 USALIMS
and the ADDL website will be temporarily unavailable for scheduled maintenance
beginning at 5:00 PM EST on July 29, 2016 until 12:00 PM EST on July 30, 2016. The ADDL can be contacted after hours at 888-456-3405. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Equine clients reminded to vaccinate their horses against West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE)
Jeff Hayes, DVM, MS, ADDL Pathology Section Head
Mosquito season is here, and so is the season for serious
arbovirus-related neurologic disease in horses. Reports around the country are
already citing equine cases of WNV and EEE during the summer of 2016. Now is
the time to remind your clients that there is still a window of time to effectively
vaccinate their horses in Ohio against these viruses that are transmitted
primarily by mosquitoes. Ohio cases of WNV and EEE in horses the past few
years have occurred from late August until mid-October. Although the window of opportunity is closing, there is still time to provide a
two-shot vaccination series within a three- to six-week period for horses that have
not been vaccinated in the past year.
The ADDL encourages veterinarians to remind the public that
the most effective way to prevent these two diseases is to have the
horses vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian. Taking steps to control the
mosquito population, such as eliminating standing water in tires, water baths,
and other sources, will also aid in the prevention of both WNV and EEE, both of
which have the potential to cause severe neurologic illness and death in horses
and in people. People should also take steps to guard themselves against
mosquitoes by applying mosquito repellent, avoiding being outdoors during peak
mosquito feeding times and wearing protective clothing such as long sleeves and
pants.
The ADDL offers PCR tests for both WNV and EEE in serum and tissues. We can assist veterinarians in submitting blood samples to NVSL for serologic testing.
Please call the ADDL for more information at 614-728-6220, or visit our website
test and fees search (pages 12 and 28) at http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/divs/ai/addl/addltests.aspx
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ADDL assists FDA in cat food-associated outbreak of Listeria and Salmonella
Melanie Prarat, Virology Section
In February 2016, ADDL was contacted by FDA to perform a case investigation after receiving a consumer complaint involving pet cats with signs of vomiting and diarrhea after eating raw cat food manufactured by Radagast Pet Food, Inc. in Portland, Oregon. The ADDL, a member of the FDA Veterinary Laboratory Investigational Response Network (VetLIRN), tested pet food and feces from the multiple cats in the household. Salmonella was isolated from the feces of one cat and several samples of the raw cat food were positive for both Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. adulterants. In addition to the classical PFGE method for subtyping the microorganisms, the ADDL used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to further characterize the isolates and develop a phylogeny. This work showed that the isolates from the clinically affected cats were identical with the strains isolated in the pet food. The FDA worked with the Radagast Pet Food, Inc. who voluntarily recalled four lots of frozen raw cat food due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes and/or Salmonella spp.
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ADDL joins FDA GenomeTrakr Network
Melanie Prarat, Virology Section
The ADDL recently became a member of the FDA’s
GenomeTrakr network, a collaborative effort between national and international
laboratories to collect and share genomic and geographic data from foodborne
pathogens. The ADDL is one of the first
veterinary laboratories in the US to be invited to join GenomeTrakr network and offers a unique
perspective to foodborne outbreaks. The
network of labs completes whole genome sequencing from a variety food, human, and animal sources and deposits data from more
than 1,000 isolates every month in the National Center for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI) public databases. For
more information about our whole genome sequencing program, please contact the
ADDL Virology Section at 614-728-6220.
The ADDL has an Illumia MiSeq that is used for whole genome sequencing.
Meet Our New Employees
Katherine Shiplett, graduated
from the Ohio State University in May 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, and has joined the ADDL as a Laboratory Technician. Last summer, she was an intern at ADDL,
specializing in molecular test methods.
Qirui “Ray” Zhang,
PhD, graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China with a PhD degree in biology. He joined the ADDL team as a Laboratory Scientist after completing his post-doc at the Ohio State University
in the Department of Entomology. Dr. Ray
Zhang's brings many years of experience in molecular test methods.
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