MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Winter Weather Disrupts Couriers in Central Missouri

Due to hazardous road conditions in Central Missouri on Wednesday, February 2nd and Thursday, February 3rd, many packages were delayed en route to the VMDL.

We anticipate a large number of shipments arriving in the coming days as road conditions improve.

Please be aware that your shipment may have been delayed. If you have any concerns about the viability of your specimens, or would like to check on the status of a submission, please call the lab at 573-882-6811.

We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience.

MU VMDL Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Please make note we will be closed Monday, January 17th.

Emergencies

For emergency necropsy cases, please call the on-duty students at (573) 864-7160.  For other types of emergencies, please call the lab director, Dr. Shuping Zhang, at (573) 529-4691.

How to Ship a Package to Ensure Your Package Has Arrived Safely During Reduced Holiday Hours

To help ensure your shipment isn’t delayed when submitting via FedEx/UPS courier delivery, please send to:

Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab
901 E. Campus Loop
Columbia, MO 65211

Or, if submitting via US Post Office; use the following PO Box address:

MU VMDL
PO Box 6023
Columbia, MO 65205

MU Lab Aids Surveillance Efforts for Deadly African Swine Fever

Recent reports of African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in the Dominican Republic and Haiti have heightened surveillance efforts for the highly contagious viral swine disease in the United States.

Shuping Zhang
Shuping Zhang

University of Missouri’s Shuping Zhang, professor and director of the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, explains the dangers of ASF and the role the VMDL plays in testing for the virus to help protect animal health and the country’s agriculture industry.

What is African Swine Fever and why is it so concerning?

ASF is a highly infectious and deadly viral disease that affects both domestic and wild swine. It originated in Africa but has since spread to Europe, Asia and recently to the Caribbean.

An outbreak in the U.S. would be devastating to our economy, particularly the agriculture industry. Governments often block pork imports from countries with confirmed cases of ASF, so there would be enormous economic consequences if we were unable to continue exporting pigs and pork products abroad. A 2018 outbreak in China, where half of the earth’s pigs are located, killed more than 100 million pigs.

Have there been any confirmed cases in the U.S. yet and can humans get sick from eating pork contaminated with African Swine Fever?

The good news is there has never been a confirmed case of ASF in the U.S., and we hope to keep it that way. Also, it is not a zoonotic disease; So it is not possible for humans to get sick from ASF by eating contaminated pork.

What symptoms should pig farmers look out for?

The clinical signs of ASF include high fever, lethargy, depression, skin discoloration, and possibly vomiting and diarrhea. Other signs to look for include swollen or enlarged spleens and lymph nodes.

The MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory receives swine tissue samples from across Missouri to conduct tests for African Swine Fever.
The MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory receives swine tissue samples from across Missouri to conduct tests for African Swine Fever.
The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has communication plans in place to alert officials in the event a test comes back positive.
The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has communication plans in place to alert officials in the event a test comes back positive.

What role does MU’s Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory play in monitoring African Swine Fever?

The VMDL collaborates with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state veterinarians and pork producers to conduct general surveillance testing and testing of sick pigs. We receive swine tissue samples from swine farms and slaughter houses across Missouri.

After receiving samples, we produce test results within 6 hours and if a test were to come back positive, we have plans to alert state and federal authorities within minutes. That way, decisions regarding quarantining and the imports or exports of pork products can be made immediately to protect United States trade interests and quickly identify the extent of the outbreak.

What is the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory’s testing capacity?

We have been testing for ASF for many years. Currently, we have six staff members who are certified to test for ASF and eight polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines for ASF testing. Our current capacity is about 1,500 test samples per day. But, if an outbreak were to occur, we could immediately increase our capacity given our resources.

How does the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory help protect the state’s agriculture industry?

There are 60 labs across the country that are part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). The MU VMDL is the only NAHLN Level 1 lab in Missouri, the highest level a lab can achieve, and the only animal health lab in Missouri that is accredited by the American Association of Veterinarian Laboratory Diagnosticians.

We take pride in our responsibility and obligation to protect both animal health and the agriculture industry, which is very important for Missouri’s economy. By testing for and diagnosing viruses, bacteria and pathogens, we help Missourians stay safe while training the next generation of veterinarian diagnosticians and supporting the university’s research mission.

To arrange an interview with Shuping Zhang, please contact Brian Consiglio with the MU News Bureau at 573-882-9144 or consigliob@missouri.edu.

Story courtesy of Show Me Mizzou

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

Click to open a larger map

901 E. Campus Loop
Columbia, MO 65211

VMDL News

VMDL Annual Reports

VMDL Employment

Contact

Links