November 28, 2005
Insight into illnesses
OSU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is the only of its kind in the state
By Mary Ann Albright
Gazette-Times reporter
During the summer of 2004, public health officials knew it was only a matter of time before a bird in Oregon tested positive for West Nile Virus, an avian infection spread by mosquitoes that first appeared in the United States in 1999.
In August 2004, a bird found in the eastern Oregon community of Vale was sent to Oregon State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where scientists confirmed the state’s first case of West Nile Virus.
"It was kind of exciting," said Rocky Baker, virology lab supervisor. "We’d been looking for two years, and we knew it was coming."
Testing for viruses such as West Nile is just one of the many services offered by the state’s only fully-accredited veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
At the lab, about 12 faculty members from the College of Veterinary Medicine and 20 technicians provide medical testing for companion animals and livestock, as well as bird surveillance and agri-terrorism and foreign animal disease monitoring.
When local and regional veterinarians have a sick animal they can’t diagnose, or when an animal dies of no apparent cause, they send the case to the OSU lab.
Scientists perform tissue analysis and bacterial and viral cultures. They also conduct necropsies (animal autopsies) on creatures as small as mice and as big as giraffes.
With this diagnostic information, veterinarians can determine the appropriate course of treatment for sick animals. The also can give grieving families an answer to why their beloved pet died, frequently offering assurance that the owners did nothing wrong. They’ll also know if other animals in contact with the diseased pet need to be quarantined or inoculated against a contagious agent.
Steve Brown, veterinarian for the Oregon Coast Aquarium and a private practice veterinarian in Newport, has been relying on the OSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for more than 30 years.
He sends blood, tissue and other samples from the aquarium’s marine mammals to OSU for analysis. In his private practice, Brown collaborates with the Corvallis facility to diagnose animals such as cats, dogs, horses and cattle.
"I use the diagnostic lab on at least a daily basis," Brown said.
Recently, he turned to pathologists at OSU when a 10-year-old Labrador retriever at his clinic exhibited elevated liver enzymes, decreased appetite and fatigue.
Brown sent a liver biopsy to OSU for analysis. The scientist there called him soon after to discuss the findings. The results indicated fish poisoning caused by ingesting an exotic raw fish. Brown said this particular illness hadn’t been reported since the 1960s.
The OSU diagnostician worked with Brown, suggesting a complete fecal examination for the dog. These follow-up tests confirmed the initial diagnosis of fish poisoning.
After learning what made the dog ill, Brown was able to begin the appropriate treatment. He said the pet is now doing well.
"The folks (at OSU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory) will go the extra mile, take the extra effort to make a diagnosis. They do a very thorough job, and are very interested in a positive outcome for the client and the patient," Brown said.
The lab receives most of its financial support from the state’s higher education budget. The service fees it charges also generate revenue. The lab receives about 12,000 samples a year, on which it performs more than 100,000 tests.
When livestock fall ill, farmers and ranchers often look to the laboratory to protect their surviving herds.
Stopping the spread of infectious diseases is crucial to the state’s economy and individuals’ livelihoods, according to Jerry Heidel, professor and director of the lab.
The lab also performs the state’s rabies testing. When a suspicious bat is found, technicians at OSU conduct fluorescent antibody testing on portions of the dead animal’s brain to detect the virus. Additionally, they can test feral dogs and cats that have bitten people, so the victims will know if they’ve been infected with rabies.
In recent years, especially after the attacks of Sept. 11, the lab has become increasingly concerned with thwarting terrorist efforts that could make the country’s human and animal populations sick.
"Usually, when people think of bioterrorism, they think of anthrax or other agents that make people sick. But there’s also agri-terrorism. There we’re more worried about people spreading foreign animal illnesses to our livestock. This could cause a devastating economic impact on the country," Heidel said.
For example, he said, if a cow infected with foot and mouth disease were smuggled into the country, it could quickly infect entire herds. This could lead other countries to stop importing American beef, resulting in huge losses of income.
"When it comes to agri-terrorism, a lot of people feel it’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when. We don’t want to be caught unprepared."
The OSU facility was recently certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to test for foreign animal disease such as foot and mouth, avian influenza and exotic newcastle disease. Some may be the result of terrorist efforts, while others could occur naturally or accidentally.
Avian influenza has yet to hit the United States, but scientists at the lab test every chicken they receive for the virus.
Avian flu is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. Therefore, keeping animals healthy is an important part of keeping people healthy, Heidel said.
"We’re designed and set up to provide animal diagnostics. In doing so, we can identify animal populations that may harbor these diseases, and alert public health officials so preventive measures can be taken to keep these diseases out of the human population," he said.
Mary Ann Albright covers higher education. She can be reached at maryann.albright@lee.netor 758-9518.