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PLUM ISLAND LABORATORIES USAHA Protecting Animal and Public Health Since 1897 1 SPECIAL EDITION: THE NATION’S PLUM ISLAND LABORATORIES USAHA Protecting Animal and Public Health Since 1897 United States Animal Health Association Newsletter - Vol. 30, No. 4, October, 2003 Plum Island Lab Program Critical to U.S. Diagnostic & research programs are first line of defense against catastrophic foreign animal disease by Dick McCapes • Editor, Special Edition Modernizing America’s Animal Health • Past Chair, Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Foreign Animal & Poultry Diseases, USDA The core of the federal govern- & Food Safety Security System ment’s scientists, support staff and USAHA/AAVMC laboratories dedicated exclusively to INSIDE research and diagnosis of foreign an- partnership will provide imal diseases (FADs) that threaten Articles our mammalian livestock and equine national forum for • President’s Corner .............................................2 • U.S.veterinarian’s first-hand experience with foot- populations with catastrophic illness urgently needed change and-mouth disease in UK ...................................2 • Plum Island’s Homeland Security Mission ........3 by Bennie Osburn, DVM, PhD1 • Homeland Security’s Biodefense Mission .........3 • National Animal Health Lab Network ................4 Dedicated scientists & staff, • President-elect, Association of American • 1669-2003: History of Plum Island (PI) prolonged underfunding & Veterinary Medical Colleges • ARS exotic viral diseases research at PI ..........6 • Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine, • ARS foot & mouth disease research at PI .........6 laboratory obsolescence University of California, Davis • APHIS diagnostics at PI ....................................7 • Laboratory biosafety levels ................................7 is located at the Plum Island Animal Many recognize that a new ap- • Visuals of Plum Island ...................................8, 9 proach for addressing animal-related • Nature Science Update cites PI research ......10 Disease Center (PIADC) on Plum Is- infectious disease • How FMD virus gets into cells .........................12 land, New York. This coastal island, • Rapid pathogen detection ...............................13 840 acres in size, is 1.5 miles north- problems in the • African swine fever vaccine ............................14 United States is • Comparative genomics ....................................15 east of the tip of Long Island, NY. long overdue. The • Virus-host cell interactions ..............................16 The PIADC FAD research and di- • Diseases diagnosed at FADDL .......................17 United States Ani- • “Foreign Animal Diseases,“ 6th edition ...........18 agnostic programs are critical com- mal Health Associa- • The ospreys of Plum Island .............................21 ponents of our first line of defense • This newsletter available as PDF file ..............25 against accidental or deliberate FAD tion, in partnership • Directorate of Science & Technology ..............30 with the Associa- • Act of April 24, 1948 ........................................31 outbreaks in the United States. They tion of American • What is the USAHA? .......................................32 are an integral part of our system for Tables & graphs delivery of health care to the nation’s Bennie Osburn Veterinary Medical • Selected daily U.S. animal populations ...........19 Colleges • Cash receipts from farming .............................20 vast animal populations (see figure 2, (AAVMC), can bring animal health • Delivery of animal health care in U.S ..............22 page 22). • Nutrients from foods of animal origin ...............24 representatives, government agencies • Change in consumption, 1992-2001 ...............24 A visit to Plum Island and industry together with the exper- • Per capita consumption, 2001 .........................24 I had the opportunity to travel to tise of veterinary medicine and sci- • Foreign trade, animal & plant, 2001 ................25 • Top countries: cattle, hog & Plum Island last March with two col- 1 See bio at end of article dairy cow populations ...............................25 leagues, Robert Frost, president of Page 28, Col. 3 • Top countries: red meat & milk ......................25 Page 19, Col. 1 8100 Three Chopt Road, Suite 203, P.O. Box K227, Richmond, VA 23288 • (804) 285-3210 office; (804) 285-3367 fax; www.usaha.org USAHA Newsletter,Vol. 30, No.4, October 2003 2 President’s Corner HIS MESSAGE is meant to assist the United States Department of and administration and illustrate communicate to the United Agriculture (USDA) and the United how these programs support deliv- TStates Animal Health Asso- States Department of Homeland Se- ery of animal health care services to ciation’s (USAHA) members this curity (DHS) in regaining the Plum the nation’s vast animal popula- nation’s foreign animal disease la- Island historical foreign animal dis- tions. boratory capacity, capabilities and ease research, diagnostic and educa- In March 2003, our nation was future at Plum tional program capabilities and exper- moments away from invading Iraq Island, New tise. and the new DHS with its Science York. The programs carried out since and Technology Directorate was The USA- 1956 by the Plum Island Animal Dis- still 10 weeks away from announc- HA encourag- ease Center (PIADC) and the Foreign ing a partnership agreement to es stakeholders Animal Disease Diagnostic Laborato- transfer the management of Plum to strategize, ry (FADDL) at Plum Island have Island. There were no Plum Island be visionary in been an important part of this nation’s funds in the President’s 2004 bud- planning our laboratory defense system for animal get proposal for new facilities, re- future labora- health, food safety and human health. pairs or research. (Also, there are Bob Frost tory invest- In March 2003, Terry McElwain, no funds in the President’s ’04 bud- President, USAHA ments, and in- President of the American Associa- get proposal to complete the Ames fluence our tion of Veterinary Laboratory Diag- Master Plan). There were, and still agricultural leaders to provide an nosticians (AAVLD), Dick McCapes, are, major questions without an- integrated laboratory infrastruc- editor of this Special Edition, and I swers as to how Plum Island would ture to defend against animal dis- spent time at Plum Island. Our goal continue the foreign animal disease eases in the United States. was to gather information for a Plum program this nation has relied on The Plum Island laboratory is Island newsletter and provide our for 50 years. but one link in the chain of nation- membership with a snapshot of the fa- al defense laboratories. We must cilities, personnel, programs, budget Page 31, Col. 2 Dr. Pamela Hullinger, U.S. veterinarian, reflects on foot & mouth disease outbreak experience in U.K. by Pamela Hullinger, DVM, MPVM, DACVPM and utilize them to Veterinary Medical Officer & University Liaison strengthen and en- Animal Health & Food Safety Services hance the detec- California Department of Food & Agriculture tion, response, The time I spent working in the control and mitiga- United Kingdom assisting in the tion of foreign ani- eradication of the widespread foot- mal diseases in the and-mouth disease United States. outbreak in cattle, sheep and swine I will never for- during March, get my initial im- April, May, October age of Cumbria, and November of the county where I 2001 was a truly spent three months while in the UK. memorable and re- Photo provided by P. Hullinger warding experience. As we crested the Pennines, a central Dr. Hullinger in foreground of blazing pyre of cattle carcases in UK. Disposal of There are many carcasses during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak was a monumental Pamela Hullinger mountain/hill challenge. Options included burning, burial (on-farm & mass graves) and rendering. things that I saw, At the peak of the epidemic, up to 80,000 carcasses needed to be disposed of daily. learned and experienced there that I range on the A69, will never forget. I believe firmly and descended to- that there is no substitute for first- ward the town of Carlisle one late af- imagined. In the days to follow, the hand experience in gaining a new re- ternoon, we entered, what in my burning of carcasses diminished due spect for the devastation that a for- mind resembled a war-zone. Smoke to public concerns about the smoke eign animal disease (FAD) can inflict filled the air (and burned my eyes and farmer’s fears that it was contrib- on a country. In my mind the chal- and lungs) and pyres of burning cat- uting to FMD transmission. Howev- lenge that faces us is to take the expe- tle and sheep carcasses dotted the er, even today the smell of the pyres riences and lessons learned in the UK countryside. It was a haunting image and their smoke are a lasting image in and was like nothing I could have Page 27, Col. 1 USAHA Newsletter,Vol. 30, No. 4, October 2003 3 Plum Island’s Homeland Security Mission By Marc S. Hollander, Center Director agricultural system. DHS now has Plum Island Animal Disease Center responsibility for PIADC operations, U.S. Department of Homeland Security including facilities and grounds, se- Homeland Next year marks two watershed curity, fire protection, emergency dates in the history of veterinary sci- medical services, environmental Security’s ence. It is the 75th anniversary of the management, and maintenance. last outbreak of foot-and-mouth dis- DHS is also working closely with PI- Biodefense ease (FMD) on U.S. ADC scientists and USDA program soil. For three quar- leaders
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