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12-27-2004 |
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The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) will host an open house celebration at the Moorefield Regional Agricultural Complex Wednesday, January 5, 2005 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The event will feature a "Taste of West Virginia" reception at 1 p.m. and tours of the newly expanded and improved facility will take place throughout the event. "I would like to cordially invite the public to attend and to see what the WVDA is doing to protect the health and welfare of the citizens of this state," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass . "We have made a substantial investment in improved facilities and new diagnostic equipment that will allow staff to accurately and rapidly detect poultry and animal diseases, giving the WVDA the greatest amount of response time possible in the event of an emergency." Over the past year, the facility has added DNA-based testing for avian influenza and Exotic Newcastle Disease, diseases that have plagued commercial poultry production in the United States . The new capabilities allow a much quicker turnaround of samples in the event of an outbreak and ongoing testing to verify the absence of these diseases in West Virginia flocks. Previously, samples were shipped out of state for analysis. The WVDA has also added a walk-in cooler to preserve animal tissue for evaluation, a necropsy room for veterinary inspections and testing and a generator so that the facility can operate during a power failure. The WVDA has improved laboratory space for its ongoing environmental water testing program. This program includes nutrient and fecal coliform testing of samples and a project that is using cutting-edge DNA technology to build a database of fecal coliform samples to determine the animal source of pollutants. The lab also provides analysis services to industry to help them meet requirements of nutrient management plans. A mobile incinerator is currently out for bid and will be stationed at the complex once its purchase is finalized. The incinerator will allow for in-field testing of cattle and safe disposal of infected carcasses. The WVDA will construct a pole building to store the incinerator and will fence for the entire complex in the near future. Improvements to the facility cost approximately $150,000, according to Commissioner Douglass. "These improvements represent an important investment in the safety of our state's food, poultry and livestock industries," said Commissioner Douglass.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
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