NM: Department of Agriculture Gears up for Opening Its New "State-of-the-Art" Veterinary Diagnostic Services Laboratory

News Date August 25, 2010

New Mexico Department of Agriculture's (NMDA) Veterinary Diagnostic Services (VDS) Laboratory will soon have a new place to call home.  The VDS lab will now be housed in the newly built New Mexico Scientific Laboratory located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“The administration offices of VDS with its high-tech lab will occupy the lower level of the new five-story facility,” said NMDA Director/Secretary Miley Gonzalez.  “This is an exciting time because now our highly qualified staff will be better equipped to address virtually any veterinary emergency that may arise.  This new lab is really impressive.”

The $89 million facility, which is set to officially open in September 2010, will also house the New Mexico Department of Health Scientific Laboratory Division and the Office of the Medical Investigator.  “A shared space only makes sense because approximately 60 percent of all diseases of humans are zoonotic, meaning they also infect and affect animals, so having a multi-agency laboratory that addresses both animal and human health issues is the ultimate approach. Plus we are making the best use of all our resources.  Our new facility will be modeled by other states," said Dr. Flint Taylor, VDS division director. 
 
The primary function of VDS is the diagnosis of disease in New Mexico livestock and in companion animals.  "For the livestock producers or pet owners who are dealing with losses of animals, this type of facility and agency is of immense value,” added Dr. Taylor.  “Our VDS staff has always provided the best service, but now with the lab’s leading edge technology, accurate and reliable diagnostic information will be available in an even timelier manner.”

The new VDS lab will also include a quarantine environment used in a situation where an animal is suspected of having a dangerously contagious disease.  "We hope we don't ever have to use this area because it could mean we have a serious situation on our hands, but it's nice to know we are ready if we are ever faced with such an issue.  This is an area we don't currently have in our existing lab," said Noreen Jaramillo, NMDA public information officer.
 
The VDS laboratory and its staff also assist in the diagnosis of disease in wildlife, zoo animals, and laboratory animals.