MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

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MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Achieves Level 1 Status

The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) at MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine has moved up in class.

Shuping Zhang, VMDL Director
Shuping Zhang, VMDL Director

“The VMDL is now a Level 1 Laboratory in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN),” says Shuping Zhang, PhD, MS, DACVM, director of the VMDL.

Established in June 2002 with the passage of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, NAHLN is a nationally coordinated network of federal, state, and university-associated laboratories that provide animal health diagnostic testing to detect biological threats to the nation’s food animals, thus protecting animal health, public health, and the nation’s food supply. The network labs support early detection, rapid response, and appropriate recovery from high-consequence animal diseases.

NAHLN laboratories are classified into four different levels based on geographic distribution, population density of animals, farm gate values and risk of foreign animal disease introductions as well as the laboratories’ capability, capacity and contributions. Currently, there are 51 NAHLN laboratories; 15 are designated as Level 1. Level 1 laboratories have the capacity to perform tests on large numbers of samples that originate from U.S farmed food animals.

The VMDL had been a Level 2 facility. Based on the recent achievements in disease surveillance, building diagnostic capacity, and promoting the implementation of animal health programs at the national level, the VMDL was promoted.

At this time, the VMDL is Missouri’s only facility that is a Level 1 NAHLN laboratory, fully accredited by American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), and Tier 1 Laboratory of the Food and Drug Administration Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network.

“Under the NAHLN program, the MU VMDL plays a critical leadership role in the diagnosis, surveillance, and response to diseases that could be biological threats to animals and the public,” says Zhang, who also serves as a clinical microbiologist at the VMDL and is a professor of veterinary pathobiology. “These diseases include avian influenza, exotic Newcastle disease in poultry, classical swine fever or hog cholera, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk, contagious equine metritis, foot-and-mouth disease, pseudorabies, porcine epidemic diarrhea, swine Senecavirus, vesicular stomatitis that affects cattle, horses and pigs, and antimicrobial resistance in major animal species.

“As a full-service, all-species diagnostic laboratory, the VMDL serves the entire state of Missouri, trains veterinary students and residents, and supports biomedical and translational research,” Zhang continues. “This designation of Level 1 signifies our high-quality service, professional and technical capabilities, and contributions to regional and national animal health programs. This new status will enable us to receive additional federal funding for rapid diagnosis and surveillance of high-consequence animal diseases.  Our clients will benefit from a better-funded and nationally recognized VMDL.”

Lab Sections

  • Anatomic Pathology
  • Avian Pathology
  • Bacteriology & Mycology
  • Clinical Pathology
  • Histopathology
  • Serology
  • Analytical Chemistry and Toxicology
  • Molecular Diagnostics

Message from the Director

The University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) is a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory and Missouri’s only laboratory accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The VMDL is a Level I Lab of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, Tier I Lab of the FDA Veterinary Laboratory Response Network, and a National Poultry Improvement Plan authorized lab. The VMDL maintains an effective quality assurance and quality control program.

The VMDL has formal anatomical pathology, clinical pathology, and clinical microbiology training programs. The VMDL faculty hold academic appointments in the Departments of Veterinary Pathobiology and Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. The director is administratively responsible to the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine for the overall operation of the laboratory and its multiple missions of public service, teaching, research and continuing education/extension.

The VMDL faculty and staff work diligently to provide relevant, timely and cost-effective diagnostic services to our clients and to create a positive learning environment for our students and residents. In 2024, veterinarians, animal owners and researchers from 103 Missouri counties and cities, as well as from 51 states and provinces outside Missouri, continued to rely on the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory’s (VMDL) diagnostic services. The lab performed approximately 63,500 total cases and conducted nearly 204,500 tests.

About the MU VMDL

The VMDL is a full-service laboratory accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). The VMDL provides in-depth laboratory diagnostic support to veterinary practitioners, livestock and poultry industry interests, companion animal interests, wildlife conservationists, scientists utilizing animals in their research throughout the university, state and regulatory officials, and clinicians of the MU Veterinary Health Center.

Our Location

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901 E. Campus Loop
Columbia, MO 65211

VMDL News

  • VMDL Newsletter
  • Bovine Diagnostic Summaries

VMDL Annual Reports

  • 2024 Annual Report
  • 2023 Annual Report
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VMDL Employment

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  • Pathology Externship

Contact

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Links

  • College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Biomedical Sciences
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  • Veterinary Medicine and Surgery
  • Veterinary Health Center (VHC)
  • VHC Wentzville

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