Shipping Difficulties and Test Schedules
Anne Parkinson, BS, ADDL Serology Section Head
As we have moved into Spring, difficulties with shipping samples into the ADDL through major couriers continue. Deliveries are still not being guaranteed, and arrival times to the laboratory still erratic. We had hoped that after the holiday season, things would return to a somewhat normal state. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. These ongoing delays have caused issues with our scheduled test days and turnaround times. As a result, we are asking that clients carefully plan and get samples into the laboratory earlier than normal if there is a time constraint on getting results. It is extremely helpful to our staff in Central Receiving if the submission forms are marked with the purpose of the testing, so that samples may be prioritized according to need. These notes can be made in the “HISTORY” section of the submission form, and it would also be beneficial to highlight these notes to catch our eyes.
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Another alternative to using a courier service is to hand-carry samples to the laboratory – this ensures they are in the laboratory and will be tested on our normal test schedule. We also caution clients not to use the USPS for any type of express or priority shipping. Not only is the USPS historically unreliable during normal times, but they do not deliver to us on campus at ODA. Our ODA campus mail courier only gets to the Reynoldsburg post office once a day between the hours of 7-9AM. If you have shipped express or priority and your package has posted as delivered after this timeframe, it remains in the post office until the next morning. Signatures and times ONLY indicate that the package is in the Reynoldsburg depot – NOT in the laboratory. If you have questions about any part of the shipping process or when tests are scheduled to run, please contact the laboratory at 614-728-6220 or consult our website for assistance.
NAHLN Introduces Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboard
Dominika A. Jurkovic, Ph.D. ADDL Bacteriology Section
Antimicrobial resistance is considered one of the most serious global public health threats to both animals and humans in this century. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a multifaceted issue that requires a One Health approach, concerted and collaborative efforts among all the stakeholders are essential to deal with this complex problem of resistance.
The USDA APHIS VS National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) AMR Pilot Project began in 2018 to identify emerging antimicrobial resistance in animal pathogens routinely isolated by 27 diagnostic laboratories across the United States. The project provides AMR profiles for livestock/production and companion animals that are clinically ill, compared to other national surveillance programs that evaluate healthy animals. Ohio ADDL has been a participating laboratory since the project began. In March, the AMR Dashboard was made available to the public by NAHLN. The AMR project currently monitors data from cattle, swine, poultry, horses, dogs, and cats collected from the participating laboratories. Bacteria monitored include E. coli, Salmonella enterica, M. haemolytica, P. multocida, St. zooepidemicus, St. equi, and the S. intermedius group.
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