New $42 million diagnostic center offers vital support for state’s animal economy

Colorado State University broke ground in December on a $42 million, 90,000-square-foot Diagnostic Medicine Center that will be critically important to the state's livestock and biomedical industries. Scheduled for completion in December 2009, the center will house the University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Animal Population Health Institute, and the Extension veterinarian.

Collectively, the four entities monitor animal health throughout Colorado, test for such disorders as mad cow and chronic wasting diseases, establish diagnoses, and recommend treatments. The facility will help the University meet the health and safety needs of the local community, state, and nation by identifying and tracking infectious diseases among animals that could infect humans.

Expert diagnostic testing

New animal diseases and bioterrorism threats have increased the need for diagnostic testing. The use of infectious and zoonotic diseases (diseases that spread from animals to humans) as weapons against the nation's health or economy is a national security concern.

The new building will enable the University to provide expert diagnostic testing that could not be conducted outside of specialized laboratory space, said Lance Perryman, dean of CSU's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. "This new facility is desperately needed to meet the increasing needs for veterinary diagnostic services for private residents and state and national agencies."

Worldwide contributions

Professionals in the University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Clinical Pathology Laboratory – which provide services to livestock owners, pet owners, and government agencies – diagnose and recommend treatments for sick animals in addition to monitoring the health of animals across Colorado.

The diagnostic laboratory houses the testing services for avian flu in poultry and wild birds for the entire state, while the clinical pathology laboratory provides such services as blood, fluid, and urine analyses to identify diseases and illnesses in animals. The veterinary diagnostic laboratory is one of seven labs in the nation selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.

The Animal Population Health Institute encourages collaboration in veterinary epidemiology among scientists at Colorado State and government agencies throughout the world, focusing on multidisciplinary research to improve the health of animal populations, prevent and control infectious diseases of animals, and contribute to national and international animal disease policymaking.

The University's Extension veterinarian provides services and education to the state's animal owners to help protect the health of animals and the economic viability of the state's animal-driven economy.