CVM Vet-LIRN Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Program (U18)

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PROJECT SUMMARY Foodborne illness causes significant morbidity and mortality each year in the United States. Although human foodborne illness is usually associated with the consumption of contaminated food, pets can be direct and indirect sources of bacterial pathogens including Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Veterinary Laboratory Investigation Response Network (Vet-LIRN) Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Cooperative Agreement Program is designed to promote human and animal health by providing scientific information and building laboratory capacity for routine and emergency response for investigation of outbreaks of disease, information on antimicrobial resistance in pathogens isolated from veterinary patients, and to investigate problems with animal feeds and drugs. Detection of outbreaks requires the ability to collect samples from geographically diverse areas. Texas is home to 29 million people, second only to California in human population, and leads the nation in horse and cattle populations. It is therefore important to understand the dynamics of foodborne diseases among animals and people within the State of Texas. Texas A&M University is home to the oldest, established College of Veterinary Medicine in Texas. The Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Clinical Microbiology Laboratory currently serves as an FDA Vet-LIRN Laboratory. Members of the laboratory have helped to develop Vet-LIRN methods for detection of Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni, participated in proficiency testing, collected and analyzed samples as part of Vet-LIRN investigations, and provided isolates for the Vet-LIRN ongoing effort to characterize the antimicrobial resistance in pathogens from veterinary patients through whole genome sequencing. The objective of this proposal is to provide infrastructure in Texas to support collection and testing of samples from pets to support the FDA Vet-LIRN mission of protecting human and animal health by prompt recognition of outbreaks and testing of samples associated with outbreaks as well as surveillance assignments as needed by the Vet-LIRN Program Office.