applicants must be the individual identified in the ScholarOne submission platform as the primary contact for the abstract.
The AAVLD is soliciting applications for the following AAVLD Awards:
AAVLD Trainee Travel Awards
Trainees in a Master's, PhD or residency program enrolled in all disciplines in veterinary diagnostic medicine, including epidemiology, immunology, microbiology (bacteriology, food safety, mycology and virology), molecular diagnostics, parasitology, pathology and toxicology, are encouraged to apply.
The $1,750 travel awards are intended to help defray the cost of travel and lodging to attend the AAVLD meeting. The Trainee Travel Awards are funded by the AAVLD Foundation and are intended to fulfill the recruitment and education mission of the AAVLD Foundation by encouraging trainee excellence in their diagnostic discipline, developing trainee presentation skills (verbal, written, organizational) and promoting networking of trainees with veterinary laboratory diagnosticians. NOTE: Some travel awards are funded or co-funded by individual AAVLD Committees. The AAVLD Pathology Committee is contributing $500 each to three of the top pathology related abstracts submitted.
AAVLD Laboratory Staff Travel Awards
Veterinary diagnostic laboratory staff in any discipline, including epidemiology, immunology, microbiology (bacteriology, food safety, mycology and virology), molecular diagnostics, parasitology, pathology and toxicology, are encouraged to apply.
The $1,750 travel awards are intended to help defray the cost of travel and lodging to attend the AAVLD Annual Meeting. The Laboratory Staff Travel Awards are funded by the AAVLD Foundation. Laboratory staff travel awards to the AAVLD Annual Meeting are intended to encourage laboratory staff excellence in their diagnostic discipline, promote networking of veterinary laboratorians and encourage participation in AAVLD committees.
AAVLD/ACVM Dr. David Bemis Microbiology Trainee Travel Award
(oral or poster presentation): This $1,750 travel award will go to a graduate student or microbiology resident trainee submitting an abstract to the annual meeting on the subject of clinical microbiology and/or antimicrobial resistance. This is a competitive award and the winner will be determined based upon the quality of the abstract.
AAVLD Best Graduate Student Presentation Awards
(oral and poster presentations): The AAVLD encourages trainees in all disciplines of veterinary diagnostic medicine to compete for the best oral and best poster presentation awards. The purpose of the awards is to encourage trainee excellence in their diagnostic discipline and to develop trainee presentation skills (verbal, written, organizational).
Two winners will be selected, and the awards given during the AAVLD Annual Meeting, one for best oral presentation and one for best poster presentation. The recipient of each award will receive a $1000 cash prize. The AAVLD Awards Committee will select the awardees and they will be announced during the joint AAVLD/USAHA President's Reception and Dinner during the annual meeting.
AAVLD Laboratory Staff Presentation Award
(oral or poster presentations): The AAVLD encourages lab staff in all disciplines of veterinary diagnostic medicine to apply. The purpose of the awards is to encourage laboratory staff excellence in their diagnostic discipline and to develop presentation skills (verbal, written, organizational).
One award will be selected and given for best presentation (oral or poster) during the AAVLD Annual Meeting. The recipient will receive a $500 cash prize. The AAVLD Awards Committee will select the awardee and they will be announced during the joint AAVLD/USAHA President's Reception and Dinner during the annual meeting.
J. Lindsay Oaks Best Student Molecular Biology Presentation Award
(oral or poster presentation): The AAVLD invites interested trainees to submit oral or poster presentations relating to molecular biology in veterinary diagnostics. This award for an amount up to $500 is given to the student delivering the best oral or poster presentation on a molecular biology topic at the AAVLD annual meeting. All molecular biology oral and poster trainee presenters are eligible.
Brenda Love Best Student Bacteriology Poster Award
(poster presentations): The AAVLD invites interested trainees to submit poster presentations relating to bacteriology in veterinary diagnostics. This award for an amount up to $500 is given to the student delivering the best poster presentation on a bacteriology topic at the AAVLD
a
nnual CE meeting. All bacteriology poster trainee presenters are eligible to apply.
AAVLD Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar Awards
(slide seminar presentation): This competition has a separate open and close date for submission. Abstract submission opens April 16
th
and closes July 31
st
. The AAVLD Pathology Committee is providing awards to the top 3 presenters at this seminar. First, Second and Third Place awards will be $300, $200 and $100 respectively. These presentations will not be in the proceedings book because they will be determined based on the presentations during the annual meeting. .Submission and award selection will be coordinated by the AAVLD Pathology Committee.
AAVLD
/ACVP Diagnostic Pathology Award for Residents/Graduate Students
The AAVLD and the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) encourage trainees in veterinary pathology to participate in the annual meetings of both organizations. The AAVLD/ACVP Diagnostic Pathology Award for Residents/Graduate Students will be presented to a graduate student and/or veterinary pathology resident for the best oral presentation, in the field of veterinary pathology, given at the annual AAVLD meeting. The intention is to support travel of the winner to re-present the award-winning presentation at the next annual ACVP meeting. ACVP has a reciprocal award.
· The awardee will receive $1,000 from the AAVLD pathology committee to help defray travel and lodging costs associated with attending the ACVP annual meeting of the following year. The award winner must present the award-winning presentation at the ACVP meeting of the following year in order to receive the award. The award will be given to award winner following submission of the abstract to the ACVP meeting.
The recipient will be granted a waiver for the ACVP meeting registration fee.
Abstract submission and award information is available on the aavld2020.abstractcentral.com submission site. Please click on the following link to access the site
AAVLD Abstract Submission Style Rules
· Type or copy and paste the title and body of your abstract into the boxes below.
· Enter the title in sentence case (mixed case). Do not put the title in quotation marks.
·
Special characters:
in most cases, Greek letters and other special characters will transfer from your word processing software. The Special Character Palette button is available in the formatting bar if you need a special character that are unable to find in your word processor.
· There is a limit of 3000 characters (approximately 400 words), including spaces, for the text of your submission. Title, authors, and institutions will not be counted.
·
Please ensure you check your abstract carefully for any spelling or grammar errors. Also make sure that no author information is included with the title or narrative section, as that is collected elsewhere on the form.
· Press the “Save” button at any time to review character usage for this submission.
Shuping Zhang, BVSc. MS, PhD, DACVM
2020 AAVLD Annual Meeting Program Chair
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ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR DIAGNOSTIC PATHOLOGY SLIDE SEMINAR CASES
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Deadline is
July 31, 2020
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Anatomic and clinical pathologists are invited to submit cases for the Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar at the 2020 AAVLD meeting. Necropsy, surgical pathology, or cytology cases that present a diagnostic challenge, represent an emerging disease, or exemplify a classic condition are solicited.
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Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar Award
Pathology residents and graduate students will be eligible to compete for the 2020 Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar Award. This award will be given to the top three presentations and comes with a monetary value of $300, $200 and $100 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Abstracts:
Abstract submission will take place via the Clarivate Analytics ScholarOne online platform used for abstract submission to the general AAVLD meeting. The platform will open April 16 and will close July 31. All abstracts should be received by July 31, 2020. When submitting an abstract, please choose “Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar Abstract Submission,” which will be an option after beginning the “Create New Submission” process. When submitting your abstract, please indicate if you are a resident or graduate student; all residents and graduate student abstracts that are selected for presentation will automatically be considered for the Diagnostic Pathology Slide Seminar Award.
Graduate students and residents will be given priority for selection. Experienced pathologists may also submit abstracts, but will be considered only after graduate students and residents. All abstracts received prior to July 31 will be given consideration for inclusion in the seminar.
Authors will be notified of the status of their abstracts by August 14, 2020.
Presentations:
Accepted abstracts will be allotted 6 minutes for presentation and another 3 minutes for questions. Presenters of necropsy and surgical pathology cases must supply a set of 65 H&E stained glass slides. Cytology cases should consist of either 65 glass slides or, if less than 65 slides are available, then a representative series of high quality digital images or a digital slide should be provided.
Case material (slide sets) should be submitted to Dr. Aslı Mete by September 4, 2019
at the below address to allow for distribution and review by attendees prior to the seminar.
Each presenter and their sponsoring laboratory will receive a set of slides at no charge. Remaining slide sets will be available, on a first come-first serve basis, for a $60 donation to the Pathology travel fund of the AAVLD Foundation.
Please contact Dr. Aslı Mete if interested in purchasing such sets.
Conference coordinators
:
Chair: Dr. Grant N. Burcham, Heeke Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Southern Indiana Purdue Agricultural Center, Purdue University, Dubois, IN;
Co-chair: Dr. Aslı Mete, California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS), Davis, CA;
For USPS shipments: PO Box 1770, Davis, CA 95617-1770
For FedEx/UPS shipments: 620 W. Health Sciences Dr., Davis, CA 95616
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The goal of JVDI in Focus is to bring attention to an interesting article appearing in the
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
. This month’s focus is on an article in the May issue:
“A retrospective histologic study of 140 cases of clinically significant equine ocular disorders” by Mariana M. Flores, Fabio Del Piero, Perry L. Habecker, and Ingeborg M. Langohr.
J Vet Diagn Invest 2020;32(3)
Abstract.
Ocular diseases are an important category in equine medicine; however, most articles regarding histologic ocular lesions in horses are exclusive to a specific condition and do not provide a complete review of clinically significant ocular disease frequency in a diagnostic laboratory. We reviewed sections of equine eyes from 140 cases (98 enucleations [biopsies] and 42 autopsies) with clinically relevant ocular alterations at 2 diagnostic centers in the United States. The most common primary conditions were non-traumatic keratitis (36), equine recurrent uveitis (ERU; 31), traumatic injuries (22), ocular and periocular neoplasms (19), and uveitis and/or endophthalmitis resulting from sepsis (18). Congenital anomalies (3) and retinal atrophy and detachment alone (3) were infrequent. Non-traumatic keratitis was frequently accompanied by anterior uveitis (22), corneal rupture (16), pre-iridal fibrovascular membrane formation (13), and secondary mycotic infection (11). ERU was the second and third most prevalent disease in autopsies and enucleations, respectively. This condition was commonly associated with glaucoma (15). Glaucoma (25) and cataract (20) were the most prevalent secondary alterations in the evaluated cases. Keratitis (20) and corneal rupture (16) were among the most prevalent consequences of trauma. Information presented herein may guide clinicians and pathologists, contributing to the early diagnosis of potentially vision-impairing conditions and raising the chances of successful treatment and cure.
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Figures 2–7.
Histologic lesions in equine globes.
Figure 2.
Mycotic keratitis. Dense neutrophilic inflammation in the deep corneal stroma (stromal abscess), with rupture of the Descemet membrane. H&E.
Figure 3.
Mycotic keratitis. Non-pigmented fungal hyphae with parallel walls and acute-angle branching are present within the inflamed cornea, accompanied by corneal edema and mild neutrophilic inflammation. H&E.
Figure 4.
Equine recurrent uveitis. Amyloid (*) is deposited on the surface of the inner non-pigmented epithelium of the ciliary body. Additionally, multiple eosinophilic crystals are evident within the cytoplasm of the non-pigmented epithelial cells, accompanied by plasma cell infiltration. Inset: a higher magnification of these crystals. H&E.
Figure 5.
A paraganglioma in the retrobulbar region is characterized by small packets of cells supported by fibrovascular stroma. H&E. Inset: the neoplastic cells exhibit strong cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for chromogranin A.
Figure 6.
Anterior uveitis secondary to sepsis. Abundant neutrophils have accumulated in the filtration angle in a foal with sepsis. H&E.
Figure 7.
Severe cataract secondary to panophthalmitis. Large foamy nucleated cells (bladder cells) are present within the cortex of a ruptured lens. H&E.
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2020 Nashville, Tennessee
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Ben Richey, Kelly Janicek, Kaylin Taylor and David Zeman recently did a premeeting walk-through the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in preparation for our fall annual meeting.
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AAVLD Membership Drive Competition – Earn a Free Lunch for yourself or your Lab!!
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Dear colleagues:
In an effort to increase AAVLD membership, we are launching a membership drive competition. This competition is open to individual members and Institutions to help identify and subscribe new members or bring back into the Organization previous members whose membership has lapsed for more than two years. Our vibrancy depends on a strong involved membership base to advance our discipline…would you please help? Thank you.
Competition time
: February 10 to September 30, 2020.
How to submit
: The competition is open to individual members and to Laboratories. The goal is to grow our organization’s membership through the recruitment of new members and bringing back previous members whose membership has lapsed by two or more years. Each time you successfully sponsor a new member who subscribes, send your name (personal or institution) and the name of the new member to
rozuna@aavld.org
and
jsaliki@uga.edu
.
Prizes
: Winners will be selected based solely on the number of new or renewing (after ≥ 2-year lapse) members recruited. The winners will be recognized at the AAVLD annual meeting during the Foundation Auction. There will be two prizes – one individual and one Lab:
- Individual prize: $100 Visa debit card: treat yourself for being an outstanding supporter!
- Laboratory prize: $500 Visa debit card: use these funds to celebrate with your lab mates!
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KEY DEADLINES FOR THE 2020 ANNUAL MEETING
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Call for Abstract and Application for Awards- April 9, 2020. Deadline May 31, 2020
Details
Call for Slide Seminar Abstracts April 16, 2020 Deadline July 31, 2020
Details
Meeting registration opens July 1, 2020
Details
Do you have ideas to improve the AAVLD annual meeting? Contact David Zeman
dzeman@aavld.org
Would you like to sponsor an event? Contact
Would you like to donate an item for the
What ever your contribution to the AAVLD mission, we need you!
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Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville
HERE WE COME !
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Come and enjoy the meeting in this fantastic hotel in Nashville!
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The call for abstracts for the 2020 Conference of Research Workers in Animal Diseases opens today! You can begin submitting abstracts for the first round of considerations now to be part of this international conference to be held
December 4 – 9, 2020
at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile.
NEW FOR 2020: We are pleased to announce exciting new opportunities for remotely delivered presentations and remote attendance at CRWAD 2020! This
remote access option
will provide wider opportunities for participation in CRWAD than we have ever had in the past, both for attendees and for presenters. We are still planning to offer the same exciting meeting for onsite participants, which for 100 years has been one of the most important animal research meetings in the world. We want you to participate in this outstanding conference in a way that is best for you.
The Primary abstract submission deadline for CRWAD is July 10, 2020. There are additional submission deadlines, but we strongly encourage submission of abstracts for this first deadline if you are considering presenting your research at CRWAD as this will help us plan in light of COVID-19. Authors can edit and update abstract content after submission so you can be confident about the quality of abstracts before presentation and publishing of proceedings. Authors will also be allowed to switch to remote presentation after abstract submission. For a full list of the instructions for submitting an abstract and your presentation options visit the
Conference website
.
Students competing in the
Research Awards Competitions
or applying for a
travel award
for the conference, must submit abstracts by the July 10, 2020 deadline. The Conference has a great tradition of promoting future scientific stars, and
over $10,000 in research awards and travel grants
will be awarded to qualifying graduate students making presentations at the 2020 Conference.
The full abstract submission deadlines for the 2020 Conference are:
July 10
th
Primary Abstract Submission Deadline – Oral or Poster Presentations
September 15
th
Late-Breaking Oral Report Submission Deadline – Oral Presentations
October 10
th
Deadline for requesting change from onsite to remote presentation
October 15
th
Late Breaking Poster Submission Deadline – Poster Presentations Only
November 15
th
Remote Presentation Submission Deadline – Remote only
Your abstract submission is your chance to be part of a 100-year plus premier program of researchers and disease prevention specialists presenting on cutting-edge research in animal health and disease, population health, and translational medicine. In light of
COVID-19
and its public health implications, our collective sharing of research and knowledge is more important than ever.
Check out the
Conference website
for latest updates on the schedule of preeminent featured speakers and state-of-the-art research presentations, and information about abstract submission and deadlines, partner programs, registration announcements, and hotel reservations. Don’t forget that CRWAD is held in the heart of Chicago’s downtown Miracle Mile, with all of its opportunities for shopping, dining, entertainment, and art. So make your plans now for attending CRWAD 2020.
We look forward to seeing you in Chicago for 2020 CRWAD! For any questions or
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Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.
-Helen Keller
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AAVLD offers its members a low cost web-based career center that connects job seekers with prospective employers in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory industry. The job board, powered by career services leader Job Target, provides access to AAVLD members and non-members alike. The cost is $75 for a 90-day posting.
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Take advantage of the terrific AAVLD resources offered to our members
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Veterinary Jobs - American Association of Veterinary...
The American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians offers the top jobs available in Veterinary diagnostic labs. Search and apply to open positions or post jobs on the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians now.
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Renewals are due by November 15!
'Membership is January to December'
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AAVLD membership is open to any individual interested in the disciplines and activities of veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Membership terms are by calendar year (January-December) and membership dues are payable by November 15th of the preceding year (to ensure inclusion in the annual membership directory, eligibility for committee involvement, and receipt of all six issues of the JVDI). Note: In order to receive a discounted rate for the Annual Meeting registration, you are required to be a current AAVLD Member.
Renew your membership today!
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Did your membership Lapse?
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Please select 'Renew Now' to access the Lapsed Membership renewal form.
www.aavld.org
->Quick Links->Renew Now->here you can access the Lapsed Membership Form.
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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding AAVLD Membership:
When are my dues fee due?
They are due November 15 for the next calendar year. Many members pay for the next year when they register for the annual meeting. Lead time is needed to finalize committee appointments for the new year.
Does it matter who pays for my dues?
No. Your status will be the same with their resepective privileges whether you pay, your employer pays, or your Uncle Vinny.
Are Lab Accreditation dues different than Institutional/Agency membership dues?
Yes
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Laboratory Accreditation dues are different and separate and are related to accreditation only and go to fund the accreditation program only.
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Whether accredited or not, a Laboratory (or Institution/Agency) may additionally become an Institutional/Agency Member. By doing so they are supporting the broad mission of the AAVLD and these funds go to support CE and training and all other activities of the AAVLD. Institutional/Agency Members are highly valued members and are demonstrating leadership and belief in our organizational purpose.
Do Institutional/Agency Member labs have to pay for their employees individual dues?
No. A laboratory, institution, agency or department can become a member under this category even without signing up their employees. They are simply supporting the AAVLD mission with their dues payment. Some states are not allowed to pay for employee dues; and some states have budgetary restrictions.
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ARE YOU ENGAGED?
Committee work is the foundation of AAVLD's ability to fulfill its mission. If you are interested in joining a committee and contributing to its efforts, please email the appropriate committee chair.
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AAVLD & News Worthy Events
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·
Canadian Animal Health Laboratorians Annual Meeting, June 1-3, 2020-
CANCELED
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AVMA Convention 2020, July 31 – August 4, San Diego
CANCELED
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AAVLD/USAHA Annual Meeting, October 15-21, 2020, Nashville
Details
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Thank You to our Exhibitors and Sponsors of the 62
nd
Annual Meeting!
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The
generous contributions and participation
by our Exhibitors and Sponsors
is a
huge part of our conference
success year after year. On behalf of the AAVLD, we would like to thank these companies for their commitment to our organization and helping us to achieve our mission.
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2020 Meeting Sponsors
to Date
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AAVLD Foundation Committee
Brett Webb- Cochair
Francois Elvinger- Cochair
John M. Adaska
Donal O'Toole
Tim Baszler
David Zeman
Christie Mayo
Kristy Pabilonia
Beate Crossley
François Elvinger
Pat Halbur
Brett Webb
Jamie Henningson
Kerry Sondgeroth
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The AAVLD Foundation is a non-profit foundation that raises funds for the advancement of veterinary diagnostic laboratory disciplines through scholarship programs, student travel support to our scientific meeting, guest lectures, seminars, professional awards and research programs. Contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible 501(c)(3), and can be paid when you renew your AAVLD membership. Thank you for remembering your AAVLD Foundation!
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