MU Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

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Under the ‘Scope – Fall 2023

Under the ‘Scope – Fall 2023

New Toxoplasmosis Indirect Multi-Species ELISA Offered at VMDL

This indirect multi-species ELISA is validated for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum, plasma, or meat juice from multiple species including ruminants, swine, dogs and cats.

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate, intracellular protozoan that can infect all warm-blooded animals, including humans. While infection does not cause clinical illness in many animal species, it can cause acute, life-threatening illness in others, especially small ruminants, leading to abortion.
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate, intracellular protozoan that can infect all warm-blooded animals, including humans. While infection does not cause clinical illness in many animal species, it can cause acute, life-threatening illness in others, especially small ruminants, leading to abortion.

Felines are the definitive hosts and excrete Toxoplasma gondii oocysts into the environment. In dogs, infection may be asymptomatic; however, abortion and central nervous system damage, particularly in young dogs, may occur. Other mammals and birds serve as intermediate hosts by ingesting either oocysts from the environment or meat containing live organisms. Infection in pigs may cause severe fetal losses in pregnant sows, but more often, it causes mild clinical signs.

The ID Screen Toxoplasmosis Indirect Multi-species ELISA detects anti-T. gondii antibodies in serum, plasma, or meat juice from multiple species. This ELISA kit demonstrates excellent specificity and sensitivity on ruminant samples; excellent correlation with IFAT on swine and canine sera; excellent specificity on swine samples; good agreement between serum and meat juice on swine samples; and excellent specificity for T. gondii as no cross-reaction with Besnoitia besnoiti or Neospora caninum was observed in internal validation studies.

The Serology Laboratory at the University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) is now offering this multi-species Toxoplasma gondii ELISA in lieu of the Toxoplasma IgG Titer IFA test for $13 per sample. If clients are interested in the Toxoplasma IgM Titer IFA, the serology lab will still honor this test request until current controls and reagents are exhausted.

Construction Update: New Phase I VMDL Building Under Way!

Construction Update: New Phase I VMDL Building Under Way!
If you haven’t been to the VMDL lately, you may not have seen the amazing progress the construction team is making on our new facility.

Phase I will house a brand-new necropsy area, including a BSL-3 suite for high-risk cases. The Bacteriology, Molecular Biology, and Serology sections will be housed in the spacious upper level. This modern facility will allow us to increase our capacity, improve biosecurity, and enhance biosafety for employees and students. Thank you to all our stakeholders and supporters!

We can’t wait to show you around when it is complete in 2024!

VMDL Personnel Attend National Meetingsc

VMDL Personnel Attend National Meetings

The annual AAVLD meeting was recently held in Maryland. The meeting was attended by several VMDL faculty and staff members, including Shaun Du, PhD, (Toxicology), Zhenyu Shen, BVM, PhD, (Assay Development), and Eric Mathis (Quality Assurance). Dae Young Kim, DVM, PhD, DACVP, (Anatomic Pathology) presented a case during the Pathology Slide Seminar entitled “Bovine adenovirus infection in a heifer in Missouri.”

The annual ACVP meeting will take place in Chicago, Illinois, in October. Several VMDL pathologists and residents are planning to attend. VMDL faculty will give the following presentations:

  • “Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is a significant respiratory pathogen in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)” – Annabelle Burnum, DVM, DACVP
  • Case Report for Neuropathology Mystery Slide Seminar – Gayle Johnson, DVM, PhD, DACVP
  • “A comparative histologic analysis of human versus canine synovium associated with anterior cruciate ligament injuries” – Kei Kuroki, DVM, PhD, DACVP

UNDER THE SCOPE – SUMMER 2023

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.

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