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National Animal Health Laboratory Network
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AVMA Request
- Seeking authorizing language and $30 million annual appropriations for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) and $12 million annual appropriations for the Toxicology component (NAHLN Tox).
Background
- The mission of the NAHLN is surveillance, rapid detection, response and recovery from any foreign animal disease or emerging diseases which threaten the nation's food supply and public health.
- Launched in 2002, and not yet fully funded, the NAHLN is a cooperative effort between two USDA agencies [Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)] and the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD).
- The NAHLN began with 12 core laboratories and has since expanded to 54 member labs.
- With reason, efforts have focused on meeting the needs for the identification of and response to infectious disease threats. However, as widely-publicized events have shown, chemical contamination of animal feeds, or direct exposure of animals to poisonous chemicals occurs with regularity.
Appropriations History
- Current funding for the NAHLN is through the Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative, Animal Health Monitoring and Surveillance Programs and Veterinary Diagnostic Programs in USDA budgets.
- A recent survey conducted by AAVLD member laboratories indicates that the annual cost of operating a state diagnostic laboratory averages $5.2M per state. The total annual state expenditures for the 30 representative US laboratories responding to the survey are $150M per year.
- Only the original 12 core laboratories receive federal support of $300,000 each per year (less than 6% of the average cost to operate a diagnostic laboratory). Sixteen other member laboratories receive only $50,000 each per year (1% of the average cost to operate a laboratory) for Information Technology and other technical systems. The remaining laboratories only receive fees-for-services provided as needed.
- Federal funding of the NAHLN is grossly insufficient and inappropriate in light of the enormous losses associated with response to and recovery from a serious animal disease event.
Why AVMA Supports Funding for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and Toxicology Component
- There is a need for a national plan to support, coordinate, and establish formal lines of communication among existing state veterinary diagnostic laboratories and their analytical sections, and appropriate governmental agencies, in order to integrate the nation's laboratories into a coordinated network for rapid recognition, identification, and response to emergencies.
- The state of readiness and surge capacity of state and university Diagnostic Laboratories, including Analytical Toxicology laboratories, is highly variable due to wide differences in past and current funding. Because of ever-increasing costs, the Analytical Toxicology sections of a large number of Federal and State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories have closed or greatly reduced their capabilities.
- Investment of funds in the US animal health laboratory infrastructure will protect our agriculture industry, food supply and public health.
Known Opposition to the AVMA Position: None
Contact: Dr. Ashley N. Shelton, Assistant Director, AVMA-GRD, (202) 289-3210, ashelton@avma.org.
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