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WBBJ TV
April 23, 2021
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee’s first Chronic Wasting Disease testing facility is up and running.
Kord Animal Health Laboratory’s CWD unit microbiologists left to right: Lydia Suttles, Kelsey Londo, and CWD Unit Supervisor Jocelyn Revetta. (Photo Courtesy: Tennessee Department of Agriculture)
The news release says the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory received its first samples last October.
The laboratory helps track CWD, a disease that effects deer and other cervids, and has been found in West Tennessee.
“A dozen counties in West Tennessee are CWD positive or high risk,” said Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. “Kord Lab’s CWD unit produces valuable information to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, captive herd owners, and to hunters. This unit also supports the One Health initiative for greater understanding of health connections among people, animals, and plants.”
Tennessee s First Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Facility Is Open Friday, April 23, 2021
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory has the state’s first Chronic Wasting Disease testing facility. The CWD testing unit is operational and fully accredited by the International Organization for Standardization, the organization that develops and publishes international standards.
“A dozen counties in West Tennessee are CWD positive or high risk,” Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “Kord Lab’s CWD unit produces valuable information to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, captive herd owners, and to hunters. This unit also supports the One Health initiative for greater understanding of health connections among people, animals, and plants.”
Plans include development of efficient field polymerase chain reaction tests primarily for swine.
Dec 23, 2020
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) C. E. Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory aims to strengthen animal health programs with assistance from a federal grant. The National Animal Health Laboratory Network awarded $250,000 in funding to Kord Lab through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The grant is a second round of USDA Farm Bill funding, and TDA will use the funds to build on previous work. Plans include development of efficient field polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests primarily for swine. Specifically, TDA aims to streamline lengthy and expensive testing procedures for Senecavirus A and foot-and-mouth disease virus. Both viruses are highly contagious among livestock and can result in economic losses and delays in the food supply chain.