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The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) Poultry Diagnostic Laboratory in Moorefield has been accepted as a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) following a rigorous certification process.
“Acceptance into this organization shows that West Virginia does not take a back seat to any state in protecting the food supply and public health,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “The Poultry Laboratory staff at Moorefield deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the months of hard work they have contributed toward this achievement.”
Central to NAHLN membership is the proficiency certification of the laboratory’s four microbiologists to perform Exotic Newcastle and avian influenza testing. Samples are taken from every commercial poultry flock before they are moved for processing to certify they are disease-free. If a disease is discovered, laboratory results are used to track the outbreak and keep it from spreading.
“There are only about 250 people in the entire country certified by NAHLN to conduct and report thEse tests, and we have four of them on our staff,” said Dr. Jewell Plumley, WVDA Assistant State Veterinarian, NAHLN Lab Director and National Poultry Improvement Plan coordinator for West Virginia.
“The proficiency test is very difficult and must be taken annually. Each microbiologist runs predetermined samples, and they can only miss one out of 30 determinations. I’m extremely proud of them,” said Dr. Plumley.
She added that the laboratory has implemented detailed protocols for documenting laboratory results and activities as part of NAHLN membership. On-site evaluations and annual calibration of laboratory equipment are also conditions of membership.
“Going through this process is truly making us a better laboratory. When we have visitors from other states and they see the program West Virginia has, they’re very impressed,” she said.
The NAHLN is a cooperative effort between two USDA agencies — the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) — and the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (www.aavld.org). It is a network of laboratories that focus on animal diseases, using common testing methods and software platforms to process diagnostic requests and share information.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) serves as the national veterinary diagnostic reference and confirmatory laboratory. NVSL coordinates activities, participates in methods validation, and provides training, proficiency testing, assistance, materials, and prototypes for diagnostic tests.
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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