TVMDL: The "CSI" of the animal kingdom

The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) has long been the “CSI” agency of the animal kingdom. Scientists there use state-of-the-art technology to identify and help prevent the spread of animal diseases, especially those that could infect people.

The TVMDL’s main labs are in College Station and Amarillo, and its poultry labs are in Center and Gonzales. It is one of the largest and busiest veterinary diagnostic labs in the world. Last year, it received more than 180,000 requests for disease diagnosis from Texas animal industries and tested more than 26,000 racehorses and racing greyhounds for illegal drugs.

Now the agency, as one of five hubs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), is strengthening its ability to respond to the unthinkable: widespread and deadly disease outbreaks that are the result of terrorism or that occur naturally but have equally devastating consequences.

“Since the fall of 2002, TVMDL has made significant progress in facilities, equipment and training of personnel for potentially catastrophic disease outbreaks,” said Lelve Gayle, executive director.

The NAHLN was established following the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Great Britain that led to the culling of 6 million cattle and a $13 billion loss for the country’s agriculture and tourism industries that year.

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