[House Hearing, 119 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
SAFEGUARDING U.S. AGRICULTURE: THE
ROLE OF THE NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH
LABORATORY NETWORK (NAHLN)
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LIVESTOCK, DAIRY, AND POULTRY
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JULY 15, 2025
__________
Serial No. 119-9
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture
agriculture.house.gov
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-678 PDF WASHINGTON : 2025
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania, Chairman
FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma ANGIE CRAIG, Minnesota, Ranking
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia, Vice Minority Member
Chairman DAVID SCOTT, Georgia
ERIC A. ``RICK'' CRAWFORD, Arkansas JIM COSTA, California
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee JAMES P. McGOVERN, Massachusetts
DOUG LaMALFA, California ALMA S. ADAMS, North Carolina
DAVID ROUZER, North Carolina JAHANA HAYES, Connecticut
TRENT KELLY, Mississippi SHONTEL M. BROWN, Ohio, Vice
DON BACON, Nebraska Ranking Minority Member
MIKE BOST, Illinois SHARICE DAVIDS, Kansas
DUSTY JOHNSON, South Dakota ANDREA SALINAS, Oregon
JAMES R. BAIRD, Indiana DONALD G. DAVIS, North Carolina
TRACEY MANN, Kansas JILL N. TOKUDA, Hawaii
RANDY FEENSTRA, Iowa NIKKI BUDZINSKI, Illinois
MARY E. MILLER, Illinois ERIC SORENSEN, Illinois
BARRY MOORE, Alabama GABE VASQUEZ, New Mexico
KAT CAMMACK, Florida JONATHAN L. JACKSON, Illinois
BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota SHRI THANEDAR, Michigan
JOHN W. ROSE, Tennessee ADAM GRAY, California
RONNY JACKSON, Texas KRISTEN McDONALD RIVET, Michigan
MONICA De La CRUZ, Texas SHOMARI FIGURES, Alabama
ZACHARY NUNN, Iowa EUGENE SIMON VINDMAN, Virginia
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin JOSH RILEY, New York
DAN NEWHOUSE, Washington JOHN W. MANNION, New York
TONY WIED, Wisconsin APRIL McCLAIN DELANEY, Maryland
ROBERT P. BRESNAHAN, Jr., CHELLIE PINGREE, Maine
Pennsylvania SALUD O. CARBAJAL, California
MARK B. MESSMER, Indiana
MARK HARRIS, North Carolina
DAVID J. TAYLOR, Ohio
______
Parish Braden, Staff Director
Brian Sowyrda, Minority Staff Director
______
Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
TRACEY MANN, Kansas, Chairman
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin, Vice JIM COSTA, California, Ranking
Chair Minority Member
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee JAHANA HAYES, Connecticut
TRENT KELLY, Mississippi DONALD G. DAVIS, North Carolina
DON BACON, Nebraska ADAM GRAY, California, Vice
JAMES R. BAIRD, Indiana Ranking Minority Member
RANDY FEENSTRA, Iowa JOSH RILEY, New York
MARY E. MILLER, Illinois ------
BARRY MOORE, Alabama ------
BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota ------
RONNY JACKSON, Texas ------
TONY WIED, Wisconsin ------
MARK B. MESSMER, Indiana ------
MARK HARRIS, North Carolina ------
------
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Costa, Hon. Jim, a Representative in Congress from California,
opening statement.............................................. 3
Prepared statement........................................... 5
Mann, Hon. Tracey, a Representative in Congress from Kansas,
opening statement.............................................. 1
Prepared statement........................................... 2
Thompson, Hon. Glenn, a Representative in Congress from
Pennsylvania, prepared statement............................... 7
Witnesses
Retallick, D.V.M., Ph.D., Jamie N., Director, Kansas Veterinary
Diagnostic Laboratory; Professor/Anatomic Veterinary
Pathologist, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology,
Kansas State University; Diplomate, American College of
Veterinary Pathologists, Manhattan, KS......................... 8
Prepared statement........................................... 10
Hensley, MS, D.V.M., Terry, Assistant Agency Director, Veterinary
Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Texas A&M University; Extension
Veterinarian; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, College
Station, TX.................................................... 16
Prepared statement........................................... 17
Main, D.V.M., Ph.D., Rodger G., Professor and Director,
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and
Diagnostic Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State
University, Ames, IA........................................... 22
Prepared statement........................................... 23
Submitted questions.......................................... 45
Jones, D.V.M., Annette B., State Veterinarian and Director,
Animal Health and Food Safety Services Division, California
Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA............. 26
Prepared statement........................................... 27
SAFEGUARDING U.S. AGRICULTURE: THE
ROLE OF THE NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH
LABORATORY NETWORK (NAHLN)
----------
TUESDAY, JULY 15, 2025
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:01 a.m., in
Room 1300, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Tracey Mann
[Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Members present: Representatives Mann, Van Orden, Baird,
Feenstra, Finstad, Wied, Messmer, Harris, Costa, Hayes, Gray,
and Riley.
Staff present: Justina Graff, Sofia Jones, Patricia
Straughn, John Konya, Suzie Cavalier, Daniel Feingold, Michael
Stein, and Jackson Blodgett.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TRACEY MANN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM KANSAS
The Chairman. Good morning, everybody. The hearing will
come to order.
Welcome, and thank you for joining today's hearing
entitled, Safeguarding U.S. Agriculture: The Role of the
National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). After brief
opening remarks, Members will receive testimony from our
witnesses today, and then the hearing will be open to
questions.
In consultation with the Ranking Member and pursuant to
Rule XI(e), I want to make Members of the Subcommittee aware
that other Members of the full Committee may be joining us
today.
I am excited to chair this hearing of the House Agriculture
Committee's Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry,
where we will focus on the important work of the National
Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN.
As a fifth-generation Kansas farm kid, I grew up riding
pens and doctoring sick cattle at my family's preconditioning
feedlot, and I intimately understand and appreciate the vital
role animal health plays in all of livestock and poultry
operations.
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network is a critical
piece of our ability to respond to and mitigate foreign animal
diseases. Originally comprised of 12 laboratories when it was
created in 2002, the NAHLN network has grown to include over 60
state and university laboratories, including the Kansas State
University Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory in Manhattan,
Kansas, my district and alma mater.
These labs are strategically placed across the United
States to support animal agriculture by developing and
increasing the capabilities and capacities to support early
detection, rapid response, and appropriate recovery from high-
consequence animal diseases. Put simply, they are the first
line of our defense.
These labs do not operate in a vacuum. The NAHLN network is
successful because of partnerships between Federal, state, and
university-associated animal health laboratories and experts.
This partnership is critical to response efforts when foreign
animal diseases are detected such as highly-pathogenic avian
influenza, New World screwworm, African swine fever, and
unfortunately, so many more.
Today, you will hear from a panel of experts who all work
at NAHLN's laboratories. These experts will be able to share
pertinent information about the critical work they do, whether
it be tracking the New World screwworm outbreak in Mexico,
identifying the move of high-path into dairy cattle in Texas,
working with the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in
Kansas, or crucial swine testing in Iowa.
This hearing could not come at a better time to highlight
the work of the NAHLN laboratories and talk about the need for
additional resources. As of 2 weeks ago, funding for the NAHLN,
as well as funding for the National Animal Disease Preparedness
and Response Program and National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary
Countermeasures Bank, was substantially increased in the One
Big Beautiful Bill (Pub. L. 119-21).
The One Big Beautiful Bill included $233 million per year
for the three-legged stool, with $10 million per year directed
towards the NAHLN laboratories, which is on top of existing
discretionary Federal spending. This funding will increase
diagnostic capabilities, improve research, assist in disease
surveillance, and strengthen our overall capacity as a nation
to prevent, detect, and mitigate foreign animal diseases. I am
proud of the work this Committee did to shore up our animal
health resources and protect the herds and flocks that bring so
much value to our producers and national security.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about the work
they do day in and day out in their roles with the National
Animal Health Laboratory Network. I am excited to hear about
how the increased funding will help their operation of these
laboratories, which foreign animal diseases they see as the
most consequential, and how we as Congress can be good partners
to them.
Again, thank you all for being here today.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Mann follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Tracey Mann, a Representative in Congress
from Kansas
Good morning and thank you all for joining us at today's hearing. I
am excited to chair this hearing of the House Agriculture Committee's
Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, where we will focus on
the important work of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, or
NAHLN. As a fifth-generation Kansas farm kid I grew up riding pens and
doctoring cattle at my family's preconditioning feedlot and I
intimately understand the vital role that animal health plays in all
livestock and poultry operations.
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network is a critical piece
of our ability to respond to and mitigate foreign animal diseases.
Originally comprised of 12 laboratories when created in 2002, the NAHLN
network has grown to include over 60 state and university laboratories,
including the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in
Manhattan, Kansas.
These labs are strategically placed across the United States to
support animal agriculture by developing and increasing the
capabilities and capacities to support early detection, rapid response,
and appropriate recovery from high-consequence animal diseases. Put
simply, they are our first line of defense.
These labs do not operate in a vacuum. The NAHLN network is
successful because of partnerships between Federal, state, and
university-associated animal health laboratories and experts. This
partnership is critical to response efforts when foreign animal
diseases are detected, such as Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza, New
World Screwworm, African Swine Fever, and so many more.
Today, you will hear from a panel of experts who work at NAHLN
laboratories. These experts will be able to share pertinent information
about the critical work they do--whether it be tracking the New World
Screwworm outbreak in Mexico, identifying the move of hi-path into
dairy cattle in Texas, working with the National Bio and Agro-Defense
Facility in Kansas, or crucial swine testing in Iowa.
This hearing could not come at a better time to highlight the work
of the NAHLN laboratories and talk about the need for additional
resources. As of 2 weeks ago, funding for NAHLN--as well as funding for
the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program and
National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank--was
substantially increased in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The One Big Beautiful Bill included $233 million per year for the
three-legged stool, with $10 million per year directed towards the
NAHLN laboratories, which is on top of existing discretionary funding.
This funding will increase diagnostic capabilities, improve research,
assist in disease surveillance, and strengthen our overall capacity as
a nation to prevent, detect, and mitigate foreign animal diseases. I am
proud of the work this Committee did to shore up our animal health
resources and protect the herds and flocks that bring so much value to
our producers and national security.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about the work they
do, day in and day out, in their roles with the National Animal Health
Laboratory Network. I am excited to hear about how the increased
funding will help their operation of these laboratories, which foreign
animal diseases they see as the most consequential, and how we as
Congress can be good partners to them. Again, thank you all for being
here.
The Chairman. With that, I would now like to welcome the
distinguished Ranking Member, my friend and the gentleman from
California, Mr. Costa, for any opening remarks he would like to
give.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JIM COSTA, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM CALIFORNIA
Mr. Costa. Thank you very much, Chairman Mann. And for
Members of the Subcommittee, it is indeed a very important
Subcommittee hearing that we are holding here this morning
because high-path avian flu has infected many parts of our
country on a regional basis, and we have had different efforts
with varying degrees of success to deal with this. But
certainly, we are not unaccustomed to having infectious
diseases impacting our livestock and poultry industries across
the country, and how we handle those and how we respond is
critical. And therefore, this hearing is totally appropriate
and important.
I want to thank the Chairman, not only for holding this
hearing for that reason, but thank our witnesses. The witnesses
that we have here have over 20 years of experience and growing
to include over 60 labs that make up our detection system for
animal disease control. And as I always like to say, food is a
national security issue. It is, and we should address it in
that fashion.
The laboratory network plays key roles in ensuring we have
a safe and secure food supply chain for all Americans at their
dinner table every evening. This laboratory network is part of
that safety response. It is a foundation that allows us to
respond rapidly to animal disease outbreaks simultaneously
while keeping our food supply chain safe, and that is a
challenge.
As high-path has gone over recently in different parts of
our country, in California, where we have 20 percent of
America's milk production, we have had over 70 percent
infection in our dairy herds, which is critical mass. And of
course, we have a significant poultry industry as well. In
trying to handle the two over the last 18 months, we have had
our hands full. But we have an extra effort that is done by our
efforts with our State Veterinarian, Dr. Jones, who I will
introduce in a moment.
The only way, though, that we can properly trace and avoid
further spread or spillover infection is if we are able to
respond quickly, and that is why I think this hearing is so
important, and accurately to identify and then use the
information to allocate appropriate resources to address the
problem. And NAHLN is a great example which highlights the
importance of how Federal and state partnerships work together.
And I think we have had a good example in California of that
partnership working.
We have our main Level 1 lab at the University of
California, Davis, which has played a critical role in
coordinating with the laboratory network by providing resources
throughout California and the nation in combating high-path
avian flu. And this is just one example that demonstrates the
importance of the laboratory network and the role it plays in
greater effort of preventing animal disease that are being
spread throughout the United States. And these labs talk to
each other on a national basis, which is essential. When we
have multiple state outbreaks of animal disease, such as the
high-path avian influenza, it is absolutely essential that we
have centralized operations coordinated across our states, and
we are going to hear about that this morning.
The role that the NAHLN central office plays in combating
disease response came into spotlight earlier this year in
February. I was disappointed to hear with the DOGE efforts that
the Administration fired \1/4\ of the employees of the central
coordinating office. This has occurred in the middle of a
prolonged high-path avian influenza outbreak. I can't think of
a worse time to decide to cut these positions when coordinating
disease response. Think about it. We have seen uninformed,
short-sighted decisions such as this one made, and it is not
helpful. And I think we have already seen the impacts of those
decisions.
I am glad to hear the Chairman talk about the One Big--I
don't know that we agree that it was beautiful--but that there
is additional funding that may allow us to fill the gaps from
the cuts that were made in February because I think that is
important, and I think we want to get the opinion of our
experts, our witnesses, to opine on that.
Let me close by saying that we are supportive of these
programs to combat animal disease. It is critical that we work
together to continue to support systems such as the laboratory
network--I really believe that is critical--along with
corresponding research that allows us to create better
diagnostic tools and preventive measures, which is utilizing
the best available science possible.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Costa follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Jim Costa, a Representative in Congress from
California
Good morning.
I'd like to start by thanking the Chairman for holding this
important hearing on the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and
thanking our witnesses for their testimony today. Since its inception
over 20 years ago, NAHLN has grown to include over 60 labs that make up
our detection system for animal disease. As I always say, food security
is national security, and the laboratory network plays a key role in
ensuring we have a safe and secure food supply chain.
The laboratory network is part of the foundation that allows us to
respond rapidly to animal disease outbreaks while simultaneously
keeping our food supply chain safe.
The only way that we can properly trace and avoid further spread or
spillover infection is if we are able to quickly and accurately
identify it and then use that information to allocate the appropriate
resources to address the problem. NAHLN is a great example which
highlights the importance of how Federal and state governments can and
must work together. In California, we have our main Level One Lab at
the University of California, Davis, which has played a critical role
in coordinating with the laboratory network by providing resources
throughout California and the nation in combating Hi-Path Avian Flu.
This is just one example that demonstrates the importance of the
laboratory network and the role it plays in the greater effort to
prevent animal disease from spreading in the United States.
When we have multi-state outbreaks of animal disease, such as Hi-
Path Avian Influenza, it is essential that we have centralized
operations to coordinate across states. The role that the NAHLN central
office plays in combating disease response came into the spotlight
earlier this year in February when POLITICO reported that the Trump
Administration fired \1/4\ of the employees in the central coordinating
office. This occurred in the middle of the prolonged Hi-Path Avian
Influenza outbreak, and I cannot imagine a worse time to decide to cut
positions that coordinate disease response. Think about it. We've seen
uninformed and short-sighted decisions such as this one made across the
government by this Administration. We have already started to see how
these decisions impact our ability to respond to disease, disaster, and
other events that put communities in jeopardy.
I have always been supportive of programs that combat animal
disease, and it is critical that we continue to support systems such as
the Laboratory Network, along with corresponding research that allows
us to create better diagnostic tools and preventative measures with the
best available science. I look forward to hearing from our expert
witnesses about improvements that could be made or more effective ways
that we can prevent and detect animal disease.Thank you, and I yield
back.
Mr. Costa. A lot of us have ag backgrounds, and I look
forward to hearing from our expert witnesses. But as a part of
Costa Brothers Dairy, I had a lot of experience working with
our veterinarian Doc Johnson, a big animal vet, and he kept our
herds in good shape over the years. Sometimes when my dog had a
little problem and I would bring it to him, and he says, ``I
don't do small animals,'' and then he would say, ``Ah, bring it
over here, I will look at it.''
But our vets are so valuable. And so by way of mentioning
that, let me introduce an individual that is going to testify.
I have another hearing I have to go to, so I want to introduce
our witness who I noted a moment ago. Dr. Annette Jones is a
veterinarian herself. She is the State Veterinarian and
Director of Animal Health and Food Safety Services for the
State of California, the number one agricultural state in the
nation. She has held the directorship since 2004. In that
capacity, she oversees an annual budget of $45.5 million, I
believe. Two hundred and twenty-two employees work with her,
engaged in programs from animal health, milk and dairy food
safety, meat and poultry inspection, livestock identification.
She also works closely with the California Animal Health and
Food Safety Laboratory System.
In addition to her role as director, she was appointed a
California State Veterinarian in 2010. She is a graduate of UC
Davis, very proud of that, and with a degree in economics, and
she received her D.V.M. from UC Davis School of Veterinary
Medicine. She is a total, complete package, and well-respected
among the animal science industry in California and around the
country. And Dr. Jones, we are glad you could make it here to
talk about your vast experience.
And thank you, Mr. Chairman, for allowing me to provide
that introduction of Dr. Jones to the Subcommittee. Thank you.
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Ranking Member, for your
opening comments and for doing the introduction of one of our
four panelists. We will now introduce our other three
panelists. And I want everyone to understand that I have been
talking to them ahead of time. Every one of them had flight
issues coming in. I don't think a single person, one of our
witnesses, got in before midnight. Some people made it and
their luggage did not.
But I appreciate you all being here this morning and, more
than that, your commitment to animals and keeping our food
supply safe.
Mr. Costa. Thanks for pointing that out, Mr. Chairman. And
some of us spent 2 hours on the tarmac yesterday afternoon
waiting to get off the plane, so I am sympathetic to all of
you. Thank you.
The Chairman. Yes, we appreciate you being here today.
I will introduce the next witness, which will be Dr. Jamie
Retallick, the Director of Kansas Veterinary Diagnostics
Laboratory at Kansas State University. Dr. Retallick's primary
responsibility is Director of Kansas' only veterinary
diagnostic laboratory. Before becoming Director, she served as
a diagnostic pathologist for KVDL, which involves biopsy and
necropsy services from referring veterinarians and the KSVU, or
the K-State Veterinary Center. She also oversees daily
operations and provides guidance in the development of new
tests, teaches a course in veterinary biology, and provides
resources with pathology support for collaborative studies. Dr.
Retallick is a graduate of both Kansas State University and the
University of Nebraska.
From one Kansan to another, thank you for being here this
morning.
After we hear from Dr. Retallick, we will hear from Dr.
Terry Hensley, who is the Assistant Agency Director for
diagnostic services at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical
Diagnostic Laboratory, a state agency in the Texas A&M
University system. Dr. Hensley oversees veterinary services,
interagency collaborations, case coordination, and
consultations with TVMDL's clients. He also serves as a liaison
between the TVMDL and multiple regional, state, and Federal
partner organizations to oversee the agency's regulatory
testing components. Dr. Hensley is a graduate of Texas A&M
University, including his D.V.M., and completed his post-
doctorate at the University of Georgia.
And next, to introduce our final witness, I am going to
turn it over to the gentleman from Iowa, Representative
Feenstra, to introduce the next witness.
Mr. Feenstra. Thank you, Chairman Mann.
It is an honor to introduce Dr. Rodger Main, a nationally
recognized leader in animal health diagnostics and a fellow
proud Iowan. Dr. Main serves as a Professor and Director of the
Iowa State University Veterinarian Diagnostic Laboratory, which
serves as one of the cornerstones of the National Animal Health
Laboratory Network.
Under Dr. Main's leadership, ISU's lab processes over
125,000 diagnostic cases and runs more than 1.7 million tests
annually, directly supporting the farmers, veterinarians, and
industries that power Iowa and the country's agricultural
community. He brings decades of experience in swine medicine
and clinical research, and holds both a D.V.M. from Iowa State
and a Ph.D. from Kansas State. Iowa State continues to lead the
nation in agricultural science, and Dr. Main's work is vital to
safeguarding animal health, food security, national security,
and the future of American agriculture.
Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Main. We look forward
to hearing your testimony.
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Feenstra, and thank you to all
of our witnesses again for joining us today.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Thompson follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Glenn Thompson, a Representative in Congress
from Pennsylvania
Good morning and thank you to Chairman Mann and Ranking Member
Costa for convening this hearing of the Subcommittee on Livestock,
Dairy, and Poultry to talk about the importance of the National Animal
Health Laboratory Network.
And more importantly, thank you to our witnesses who have taken
time out of your busy schedules to appear before us today--I look
forward to hearing from each of you.
In recent months, our producers have been dealing with an
unprecedented hi-path outbreak in both poultry and dairy cattle.
They are also closely tracking the New World Screwworm outbreak in
Mexico, Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the European Union, and African Swine
Fever in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The threats of foreign animal diseases are very real to our
producers. They cost billions of dollars, threaten our national food
supply, and have serious trade implications.
That is why our animal health protection tools, like the National
Animal Health Laboratory Network, are so important to preventing,
responding to, and mitigating animal disease outbreaks.
The NAHLN is a critical system made up of over 60 state and
university laboratories.
These labs serve as our first line of defense to protect producers
through animal disease surveillance, diagnostic testing, and
appropriate recovery efforts.
They also serve as a critical educational partner for industry
groups and producers, working to inform both veterinarians and
livestock and poultry growers about the most high-consequence foreign
animal diseases.
Established in 2002, these labs have answered the call every time
we needed them.
Whether it be BSE, new world screwworm, scrapie, chronic wasting
disease, African swine fever, highly-pathogenic avian influenza, foot-
and-mouth disease, or a whole host of other animal diseases, their role
cannot be understated.
I am thrilled that the One Big Beautiful Bill, which has now been
signed into law by the President, includes funding for NAHLN, as well
as the other components of our three-legged stool of animal health.
The NAHLN system will receive an increased investment of $10
million each year, on top of their existing discretionary allotments.
And while we weren't able to increase the discretionary funding
allotments due to the rules of reconciliation, it is my hope that these
funds will be crucial to ensuring the capacity and effectiveness of the
NAHLN system for decades to come.
To each of our witnesses--thank you again for being here. I look
forward to hearing about your experiences and learning from your
expertise. With that, I yield back.
The Chairman. We will now proceed to your testimony. You
will each have 5 minutes. The timer in front of you will count
down to zero, at which point your time has expired.
Dr. Retallick, please begin when you are ready.
STATEMENT OF JAMIE N. RETALLICK, D.V.M., Ph.D.,
DIRECTOR, KANSAS VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC
LABORATORY; PROFESSOR/ANATOMIC VETERINARY
PATHOLOGIST, DEPARTMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE/PATHOBIOLOGY,
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY; DIPLOMATE, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF
VETERINARY PATHOLOGISTS,
MANHATTAN, KS
Dr. Retallick. Good morning, Chairman Mann, Ranking Member
Costa, and Members of the Subcommittee. It is an honor to be in
front of you today to talk about the importance of the National
Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN, and its unique
relationships among state and Federal laboratories, State
Veterinarians, and state departments of agriculture. We will
discuss some of the key aspects that make NAHLN a vital Federal
network.
Thank you for this invitation. I have the privilege to be
the Director of the Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and
a Professor at Kansas State University. The Kansas Veterinary
Diagnostic Laboratory, or KVDL, is the primary and only
accredited laboratory in the State of Kansas, located at Kansas
State University, a land-grant university.
The location at a land-grant university allows for
specialized academic faculty to train future generations and
work with clients, along with Federal partners, to serve a
diverse range of clients and a broad range of diseases. KVDL
has approximately 120 staff. About 25 of those are faculty with
various specialties in training. We have over 213 species in
our database, perform 600 different tests, and approximately
600,000 tests annually. Although a diverse species caseload,
the most common is cattle.
KVDL is a critical pillar to support the $12.9 billion
Kansas livestock industry. An important part of protection of
Kansas livestock industry, and thus the United States, is the
relationships and coordination provided by the NAHLN. NAHLN is
a vital resource and call tree or communication system to
protect United States animal agriculture by providing an early
warning system for economically important outbreaks in foreign
animal diseases, along with new threats such as the New World
screwworm, which NAHLN labs are currently watching for.
As stated, the NAHLN network includes 64 laboratories
across the United States, which includes KVDL, a Level 1
laboratory in the network. In addition, there are several
Federal or parent laboratories that are part of this network,
which include the National Veterinary Service Laboratory in
Ames, Iowa, the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory,
FADDL, currently split between Plum Island, New York, and the
National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas.
There is also currently a surveillance laboratory in Puerto
Rico for African swine fever.
The NAHLN has built a strong, harmonious relationship
between Federal, state, and university veterinary diagnostic
laboratories with over 20 years of experience in protecting
animal agriculture in the United States through surveillance
and disease testing. In addition to providing communication,
coordination, and funding, NAHLN also provides standardized
testing procedures and laboratory accuracy testing, known as
proficiency testing. Standardized protocols and proficiency
testing provide consistent, trustworthy, and high-capacity
testing among all 64 NAHLN laboratories in critical disease
events.
FADDL, from the NBAF facility, has produced and distributed
800 proficiency test panels for several high-impact diseases,
including African swine fever, classical swine fever, foot-and-
mouth disease, Seneca Valley virus, to NAHLN labs nationwide,
including my lab, KVDL.
NAHLN coordination of the state laboratories, funding to
support the laboratories, weekly communication calls, standard
protocols, and proficiency testing have resulted in a network
with redundancy to support each other. KVDL is currently
performing overflow testing for California and Colorado. This
coordination and overflow testing when a state laboratory is
overwhelmed is directed by the NAHLN.
The Federal funding appropriated to NAHLN is transferred to
state laboratories in the network and for those laboratories is
often used to support equipment purchases, service contracts,
software and informational technology upgrades, travel for
training, outbreak exercises which are important in preparation
for us, and salary support for our staff. The funding makes a
huge impact on the VDL operations and is very appreciated to
help support our laboratory.
In summary, NAHLN, with over 20 years of experience,
standardized and controlled testing, and coordination of 64
laboratories, provides high testing capacity and numbers,
redundancy in testing to control outbreaks and surveil for
foreign animal disease on U.S. soil. In my opinion, NAHLN is
the best example of a Federal organization harmoniously
coordinating disease response among state laboratories and
state departments of agriculture. When funds are appropriated
to NAHLN, Federal dollars are supporting state laboratories,
protecting the U.S. economy and food supply, preventing
zoonosis--those diseases transferred from animals to humans--
maintaining exports and trade channels, and addressing other
critical interests.
Thank you for allowing me to discuss the importance of
NAHLN today.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Retallick follows:]
Prepared Statement of Jamie N. Retallick, D.V.M., Ph.D., Director,
Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; Professor/Anatomic Veterinary
Pathologist, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas
State University; Diplomate, American College of Veterinary
Pathologists, Manhattan, KS
NAHLN-Kansas Point of View on Federal and State Partnership in
Protecting Animal Agriculture
Key Points:
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network, [NAHLN], is a
vital resource and call tree (communication system) to protect
United States Animal Agriculture by providing an early warning
system for economically important outbreaks and foreign animal
diseases (FADs).
FADs on United States soil can severely impact animal
agriculture, which can lead to a domino effect of negative
impacts on the U.S. economy, exports, food safety, the food
supply (including restaurants) and potentially lead to new
diseases transferred from animals to humans (zoonosis).
Example: Bird Flu (HPAI) increasing egg prices creating
difficulty for res-
taurants and bakeries (record high in April 2025) and has
infected dairy
employees, raising zoonotic concerns (disease transferred
from animals to
humans).
The NAHLN has built a strong and harmonious relationship
between Federal, state, and university veterinary diagnostic
laboratories with over 20 years of experience in protecting
animal agriculture in the United States by controlling
outbreaks and FADs.
NAHLN network includes 64 state laboratories, such as the
Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KVDL) @ Kansas State,
which I represent. KVDL is a Level 1 laboratory in the NAHLN
network.
The NAHLN Federal and State Partnership is one of the best
operational partnerships between states and the Federal
entities that exists, therefore funding thus needs to be
maintained, or preferably increased.
Federal funding (appropriations to NAHLN) from the
Federal Government is critically important for state
laboratories testing for Foreign Animal Diseases, but is
only a small fraction of a state laboratory budget. For
example, the Kansas Lab budget is approximately $16 million
annual and we receive $250,000 annually from NAHLN for
infrastructure support, to support partial salaries,
equipment service contracts and purchase new equipment.
In FY24, NAHLN was allocated $24.9 million, through
allocations from APHIS, NIFA, and the Farm Bill); $45
million total annual funding needs authorized (NAHLN is
Essential to the Health of Food Animal Agriculture, Food
Security, Bioterrorism Surveillance and the U.S.
Economy).\1\
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\1\ NAHLN is Essential to the Health of Food Animal Agriculture,
Food Security, Bioterrorism Surveillance, and the U.S. Economy: $45
million total annual funding is needed. AAVLD/USAHA position statement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NAHLN Network protects against Animal Agroterrorism.
Example: In June 2025, two Chinese Nationals were
charged with smuggling a fungus called ``Fusarium
graminearum'' into the U.S., which scientific literature
classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon. The fungus
causes a disease in wheat, barley, maize and rice that can
wipe out crops and lead to vomiting and liver damage if it
gets into food. (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/
c4gkdppymk4o)
The NAHLN network is actively testing to control the Highly-
Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI; bird flu) outbreak and conducting
surveillance testing and foreign animal disease (FAD) investigations to
monitor potential threats on U.S. soil. Under NAHLN direction, two
diseases, state laboratories are currently monitoring are New World
Screwworm and African Swine Fever. However, Foot-and-Mouth Disease
(FMD) is also another important FAD. In fact if Foot-and-Mouth Disease
and African Swine Fever, were to concurrently invade U.S. soil, they
could cost the U.S. economy an estimated $231 Billion over 10 years, or
$23.1 billion annually.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Carriquiry, M., A. Elobeid, D. Hayes. National Impacts of
Domestic Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease and African Swine Fever in
the United States. Center of Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa
State University, 2023.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NAHLN Network Physical Laboratory Locations:
State Laboratories: 64 state laboratories in most states across the
United States (Map Below) Federal-National Veterinary Service
Laboratories: NVSL-Ames, IA; PIADC-Plum Island; NBAF-Manhattan, KS;
Dorado, Puerto Rico.
Figure 1: The 2025 NAHLN Network, including State Laboratories and
National Veterinary Service Laboratories
NAHLN Laboratory Designations--April 2025
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Figure 2: Working Relationship in Kansas among NAHLN, KVDL and the
State Animal Health Official (SAHO; State Veterinarian) Under
Kansas Department of Agriculture
Relationship Between NAHLN, SAHO and KVDL
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Similar in most states.
NAHLN Overview
The NAHLN is a Federal organization comprised of a network of
Federal, state and university veterinary diagnostic laboratories with
over 20 years of operation. During that time, the network has grown to
include 64 laboratories across the United States (Figure 1) that work
as a team to protect animal agriculture, and thus the food supply and
U.S. economy. The Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KVDL), which
I represent in support of NAHLN, is Kansas's Level 1 laboratory. Like
other states and their laboratories, KVDL maintains a relationship with
the state Department of Agriculture, particularly the State Animal
Health Officials (SAHO; State Veterinarians), as well as with NAHLN
(Figure 2). The NAHLN provides many training opportunities to enhance
the laboratories, ranging from technical skills in the laboratory to IT
advancements. In addition, weekly calls and annual meetings with NAHLN
and the 64 state laboratories foster necessary communication and strong
relationships across the network. As part of the network there are two
Federal parent laboratories, the National Veterinary Service Laboratory
(NVSL) in Ames, Iowa and the Foreign Animal Diagnostic Disease
Laboratory (FADDL) located at Plum Island, New York and the National
Biodefense Agriculture Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, KS. These parent
Federal labs, NVSL and FADDL, perform confirmatory testing for the
state/university laboratories in FAD/outbreaks. NAHLN, in conjunction
with these parent labs provide standardized testing protocols, assess
state laboratory's accuracy and reliability through proficiency
testing, and compile important disease tracking data from the network.
The network also surveils for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) through
state laboratory caseload, which is considered a serious global health
threat. There is overlap and redundancy between the Federal
laboratories, the NAHLN staff and the state/university laboratories,
which ensures robust testing in times of outbreaks.
KVDL Overview
KVDL is located in Manhattan, KS at Kansas State University and has
approximately 13 different sections, 100 technicians, 23 faculty,
performs over 600 different tests, and has 213 species in our testing
database. The two most common species served are cattle and dogs. The
lab supports a wide range of clients, including livestock producers,
pet owners, practicing veterinarians, government and industry. The
diversity in species and caseload along with acceptance of cases from
veterinarians and owners make it one of the early locations that may
detect an FAD or new outbreak. KVDL is an accredited lab with a robust
quality system similar to human labs through CLIA, which allowed us to
be able to support human testing during the COVID pandemic. KVDL has an
approximately $16 million budget with greater than $10 million
supporting salary and benefits. Revenue generated is a close margin
with operational costs (expenses). Insults to agriculture affecting the
economy can affect our ability to pay staff. KVDL is a critical pillar
to support the $12.9 billion Kansas livestock industry, which is a
significant part of the U.S. economy.
In addition, KVDL being located at a land grant university, faculty
contribute to educating and training of future veterinary and
agriculture students and trainees in the College of Veterinary Medicine
and the College of Agriculture at Kansas State.
KVDL and NAHLN Support
KVDL joined the NAHLN network in 2004, became a Level 2 member in
2016, and advanced to a Level 1 member in 2019. As the only state
laboratory in KS, KVDL operates at Kansas State University, a land-
grant university. This type of arrangement is an excellent example of
Federal Government, state government and university/academia working to
protect U.S. agriculture and the economy. KVDL would not be able to
perform disease outbreak and FAD testing, plus some routine service
testing, without the support received by NAHLN. NAHLN support includes
monetary (Federal funding through annual infrastructure and Farm Bill
funding), personnel training, provision of test kits, directions and
controls, mock testing to ensure laboratory accuracy, test
standardization, educational resources, practice outbreak exercises,
networking, and continuous improvement opportunities. Since 2019, KVDL
has received approximately $250,000 annually in Federal funding, which
has supported equipment purchases (testing machines, laboratory
monitoring systems, computers, servers), software and database needs
(quality assurance software and laboratory information database),
equipment service contracts, travel for training, outbreak exercises,
and salary support.
As a Level 1 member of NAHLN, KVDL plays a critical role in the
nation's diagnostic testing efforts for high-consequence animal
disease. Including pathogens like highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI), African swine fever (ASF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), and
several others within NAHLN's scope. Since 2005, KVDL has completed
approximately 118,452 tests to support NAHLN's mission of protecting
U.S. animal agriculture. Over the last 10 years, KVDL's annual testing
has ranged from 2,624 to 11,878 in tests per year, averaging 219 to 990
tests/month. In 2025, KVDL has performed 215 FAD investigations on
disease cases that show similar signs/symptoms to foreign animal
diseases. These figures represent the testing contributions of ONE lab
of the 64 laboratories, which demonstrates the significant impact that
the state laboratory network has under the coordination of NAHLN.
KVDL works closely with the Kansas Department of Agriculture,
Division of Animal Health (KDAH) and USDA partners, specifically NAHLN,
to perform both routine surveillance testing and Foreign Animal Disease
Investigation (FADI) testing. FADI testing, in particular, is a
coordinated multi-agency effort led by USDA-APHIS Veterinary Services,
and involves close partnership among APHIS-NAHLN, KDAH, KVDL, and the
National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL & FADDL) to ensure a
timely and effective response to suspected foreign animal disease
threats or disease outbreaks (Figure 2 above).
How KVDL works with NAHLN and the State Veterinarians (Figure 3 Below)
When a potential foreign animal disease (FAD) is suspected,
communication between KVDL, KDAH and USDA-APHIS-NAHLN follows a clearly
defined process to ensure timely investigation and response, and can
flow in both directions (Figure 2 above). When a potential FAD
originates in the field, KDAH or USDA-APHIS will initiate contact to
KVDL to alert the laboratory of incoming samples. These notifications
typically follow field investigations conducted by a Foreign Animal
Disease Diagnostician (FADD), allowing KVDL to prepare for appropriate
handling, testing, and biosafety procedures up on receipt of the
samples. However, FAD investigation cases can also originate within
KVDL, either from samples submitted through a referring veterinarian,
owner, or from animals presented to the necropsy service (animal
autopsy). If KVDL pathologists or diagnosticians observe clinical
signs/symptoms or postmortem findings (animal autopsy) that raise
concern for a foreign animal disease, the laboratory initiates
communication with state and Federal partners--the SAHO and NAHLN. In
these situations, KVDL provides detailed case information so that our
regulatory partners can determine whether the case meets criteria for
an official FAD Investigation. Once samples are received in the
laboratory, KVDL conducts initial rule-out testing according to NAHLN-
approved assays and protocols. Results are communicated promptly and
securely to both USDA-APHIS, KDAH and USDA-NAHLN coordinators.
Throughout the process, interagency communication is tightly
coordinated to ensure accurate tracking, confidentiality, and timely
decision-making. This collaborative framework is essential for the
early detection and control of foreign animal diseases, and it plays a
vital role in protecting animal health, public health, and the
agricultural economy.
Figure 3: Flow chart of investigation of a foreign animal disease case
involving practicing veterinarian, USDA veterinarian, State
Animal Health Official (State Veterinarian), KVDL, NAHLN and
national laboratories for confirmatory testing
FAD Investigation Flowchart
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
KVDL Current Testing for NAHLN
KVDL currently is performing Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza
(HPAI; bird flu) testing, African Swine Fever Virus surveillance
testing, and FAD investigations for NAHLN and the United States. Both
Colorado and California have become overwhelmed with HPAI testing, so
KVDL stepped up to support HPAI (bird flu) wild bird surveillance for
Colorado and Foot-and-Mouth Disease Investigations for California. This
collaborative effort of assisting states that have become overwhelmed,
highlights the unique relationship among state laboratories and NAHLN
and the importance of NAHLN coordination.
Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI; Bird Flu) continues to
pose a significant threat to both animal and human health, with the
recent outbreak starting in 2022 causing substantial losses in poultry
populations and raising concerns about zoonotic transmission (diseases
from animals to humans). While human cases remain rare, the virus's
ability to jump species underscores the critical need for vigilant
monitoring and containment efforts. Recent outbreaks in commercial
layer operations resulted in high egg prices in April 2025, which
negatively impacted restaurants and bakeries. Any insult to animal
agriculture can affect the supply chain to the restaurant and family
table levels; state veterinary diagnostic labs with NAHLN coordination
work to mitigate this risk.
Since May 2022, KVDL has served as an active member of the USDA-
Wildlife Services National Wildlife Disease Program, the nation's
largest avian influenza surveillance effort targeting wild bird
populations. In addition, KVDL has participated in the Foot-and-Mouth
Disease and Seneca Valley Virus (Senecavirus A) (FMD/SVA) surveillance
testing program since September 2022. In early 2024, the emergence of
HPAI in dairy cattle placed a large testing burden on many NAHLN
laboratories across the country. In response, KVDL expanded its support
to assist other overwhelmed NAHLN labs. While continuing to perform
routine wild bird surveillance testing for assigned states, including
Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin, KVDL volunteered to
take on additional wild bird samples from Colorado's assigned states to
ease the workload of the Colorado NAHLN lab. Similarly, KVDL assisted
the California NAHLN lab by accepting and testing its FMD/SVA
surveillance samples. These examples illustrate the critical role of
NAHLN's coordinated state laboratory network to meet high testing
demands in disease outbreaks. To date, KVDL has tested samples from 135
Foreign Animal Disease Investigations (FADIs) for California under this
program. This was also evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when 22
veterinary diagnostic laboratories stood up human COVID testing to
support human health for their communities and states.
At the same time, KVDL has remained actively involved in HPAI
testing efforts for dairy cattle, including for pre-movement, disease
status interest and clinical testing and testing for the USDA National
Herd Status Monitoring program. KVDL has also supported testing efforts
related to HPAI in other mammal populations, including affected
felines. These collaborative efforts reflect KVDL's commitment to
national animal health and its readiness to provide surge capacity and
diagnostic expertise in times of crisis; a capability shared by many
partner state laboratories.
Communication and Networking among State Laboratories, Including KVDL
and NAHLN
As a Level 1 member of the USDA-NAHLN, KVDL plays an active and
integral role in advancing the NAHLN mission. KVDL routinely
participates in weekly NAHLN laboratory response calls, testing
capacity drills, FAD exercises, and weekly surveys designed to assess
and strengthen laboratory readiness. KVDL, and other state
laboratories, also regularly complete proficiency (accuracy) testing
administered by NVSL and FADDL to ensure ongoing diagnostic accuracy
and reliability. KVDL faculty and staff contribute to national
coordination efforts by serving on several NAHLN working groups and
subcommittees, including the Methods Technical Working Group, the NAHLN
IT Working Group, and the NAHLN Portal Working Group. In addition, KVDL
personnel have served as quality-system auditors for other NAHLN
laboratories, helping uphold high standards across the network. The lab
is also actively engaged in emergency preparedness exercises, including
functional drills for African Swine Fever (ASF) and an annual joint FAD
response exercise with KDAH, NAHLN, and FADDL simulating a coordinated
response to a mock foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. Through these
ongoing contributions, KVDL demonstrates its leadership, expertise, and
steadfast commitment to protecting animal health and strengthening
national diagnostic preparedness, similar to many other state
laboratories.
NBAF Relationship with NAHLN and State Laboratories (such as KVDL)
The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) is progressing
towards full operational status with missions focused on FAD/outbreak
testing and advancing FAD research. The Foreign Animal Disease
Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL), a core component of NBAF, serves as the
national reference laboratory for confirmatory testing of foreign
animal disease (FAD) diseases that could deliver a significant impact
on animal agriculture and the U.S. economy, including African Swine
Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), and Foot-and-Mouth Disease
(FMD). Currently FADDL has three physical locations, which include
Manhattan, KS (NBAF), Plum Island, NY (Plum Island Animal Disease
Center; PIADC) and a smaller presence in Dorado Puerto Rico (Puerto
Rico Department of Agriculture). While PIADC remains operational for
the time-being, FADDL is progressively transferring operations to NBAF.
Several FADDL programs have been fully transitioned to NBAF, including
NAHLN proficiency tests (PT), which assess state laboratories testing
accuracy and active surveillance testing for foreign animal diseases.
From the NBAF facility, FADDL has produced and distributed 800 PT
panels for ASF, CSF, FMD, and Seneca Valley Virus to NAHLN labs
nationwide. Additionally, NBAF has tested over 17,000 samples under the
USDA APHIS ASF/CSF Integrated Active Surveillance Program.
Approximately half of FADDL's staff have relocated to NBAF, with
ongoing efforts to complete the full transition of operations from
PIADC.
Summary--Importance of NAHLN
NAHLN, with over 20 years' of experience, standardized and
controlled testing, and coordination of 64 state laboratories provides
high testing capacity/numbers and redundancy in testing to control
outbreaks and surveil for FADs on U.S. soil. In my opinion, NAHLN is
the best example of a Federal organization harmoniously coordinating
disease response among state laboratories and departments of
Agriculture. When funds are appropriated to NAHLN, Federal dollars are
supporting state laboratories, protecting the U.S. economy and food
supply, preventing zoonosis, maintaining exports and trade channels and
addressing many other critical national interests. KVDL, for instance,
receives $250,000 annually from NAHLN, which is a small fraction of
KVDL's overall budget of greater than $16 million. However, input costs
of veterinary diagnostic laboratories are high and revenue can struggle
to exceed expenses in some years. Despite these challenges, the
services of veterinary diagnostic laboratories remain critical.
Increasing NAHLN authorization/allocations to $45 million would bolster
64 state laboratories and four National Veterinary Service
Laboratories, ensuring continued protection of animal agriculture and
the economy.
NBAF Science/Research Update
Scientific activities at the National Bio and Agro-Defense
Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas are starting in phases.
This phased process begins with low-risk, common science
practices that don't involve infectious pathogens and moves to
more advanced or mission-focused science in later phases.
Current scientific activities at NBAF are at a Biosafety
Level 1 and 2--which includes clean, non-infectious materials
as well as moderate-risk microbes. This is similar to science
work in most universities, colleges and diagnostic laboratories
across the country.
Activities will progress to Biosafety Level 3 then 4 as
safety and science goals are achieved.
USDA staff continue to outline and refine the specifics of
the science standup and transition from NBAF's predecessor, the
Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in New York.
As NBAF proceeds through science standup, the facility and
its procedures are required by law to undergo inspections and
reviews by Federal regulatory agencies.
Testimony Prepared by: Jamie N. Retallick DVM, PHD, DACVP,
KVDL Director, KSU Professor and Veterinary Pathologist; Lance
Noll, Ph.D., KVDL Molecular Testing Section Head; KVDL NAHLN
and KDAH Liaison/Section Head, KSU Assistant Professor.
The Chairman. Thank you, Dr. Retallick.
Next up, Dr. Hensley, please begin when you are ready.
STATEMENT OF TERRY HENSLEY, MS, D.V.M., ASSISTANT AGENCY
DIRECTOR, VETERINARY MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY, TEXAS A&M
UNIVERSITY; EXTENSION
VETERINARIAN, TEXAS A&M AgriLife EXTENSION SERVICE, COLLEGE
STATION, TX
Dr. Hensley. Good morning, Chairman Mann, Ranking Member
Costa, and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you for the
opportunity to address you today. I am Terry Hensley, Assistant
Agency Director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic
Laboratory, or TVMDL. I have the privilege of serving at one of
our nation's busiest veterinary diagnostic laboratories,
running almost one million tests annually. Most of our caseload
comes from within Texas, but we also receive samples from all
50 states and internationally. Animal diseases don't respect
geographic boundaries. Therefore, it is imperative that our
veterinary diagnostic laboratories in all 50 states have the
same capabilities to detect diseases quickly and accurately to
limit their spread and mitigate the impact on animal
agriculture.
The NAHLN has built a responsive, effective partnership of
state and Federal laboratories that leverages resources and
talent across the nation. The NAHLN program office works
tirelessly to strengthen relationships with every member
laboratory so we can respond as a network to the ever-
increasing disease incursions threatening our nation's animal
agriculture industries.
It is crucial that the NAHLN be fortified and enabled to
provide the critical diagnostic testing needed during animal
disease outbreaks. Ensuring NAHLN has sufficient funding will
aid in addressing our nation's need for a safe, stable, and
nutritious food supply. We want to thank Congress for the
increased funding for NAHLN in the reconciliation bill and for
Congressman Ronny Jackson for helping lead those efforts.
TVMDL was one of the original NAHLN core laboratories.
Texas has features that increase its risk for the introduction
of animal disease threats, including a 1,248 mile long border
with Mexico and multiple international land, sea, and air
ports. Texas imports one million cattle annually from Mexico
and 2\1/2\ million cattle from other U.S. states. In addition
to livestock, Texas has an abundance of feral, wild, and farmed
wildlife species, three major migratory flyways across the
state. The interface between domestic and wildlife species
poses a tremendous challenge for disease surveillance,
detection, and eradication.
TVMDL's work protects Texas' $24 billion animal agriculture
industries while enhancing the response preparedness of the
NAHLN. An example of synergy occurred in March of 2024 when
many dairies in the Texas panhandle reported a mysterious
illness in lactating cows. The cows showed various signs of
illness but most striking was the dramatic decrease in milk
production. Dairy veterinarians sent samples to TVMDL, as well
as our fellow NAHLN labs at Cornell University and Iowa State
University. For several weeks, our laboratories ran every test
that might provide an explanation, but there were no definitive
answers. When dairies reported large numbers of dead birds and
cats, the possibility of a connection between highly-pathogenic
avian influenza and sick cattle was suggested.
The NAHLN laboratories at Texas A&M, Cornell, and Iowa
State collaborated using shared samples from sick cows and
demonstrated the presence of H5N1 virus in mammary tissue and
milk. These results were reported to the NAHLN and confirmed by
the National Veterinary Services Laboratories. On Monday, March
25, 2024, USDA made the unprecedented announcement of an
outbreak of highly-pathogenic avian influenza in U.S. dairy
cattle.
Texas may soon be ground zero for another incursion if the
deadly New World screwworm fly invades our state from Mexico.
While we hope this pest can be contained south of the border,
hope, as they say, is not a strategy. The USDA's National
Animal Health Laboratory Network is, however, one vital
strategy serving as a cornerstone of the United States' efforts
to protect livestock and ensure the health and productivity of
the animal agriculture sector.
Thank you for your attention.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Hensley follows:]
Prepared Statement of Terry Hensley, MS, D.V.M., Assistant Agency
Director, Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Texas A&M
University; Extension Veterinarian, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Service, College Station, TX
Good morning, Chairman Mann, Ranking Member Costa, and Members of
the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to address you today.
I'm Terry Hensley, assistant agency director of the Texas A&M
Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, or TVMDL. I have the
privilege of serving at one of our nation's busiest veterinary
diagnostic laboratories, which runs over one million tests annually.
Most of our caseload comes from within Texas, but we also receive
samples from all 50 states and 20 other countries. As you know, animal
diseases don't respect geographic boundaries. It Is imperative that our
veterinary diagnostic laboratories in all 50 states have the same
capabilities to detect diseases quickly and accurately, to limit the
spread and mitigate the impact on animal agriculture. The NAHLN has
built a responsive, effective partnership of state and Federal
laboratories that leverage resources and talent across the nation.
Introduction
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) was developed
in response to the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness
and Response Act of 2002, and the Homeland Security Presidential
Directive/HSPD-9 of 2004 to ``develop nationwide laboratory networks
for food, veterinary, plant health and water quality that integrate
existing Federal and state laboratory resources, are interconnected,
and utilize standardized diagnostic protocols and procedures''.
NAHLN laboratories provide animal health diagnostic testing,
methods research and development, and expertise for education and
extension to detect biological threats to the nation's animal
agriculture, thus protecting animal health, public health, and the
nation's food supply.
The NAHLN enables Federal and state laboratories to test for
economically devastating and potentially zoonotic diseases such as
foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, influenza in avian and
swine species, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) among other
NAHLN scope diseases. This network serves as our nation's most vital
early warning system for emerging and foreign animal diseases.
The laboratories within the NAHLN are equipped with state-of-the-
art technologies and staffed by highly trained professionals. This,
along with the requirement for third-party accreditation to
internationally recognized quality standards, ensures the highest
levels of diagnostic accuracy and reliability. By providing precise and
timely diagnoses, NAHLN laboratories enable veterinarians and livestock
producers to make informed decisions about animal health management,
thus fostering the overall well-being of livestock.
The NAHLN's primary importance lies in its ability to facilitate
early detection and rapid response to animal disease outbreaks. The
network laboratories, strategically located across the United States,
work collaboratively to conduct surveillance, diagnostic testing, and
research. The rapid identification of pathogens enables swift action to
contain and eradicate diseases, thus preventing their spread and
minimizing their impact.
Effective disease control requires collaboration and coordination
among various stakeholders. The NAHLN works closely with Federal and
state agencies, industry groups, and international organizations to
ensure a unified response to animal health threats. This collaborative
approach enhances the network's ability to address complex challenges
and strengthens the overall resilience of the animal health
infrastructure.
NAHLN celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, and it's been
remarkable to see how far the network has come since the early days of
its inception. The NAHLN Program Office has worked tirelessly to forge
and strengthen the relationships with every one of the NAHLN member
laboratories so we can respond as a network to the ever-increasing
disease incursions threatening our nation's animal agriculture
industries. It's crucial that the NAHLN be fortified and enabled to
provide preparation, prevention, diagnosis, response, and recovery from
economically important and potentially zoonotic diseases. Ensuring the
NAHLN has sufficient funding will aid in addressing our nation's need
for a safe, stable, and nutritious food supply. We want to thank
Congress for the increased funding for NAHLN in the Reconciliation Bill
and for Congressman Ronny Jackson in helping lead those efforts.
TVMDL Background Information
TVMDL was a charter member of the NAHLN, one of the original 12
labs identified as a Core Lab in 2002. To understand why TVMDL was
chosen as one of the Core Labs, a closer look at the State of Texas is
in order. Texas has several attributes that put it at increased risk
for the introduction of animal disease threats. Texas shares a border
with four Mexican states (1,248 miles long) and four U.S. states. Texas
has multiple land ports, seaports, and international airports. The
state imports more live animals than any other state, including one
million cattle annually from Mexico, and 2.5 million cattle from other
U.S. states. In addition to domestic livestock species, Texas has an
abundance of feral and farmed wildlife species, such as cervids, exotic
hoof-stock, and feral swine. Three major migratory flyways lead birds
to the state. The interface between domestic and wildlife species poses
a tremendous challenge for disease surveillance, detection, and
eradication. Texas' geographic location is obviously an urgent concern
for the introduction of New World Screwworm into the U.S. from Mexico,
and for African Swine Fever from the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Texas is home to the nation's largest livestock industry and leads
in the production of cattle, goats, sheep, and lambs. The cattle
industry is worth approximately $12.3 billion and produces 15% of the
nation's fed beef. The state ranks sixth in the nation in poultry
production (broilers and eggs) and fourth in milk. As one of the most
popular game animals, white-tailed deer are important to the state's
economy with deer hunting generating an estimated $1.2 billion in
economic output. Texas is also one of the leading exporters of animal
and animal products, and the state boasts a population of nearly one
million horses. TVMDL offers state-of-the-art diagnostic services to
each of these industries.
The Texas Legislature created the TVMDL as a state agency in 1967,
and the first laboratory within the TVMDL system opened in College
Station in 1969. Today, TVMDL is a member of the Texas A&M University
System and has four locations throughout the state (College Station,
Canyon, Center, and Gonzales). With its strategic locations, TVMDL is
uniquely positioned to serve the animal industries of Texas and the
surrounding region. TVMDL's work enhances the response preparedness of
the NAHLN and protects Texas' $24 billion animal agriculture
industries. Our College Station and Canyon laboratories harbor a
tremendous amount of expertise in diagnostics that support the cattle-
feeding and dairy industries. The staff foster strong, collaborative
relationships with agricultural industries in the region. TVMDL's
Center and Gonzales labs are strategically located in the poultry-rich
regions of the state.
TVMDL employs 165 staff, including 31 veterinarians, 22 of which
hold at least one board certification in their specialty. TVMDL
processes over 180,000 submissions and performs over one million tests
each year on samples submitted from throughout Texas, all 50 states,
and at least 20 countries across the globe. Routine laboratory
submissions provide the backbone of both a state and nationwide animal
and public health surveillance system. With nearly 700 different assays
in TVMDL's test repertoire, ranging from classic methods to cutting
edge technologies, the agency has one of the broadest offerings of any
veterinary diagnostic laboratory in the United States. TVMDL staff
routinely attend industry meetings and work with producers and
veterinarians to establish priorities. Statewide, TVMDL has well-
established, collaborative relationships with the Texas Animal Health
Commission (TAHC), Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS),
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), Texas Poultry Federation,
Texas Cattle Feeders Association, and numerous other industry and
commodity groups.
With recognition as a Level 1 laboratory of the National Animal
Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), we participate in and maintain
capacity and competency in testing for most of the diseases in the
NAHLN program. We are also actively engaged in daily testing for
notifiable and monitored diseases, select agents, as well as state and
Federal regulatory diseases. Our Canyon and College Station labs house
the only BSL-3 laboratories in Texas dedicated to animal disease
detection.
TVMDL strives to identify and develop new technologies that
strengthen our diagnostic capacities. In collaboration with national
and international research scientists, TVMDL works to develop, test,
and validate new diagnostic assays. In 2019, the Texas A&M University
System Chancellor provided $3 million to TVMDL specifically designated
to enhance TVMDL's research and development capabilities. This enabled
TVMDL to establish a Research and Development Section (R&D) that works
alongside the diagnostic testing sections to identify emerging disease
threats that need targeted diagnostic assays. The R&D Section also
coordinates with the Veterinary Services Section, a team of veterinary
diagnosticians that have extensive clinical practice experience in
large animal, small animal, equine, and wildlife medicine. This team
also includes veterinarians with training in epidemiology and
veterinary preventive medicine.
In the 88th Texas legislative session that ended in May of 2023,
appropriations were approved for a new initiative called ``Keeping
Texas Prepared.'' This $96 million program brings together five state
agencies that are tasked with disaster response and recovery: Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Division of Emergency Management,
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Texas A&M Forest Service, and
TVMDL. These five agencies meet to discuss current and emerging
disaster situations and threats. The State of Texas recognizes the
crucial role each agency plays in mitigating the effects of natural
disasters, including human and animal disease threats, and has seen fit
to increase the base funding for each agency. TVMDL was appropriated
$3.7 million per biennium specifically for the rapid detection of
animal and human disease threats.
TVMDL's two full-service labs are located adjacent to higher
education institutions that are leaders in veterinary medicine. In
College Station, Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine
& Biomedical Sciences (CVM) is one of the largest and highest-ranking
colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S. In 2009, CVM partnered with
West Texas A&M University in Canyon to create VERO, the Veterinary
Education, Research, and Outreach program in the Texas Panhandle.
TVMDL's College Station laboratory also has strong partnerships with
internationally recognized organizations such as the Texas A&M
Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases (IIAD) and the Norman Borlaug
Institute for International Agriculture.
TVMDL and the NAHLN
Routine surveillance and monitoring by laboratories such as TVMDL
are vital components of the NAHLN's operations. Through regular testing
and data collection, the network can identify disease patterns and
emerging threats. Ideally, this results in timely implementation of
control measures to prevent disease spread. As Texas is vulnerable to
many of these disease threats, TVMDL tests for most of the diseases
under the NAHLN scope, including African Swine Fever, Classical Swine
Fever, Scrapie, Chronic Wasting Disease, Avian Influenza, Swine
Influenza, and Newcastle disease. TVMDL's involvement in diagnosis and
surveillance for the NAHLN includes the 2002-2003 outbreak of Exotic
Newcastle disease, requiring the depopulation of over three million
poultry and a total cost of $161 million for eradication. In 2005,
TVMDL found one of only six cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE) ever diagnosed in the U.S. In 2004-2006, 2015, and 2020, Texas
and other states experienced numerous outbreaks of Vesicular Stomatitis
Virus (VSV). TVMDL has worked closely with the NAHLN, TPWD, and TAHC on
surveillance testing for Chronic Wasting Disease since the discovery of
the disease in Texas in 2012. Texas was not impacted by the outbreak of
highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in 2014-2015, which at that
time was the largest animal disease outbreak in U.S. history, but 15
other states were not as fortunate. The direct losses of this outbreak
were $1 billion, with a loss of 50 million birds and an overall
economic loss of $4.4 billion (adjusted to 2025), and NAHLN
laboratories performed approximately 80,000 PCR tests for HPAI. There
were many lessons learned and shared throughout the network from this
outbreak, but it would soon be eclipsed in 2022 by the current outbreak
of the H5N1 strain of HPAI.
The 2022-Present Outbreak of Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza
The largest animal disease outbreak in U.S. history and the biggest
challenge faced to date by the NAHLN and its member laboratories
started in early 2022. This H5N1 strain of virus, carried and spread by
wild birds, was first detected in February of 2022 in Indiana and
spread quickly. In Texas, TVMDL's first detection was in March of 2022
in a flock of captive gamebirds. By the end of 2022, all four of
TVMDL's labs throughout the state had detected the virus in backyard
poultry flocks and wild birds, but our commercial poultry industry
remained unscathed. The outbreak persisted throughout 2022 and 2023, as
the virus spread to nearly every state in the U.S. This strain of virus
also showed an unusual ability to jump into mammalian species,
generally causing a fatal neurologic disease in omnivores and
carnivores such as foxes and skunks, and large cats such as mountain
lions, tigers, and lions. As months turned to years, NAHLN and its
partner laboratories shared data and information daily and weekly and
maintained lines of communication with state and Federal veterinarians,
commercial industry stakeholders, and others involved in the battle to
contain this disease. However, a further demonstration of NAHLN's
important role and the collaboration of NAHLN laboratories was to play
out in 2024.
Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Dairy Cattle
In February and March of 2024, many dairies in the Texas Panhandle
reported a mysterious illness amongst their lactating cattle. The
cattle were showing various signs of illness, but the most striking
feature in every herd was dramatic decreases in milk production. Dairy
veterinarians sent samples to TVMDL, as well as our fellow NAHLN labs
at Cornell University and Iowa State University. For several weeks, our
laboratories ran every test we could think of that might provide an
explanation, but there were no definitive answers. A few dairy
veterinarians reported that some premises had large numbers of dead
wild birds. To no one's surprise, the birds tested positive for H5N1
HPAI. Still, no one suspected the link between the virus and the
illness in dairy cattle. One of the veterinarians reported that on
several of the dairies, the barn cats had all died suddenly or had
simply disappeared. TVMDL tested the brains of several dead cats, and
it contained high amounts of H5N1 HPAI virus. With that, the
possibility of a connection between the virus and sick cattle was
suggested. On Friday, March 22, 2024, a nasal swab from a cow tested
weak positive for H5N1 at TVMDL. TVMDL shared tissue samples with our
colleagues at Iowa State from a sick cow that was sacrificed in hopes
of getting a diagnosis. On Friday, March 22, 2024, Iowa State ran tests
demonstrating the presence of H5N1 virus within infected mammary gland
tissue and milk. These striking results were reported to NAHLN and
confirmed by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories over the
weekend. By Monday, March 25, 2024, the USDA made the unprecedented
announcement of an outbreak of Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza in
U.S. dairy cattle.\1\ We now know that unfortunately, before this
discovery, asymptomatic cattle had already shipped outside of Texas.
The virus spread from one state to another and there are currently 17
states and nearly 1,100 herds affected nationwide.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ USDA announcement March 25, 2025.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fortunately, due to measures enacted by USDA and affected states,
the spread of the disease in dairy cattle appears to be slowing.
However, commercial poultry operations continue to be infected, with
over 100 million birds lost, and a direct cost of over $1.4 billion as
of November 2024.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Bird flu outbreak costs U.S. poultry industry $1.4 billion.
Forbes, Jan 30, 2025.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The initial outbreak in Texas cattle was determined to be caused by
a single spillover event from a wild infected bird into a cow, likely
around December of 2023. Disease spread from the index herd to other
herds within Texas and to other states was largely due to movement of
infected cattle.\3\ Whole genome sequence analyses have demonstrated
the ability of the virus to cross species barriers.\4\ There is also a
public health threat, as there are numerous documented transmissions of
the virus to dairy and poultry farm workers exhibiting influenza-like
symptoms. The human illnesses have mostly been mild, although there
have been several requiring hospitalizations and one death in an
individual with underlying health condi-
tions.5, 6
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Nguyen T.Q., Hutter C.R., Markin A., et al. Emergence and
interstate spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) in dairy
cattle in the United States. 2025; 388.
\4\ Caserta L., Frye E.A., Butt S.L., et al. Spillover of highly
pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus to dairy cattle. Nature. 2024;
634 (8034): 669-6763.
\5\ Garg S., Reinhart K., Couture A., et al. Highly pathogenic
avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infections in humans. The New England
Journal of Medicine. 2025; 392 (9): 843-854.
\6\ Louisiana Department of Health press release, January 6, 2025.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funding for the NAHLN
NAHLN has been authorized for funding at $30 million since 2012 but
has only been allocated $24.9 million from APHIS ($20.7 million) and
NIFA ($4.2 million). These amounts are far below the $45 million needed
for the NAHLN to fully support its mission.\7\ In 2024, of the $24.9
million total NAHLN funding, $7,885,335 (32%) was used for fee-for-
service testing supporting the surveillance and diagnostic testing for
NAHLN program diseases (BSE, Scrapie, CSF/ASF, HPAI, etc.) and foreign
animal disease (FAD) investigations. Another $14,343,000 (58%) was used
to support NAHLN member laboratories, with funding levels apportioned
by the number of labs at each of the Level 1, 2, and 3 designations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ NAHLN is Essential to the Health of Food Animal Agriculture,
Food Security, Bioterrorism Surveillance, and the U.S. Economy: $45
million total annual funding is needed. AAVLD/USAHA position statement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While all NAHLN laboratories are grateful for the Federal funding
we receive, these amounts distributed across 64 laboratories do not go
far. In TVMDL's case, as a Level 1 laboratory, we receive the highest
level of NAHLN funding possible: $250,000 from the NIFA Line Item, and
$128,000 in infrastructure funding, for a total of $378,000, or
approximately 1.5% of our annual revenue budget. The money goes towards
supporting portions of select staff salaries and purchasing certain
equipment used for NAHLN testing. It is therefore easy to see how this
Federal funding leverages resources available at the state level to
conduct testing that benefits the nation. However, it should be noted
that all states are not resourced equally and many NAHLN laboratories
are much more reliant on NAHLN funding to afford the equipment and
personnel necessary to carry out the mission of the NAHLN.
Additionally, the $24.9 million has remained level for several
years and has not increased despite the heavy burden placed on the
network by HPAI in poultry and dairy cattle. In conclusion, the USDA's
National Animal Health Laboratory Network is a cornerstone of the
United States' efforts to protect livestock and ensure the health and
productivity of the agricultural sector. Through early detection,
diagnostic excellence, economic protection, research advancement, and
public health enhancement, the NAHLN plays a vital role in safeguarding
the nation's livestock and supporting the livelihoods of farmers. Its
contributions are invaluable in maintaining the prosperity and security
of the U.S. agricultural industry.
The Chairman. Thank you for your testimony, Dr. Hensley.
Next up, Dr. Main, please begin when you are ready.
STATEMENT OF RODGER G. MAIN, D.V.M., Ph.D., PROFESSOR AND
DIRECTOR, VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY, DEPARTMENT OF
VETERINARY AND DIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE, COLLEGE OF VETERINARY
MEDICINE, IOWA STATE
UNIVERSITY, AMES, IA
Dr. Main. Sure. Good morning. My name is Rodger Main. I
have the honor of serving as a Professor and the Director of
the Iowa State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab located in Ames, Iowa.
The Iowa State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab is the only full
service and fully accredited veterinary diagnostic lab in our
state and serves as the official veterinary diagnostic lab for
the State of Iowa. Our team at the ISU VDL proudly serves as an
active contributor to the USDA's National Animal Health Lab
Network.
The NAHLN delivers a national standard of best-in-class
veterinary diagnostic technologies, testing capabilities, and
coordination of information among Federal, state, and private-
sector veterinarians from across the country who are
responsible for surveilling and responding to animal health
emergencies of high consequence to U.S. animal agriculture.
As you know, agriculture is critically important to the
State of Iowa and its people, past, present, and future. Iowa
is a national leader in animal agriculture, both in production
and processing, and a substantive exporter of value-added food
products. This is why the ISU VDL has a long history of being
front and center in diagnosing and supporting responses of
emerging diseases of high consequence to Iowa and U.S. animal
agriculture.
As Randy mentioned, the ISU VDL's team of 30 faculty and
155 technical staff process greater than 125 case submissions,
conducting more than 1.7 million assays annually. ISU VDL
carries amongst the largest food-animal-centered caseloads in
our country, with submissions of livestock and poultry origin
representing greater than 90 percent of the cases received.
ISU VDL's principal clientele are the practicing
veterinarians, who are working directly in support of the
veterinary healthcare needs of U.S. farmers and ranchers on a
daily basis. This connectivity to the boots-on-the-ground of
Iowa and U.S. animal agriculture positions our laboratory very
well in our role as a Level 1 lab in the National Animal Health
Lab Network. Our work includes receiving and supporting
endemic, emerging, and foreign animal disease case
investigations, surveillance, and supporting response efforts
in support of the NAHLN's mission to protect U.S. animal
health, public health, and the nation's food supply.
In my view, the NAHLN is an exemplary example of a highly
functional and effective partnership amongst Federal, state,
university, and industry partners. The efficiencies of the
Federal funds invested in the NAHLN are greatly amplified
through the leveraging of the substantive laboratory
infrastructure, subject matter expertise, quality assured
laboratory testing capabilities, research scientists, and the
direct connectivity to the frontlines of U.S. animal
agriculture that exists at our university and state diagnostic
labs across the country. The Federal support provided through
the NAHLN is a cornerstone for enhancing national preparedness
to effectively monitor and respond to the ever-increasing risk
and realities of emerging disease of high importance to both
animal and human health.
ISU VDL's role in working in partnership with our USDA
colleagues, practicing veterinarians, peer laboratories, and
the state and Federal animal health officials from across the
country in support of the detection and response to the high-
path avian influenza outbreak impacting U.S. poultry, flocks,
and dairy herds in the past 2 years is simply the most recent
example of the ISU VDL and USDA NAHLN partners from across the
country stepping up in a time of need. Such capabilities are
only made possible through the Federal investment in this vital
network.
In summary, I believe the Federal investments in the NAHLN
represent a true win-win-win, win for U.S. animal health,
public health, for U.S. agriculture more broadly, and for
enhancing the security, safety, and affordability of our
nation's food supply. I thank the Members of this Committee and
leaders within USDA APHIS, both present and past, for your
leadership, vision, and steadfast support for establishing and
continuing to advance the capabilities and reach of the NAHLN
across our country. Your vision and support have resulted in
the development of a highly trusted and capable veterinary
network of veterinary diagnostic labs that are truly world
class. In my opinion, the NAHLN is a crown jewel within USDA
APHIS Veterinary Services that is uniquely American and
unmatched the world around. It is something that each of us as
Americans can and should take great pride in.
And thank you again for the opportunity to be, and speak
with you, here today.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Main follows:]
Prepared Statement of Rodger G. Main, D.V.M., Ph.D., Professor and
Director, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary
and Diagnostic Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State
University, Ames, IA
Key Points:
The USDA National Animal Health Network (NAHLN) is a
cornerstone of our nation's efforts for protecting U.S. animal
health, public health, and the security of a safe, abundant,
and affordable food supply.
The NAHLN delivers a national standard of best-in-class
veterinary diagnostic technologies, testing capabilities, and
coordination of information among the Federal, state, and
private-sector (practicing) veterinarians from across the U.S.
who are responsible for surveilling and responding to animal
health emergencies of high consequence to U.S. animal
agriculture.
The efficiencies of the Federal funds invested in the NAHLN
are greatly amplified through the leveraging of the substantive
veterinary diagnostic laboratory infrastructure, subject matter
expertise, quality assured laboratory testing capabilities,
research scientists, and the direct connectivity to the
frontlines of U.S. animal agriculture that exists at the
university and state veterinary diagnostic labs across the
country.
NAHLN is an exemplary example of a highly functional and
effective partnership among Federal, state, university, and
industry partners working together to meet critically important
needs of our nation.
The leadership and vision provided in establishing and
continuing to advance the capabilities and reach of the NAHLN
across our country has resulted in the development of a highly
trusted and capable network of veterinary diagnostic
laboratories that is uniquely American and truly world class.
USDA National Animal Health Lab Network (NAHLN):
The USDA National Animal Health Lab Network (NAHLN) is an essential
component of a national strategy that provides the frontline support
for detecting, responding to, and recovering from animal health
emergencies of high consequence to U.S. animal agriculture.
The NAHLN is a network of Federal, university, and state
laboratories distributed throughout the country that collectively serve
as our nation's primary veterinary diagnostic laboratory infrastructure
for protecting U.S. animal health, public health, and the security of
our food supply.
The NAHLN was established in 2002 and has evolved to include a
total of 64 labs contributing at various levels and capacities towards
advancing NAHLN's mission of safeguarding animal health, public health,
and our nation's food supply. The NAHLN also works in partnership as
part of the three-legged stool with the National Animal Vaccine and
Veterinary Countermeasure Bank and National Animal Disease Preparedness
Response Program to bolster the country's abilities to capably respond
to animal health emergencies of high consequence.
The NAHLN provides a well-structured system for enabling diseases
of high consequence testing to be conducted in a quality assured manner
by university and state veterinary diagnostic laboratories that are
geographically dispersed throughout the country. The NAHLN brings a
national standard of best-in-class veterinary diagnostic technologies
and system for integrating veterinary diagnostic information to be
actively in service on frontlines of U.S. animal agriculture on a day-
to-day basis. This distributive model of service brought about by the
NAHLN's partnering with university and state labs provides for a
practical and efficient means for delivering emerging and foreign
animal disease diagnostic support in a timely, cost effective,
scalable, and quality assured manner across the country.
Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in the NAHLN
The Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (ISU VDL) is
the only full-service, fully accredited veterinary diagnostic
laboratory in the State of Iowa, and serves the state as its official
veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
The ISU VDL proudly serves as an active contributor to USDA's
National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).
As a Level 1 Laboratory in the NAHLN, ISU VDL collaborates on a
daily basis with the USDA Federal reference laboratories, peer
university and state labs, practicing veterinarians, and state and
Federal veterinary medical officials from across the country.
As you know, agriculture is critically important to the State of
Iowa and its people--past, present, and future. Iowa is perennially a
national leader in animal agriculture, both in production and
processing, and a substantive exporter of value-added food products.
This is why ISU VDL has a long history of being front and center in
diagnosing, researching, and supporting responses to emerging diseases
of high consequence to Iowa and U.S. animal agriculture.
The ISU VDL is a major unit within the Department of Veterinary
Diagnostic and Production Medicine in Iowa State University's College
of Veterinary Medicine.
ISU VDL's team of 30 faculty and 155 technical staff play an active
role on the frontlines of U.S. animal agriculture. The lab processes
approximately 125,000 diagnostic case submissions and conducts more
than 1.7 million diagnostic assays annually.
While the range of comprehensive veterinary diagnostic services the
ISU VDL provides extends across the full-spectrum of the animal
kingdom--including livestock, companion animals, and wildlife--and
includes mitigating the risks of zoonotic diseases spilling over from
animals to people; ISU VDL's core purpose centers on playing a critical
role in safeguarding and bettering the health, well-being, and
competitiveness of Iowa's and the nation's animal agriculture, and
ultimately, the security and safety of our nation's food supply.
The ISU VDL carries among the largest food animal centered
caseloads in the U.S., with submissions of livestock and poultry origin
representing greater than 90% of the cases received and approximately
95% of the overall diagnostic services provided.
ISU VDL receives more than 2,500 case submissions each week. This
abundant flow of real-world case material provides our veterinary
diagnosticians and research scientists an immediate insight into the
applied research questions of high relevance to stakeholders and
industries we serve. This case material also serves as invaluable aid
in the teaching and training of the next generation of veterinarians,
diagnosticians, and veterinary scientists.
ISU VDL's principal clientele are the practicing veterinarians who
are working directly to support the veterinary health care needs of
U.S. farmers and ranchers on a daily basis. This direct connectivity to
the boots on the ground of Iowa and U.S. animal agriculture positions
our laboratory very well in its role and service as a Level 1 Lab in
the NAHLN.
Our work as a Level 1 Laboratory in the NAHLN includes receiving
and supporting endemic, emerging, and foreign animal disease
investigations, surveillance, and response efforts in support of the
NAHLN's mission to protect U.S. animal health, public health, and the
nation's food supply.
The ISU VDL monitors its heavy case load of diagnostic submissions
for diseases of high-consequence, maintains an adequate staff of
proficiency-tested technicians, and a BSL-3 capable diagnostic
facility. Examples of NAHLN scope disease surveillance and testing at
the ISU VDL include diseases such as Avian Influenza, African Swine
Fever, Chronic Wasting Disease, Classical Swine Fever, Exotic Newcastle
Disease, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Pseudorabies, and Type A Influenza of
Swine as well as monitoring for trends in antimicrobial resistance
among U.S. livestock and poultry. In just our local example, the ISU
VDL conducted approximately 156,000 tests on U.S. livestock and poultry
on these NAHLN scope related animal health monitoring and disease
control efforts over the course of the past year.
In my view, the NAHLN is an exemplary example of a highly
functional, efficient, and effective partnership among Federal, state,
university, and industry partners.
Federal Support Provided to the NAHLN
Federal support provided through the NAHLN is a cornerstone of
enhancing our national preparedness to effectively monitor and respond
to the ever-increasing risks and realities of emerging diseases of
importance to both animal and human health.
The efficiencies of the Federal funds invested in the NAHLN are
greatly amplified through the leveraging of the substantive veterinary
diagnostic laboratory infrastructure, subject matter expertise, quality
assured laboratory testing capabilities, research scientists, and the
direct connectivity to the frontlines of U.S. animal agriculture that
exists at the university and state veterinary diagnostic labs across
the country.
The financial resources provided to the ISU VDL as a Level 1 Lab in
the NAHLN are essential in enhancing animal disease monitoring
capabilities and capacity, demonstrating competence and compliance of
well-defined testing standards, supporting the development and
implementation of quality assurance programs that drive the continuous
improvement of the laboratory, increasing collaboration and
connectivity between state and Federal animal health officials and
diagnostic laboratories, and improving foreign or emerging animal
disease testing, surveillance, and containment capabilities.
These funds have enabled the ISU VDL the ability to maintain a BSL-
3 capable diagnostic laboratory space and an adequate staffing of
proficiency-trained diagnostic technicians that are utilized on a
regular basis for foreign, emerging, and domestic disease surveillance
and provide surge capacity when a disease outbreak occurs. These funds
also support laboratory information technology infrastructure,
capabilities, and personnel to develop and use data systems necessary
for secure management and transmission of sensitive laboratory data.
Similarly, support through the NAHLN continues to be critical towards
enhancing the ISU VDL's quality assurance programs that validate the
accuracy and reliability of the test results to reassure decision-
makers and foreign trading partners that they can have confidence in
the results.
ISU VDL's role working in partnership with our USDA colleagues,
practicing veterinarians, peer laboratories, and state and Federal
medical officials from across the country in support of the detection
and response to the outbreak of High-Path Avian Influenza Virus (HP-
AIV) impacting U.S. poultry flocks and dairy herds over the course of
the past few years is simply the most recent example of the ISU VDL and
USDA NAHLN partners stepping up in a time of need. Such capabilities
are only made possible by Federal investment in this vital network.
In short, funding received through the NAHLN is used as an
extremely efficient and effective means of leveraging the capabilities
existing at the ISU VDL to enhance the U.S. diagnostic system serving
to protect animal health, human health, and the greater than $250
billion U.S. animal agricultural economy.
Closing
In summary, I believe the Federal investments in the NAHLN
represent a true win-win-win--for U.S. animal health and public health;
for U.S. agriculture more broadly; and for enhancing the security,
safety, and affordability of our nation's food supply.
I thank the Members of this Committee and leaders within USDA APHIS
both present and past for your leadership, vision, and steadfast
support for establishing and continuing to advance the capabilities and
reach of the NAHLN across our country.
Your vision and support have resulted in the development of a
highly trusted and highly capable network of veterinary diagnostic
laboratories that is truly world class. In my opinion, the NAHLN is a
crowned jewel within USDA APHIS Veterinary Services that is uniquely
American, and unmatched the world around. It is something that each of
us as Americans can--and should--take great pride in.
The Chairman. Thank you, Dr. Main, for that testimony.
Next up, Dr. Jones, please begin when you are ready.
STATEMENT OF ANNETTE B. JONES, D.V.M., STATE
VETERINARIAN AND DIRECTOR, ANIMAL HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY
SERVICES DIVISION, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE, SACRAMENTO, CA
Dr. Jones. Thank you for including me in this hearing
today. My long tenure as State Veterinarian has provided me
with extensive real-world experience. I have seen effective and
less effective strategies, and I am very familiar with critical
infrastructure that must be in place to mitigate the impacts of
catastrophic disease outbreaks.
To provide some context, I think of myself as a fire chief,
and our disease control experts are deployed to contain
outbreaks, much like containing an almost-invisible fire. We
are emergency responders, and our strategies are practiced but
modified to reflect the specific situation in front of us.
State and Federal partners work side by side, and decisions are
made in unified command. Similar to a fire response, our
actions like euthanizing entire flocks or halting animal and
product movement needed to maintain business can be devastating
to some but are necessary to minimize the negative impacts on
all the nation's herds and flocks.
Continuing the analogy, the National Animal Health
Laboratory Network exists to detect new pathogens that threaten
our food system, animal health, or public health. It is like
the smoke detector that alerts all potentially impacted animal
owners and first responders to a problem early enough to reduce
losses. This critical detection system also accurately tells us
field responders what is in front of us so that we can modify
our strategy.
That brings me to my first point. We as a nation, and as
farmers and ranchers, need that smoke detector so that even if
the fire department is delayed or overwhelmed, we know there is
a problem and we can act to protect our employees and animals.
This also brings me to my second point. Given the weight of
regulatory response decisions, testing must be accurate,
consistent, and timely. That means we must have a laboratory
network with surge capacity, consistent methods, and robust
quality control at all member labs. The test results must stand
up to scrutiny.
For example, last winter, we were challenged in California
with over 770 H5N1-infected dairies and 68 poultry outbreak
control zones. Normally, our California lab tests about 450
samples per month for influenza. At the peak of this recent
outbreak, the sample load was 12,000 samples per month, which
is more than 25 times our normal workload.
In those 4 months, the lab network deployed pairs of
technicians from other labs to California to help with testing.
Because these technicians performed the same test on the same
equipment using the same standard operating procedures at their
home lab, they were able to immediately expand our lab
capacity. At the height of the outbreak, besides fully using
the California lab network, labs in seven other states
received, processed, and electronically reported accurate,
almost real-time results.
My last point is more specific to our way out of the
current H5N1 outbreak. I believe we must sustain three
concerted efforts. And if even one is neglected, the other two
will fail. The first is ongoing testing. Through active
surveillance, we will detect mutations and exposure levels or
prevalence so we can take informed actions to protect animals
and people. Note that the network laboratories have provided
over one million test results nationwide in response to the
current outbreak. But as I just alluded, testing alone will not
make the virus disappear or get us out of this outbreak.
Biosecurity is also needed, meaning actions like movement
control, traffic control, personal protective equipment,
sanitation, and decontamination. When viral load in the
environment is below a certain threshold, we know that
biosecurity is by far the best tool for preventing disease. But
I have seen time and time again that even the best farm
biosecurity will be overwhelmed if there is too much virus
being produced by surrounding poultry, wild birds, and dairy
cows. So again, biosecurity alone will not work if the
environmental viral load is not managed.
Bringing us to the third effort, reducing virus in the
environment. Currently, we do this the hard way, by euthanizing
infected flocks and by allowing dairy immunity to develop after
exposure. Dairy exposure means a huge percent of herds suffer
through bloody, snotty noses, aborted pregnancies, no interest
in food and water, and udders that dry up. This is not a path
that most herd managers ever want to travel, and poultry
producers must now use biosecurity to defend their flocks not
only from other infected flocks and wild birds, but also from
dairies that may be actively infected for months.
Note that of the 17 states that have had infected dairy
cows, 12 have experienced poultry outbreaks directly from those
dairy cases. I believe we need dairy vaccine in the toolbox
yesterday, especially for regions currently free from disease.
If I were a poultry producer, a beef producer, a swine
producer, or a dairy producer, I would be banging my fist on
the table to vaccinate dairy cattle way ahead of poultry.
The Chairman. Thank you, Doctor.
Dr. Jones. If the USDA can successfully keep trade doors
open when millions of dairy cows are actively infected with
H5N1, I am confident they can get the job done for a vaccine.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Jones follows:]
Prepared Statement of Annette B. Jones, D.V.M., State Veterinarian and
Director, Animal Health and Food Safety Services Division, California
Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA
Thank you for including me in this hearing today. My long tenure as
a State Veterinarian has provided me with extensive real-world
experience. I have seen effective and less effective strategies and am
very familiar with the critical infrastructure that must be in place to
mitigate impacts of catastrophic disease outbreaks.
To provide some context, I think of myself as a ``Fire Chief'' and
our disease control experts are deployed to contain outbreaks, much
like containing an almost invisible fire. We are emergency responders,
and our strategies are practiced but modified to reflect the specific
situation in front of us. State and Federal partners work side by side
and decisions are made in unified command. Like fighting fire, our
actions like euthanizing entire flocks or halting movement needed to
maintain business, can be devastating to some, but are necessary to
minimize the negative impacts on all the nation's herds or flocks.
Continuing the analogy, the National Animal Health Laboratory
Network exists to detect new pathogens that threaten our food system,
animal health, or public health. It is like the ``smoke detector'' that
alerts all potentially impacted animal owners and first responders to a
problem early enough to reduce losses. This critical detection system
also accurately tells us field responders ``what is in front of us'' so
we can modify our strategy.
That brings me to my first point. We as a nation and as farmers and
ranchers need the ``smoke detector'' so that even if the ``fire
department'' is delayed or overwhelmed, we know there is a problem and
can act to protect our employees and animals.
This also brings me to my second point. Given the weight of
regulatory response decisions, testing must be accurate, consistent,
and timely. That means we must have a Laboratory Network with surge
capacity, consistent methods, and robust quality control at all member
labs. The test results must stand up to scrutiny.
For example, last winter we were challenged in California with over
760 H5N1 infected dairies and 68 poultry outbreak control zones.
Normally our CA Lab tests about 450 samples/month for influenza. At the
peak of this recent outbreak, the sample load was 12,000 samples/month,
which is more than 25 times the normal workload.
Over those 4 months, the Lab Network deployed pairs of technicians
from other labs to California to help with testing. Because these
technicians performed the same test on the same equipment using the
same SOP at their home lab, they were able to immediately expand our
lab capacity. At the height of the outbreak, besides fully utilizing
the CA Lab, Network Labs in seven other states received, processed, and
electronically reported, accurate, almost real-time results.
My last point is more specific to our way out of the current H5N1
outbreak. I believe we must sustain three concerted efforts, and if
even one is neglected, the other two will fail.
1. On-going testing. Through active surveillance we will detect
mutations and exposure levels or ``prevalence'' so we can
take informed actions to protect animals and people. Note
that Network laboratories have provided over a million test
results nationwide in response to the current outbreak. But
as I just alluded, testing alone will not make a virus
``disappear'' or get us out of this outbreak.
2. Biosecurity is also needed, meaning actions like movement
control, traffic control, PPE, sanitation, and
decontamination. When viral load in the environment is
below a certain threshold, we know that biosecurity is by
far the best tool for preventing disease. But I have seen
time and time again that even the best farm biosecurity
will be overwhelmed if there is too much virus being
produced by surrounding poultry, wild birds, cows, etc. So
again, biosecurity alone will not work if environmental
viral load is not managed.
3. Bringing us to the third effort--reducing virus in environment--
Currently we do this the hard way: by euthanizing infected
flocks and by allowing dairy immunity to develop after
exposure. Dairy exposure means a huge percent of the herd
suffers through bloody, snotty noses; aborted pregnancies;
no interest in food and water; and udders that dry up. This
is not a path most herd managers ever want to travel. And
poultry producers now must use biosecurity to defend their
flock not only from other infected flocks and wild birds,
but also from dairies that may be actively infected for
months. Note that of the 17 states with known infected
dairy cows, 12 have experienced poultry cases directly from
these herds.
I believe we need dairy vaccination in the toolbox yesterday,
especially for regions currently free from disease. If I were a poultry
producer, beef producer, swine producer, or dairy producer, I would be
banging my fist on the table to vaccinate dairy cattle way ahead of
poultry. If USDA can successfully keep trade doors open when millions
of dairy cows are actively infected with H5N1, I am confident that they
can get the job done if we use vaccine selectively to protect these
girls.
Again, thank you for inviting me to be a part of this hearing
today. This subject is one that is very important to me and I am happy
to answer any questions you may have.
Not in comments, but information to have available:
Annual funding for the NAHLN is about $25M to ensure that 64
labs across the U.S. have the skills, equipment, capability,
and capacity to test for catastrophic diseases. These labs are
held to the highest standards to ensure that results stand up
to scrutiny and can be relied upon for critical decisions. $25M
is a drop in the bucket when you look at the cost of an
outbreak.
The current HPAI outbreak has cost USDA almost $2B. Without
early disease detection and accurate test results to make rapid
decisions, the expense and the toll on animals and people would
be much higher. To use the fire analogy, you don't save money
by eliminating the smoke detectors--you get bigger and more
damaging fires.
An outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) could cost $200
billion just to U.S. animal, corn, and soybean agriculture
industries. This loss translates into roughly 154,000 jobs over
the course of the outbreak. Whatever we can do at the front end
to detect disease and implement control strategies as early as
possible is worth it. FMD modeling and planning clearly points
out the need for the NAHLN and vaccination.
NAHLN exists to provide nationwide surge capacity for
livestock and poultry outbreaks, and to ensure accurate,
consistent, and timely results from all labs in the system.
The Chairman. Dr. Jones, great. Your time has expired.
Thank you, all four of our witnesses, for being here this
morning.
At this time, Members will be recognized for questions in
order of seniority, alternating between Majority and Minority
Members, and in order of arrival for those who joined us after
the hearing convened. You will be recognized for 5 minutes each
in order to allow us to get to as many questions as possible.
First, I will recognize myself for 5 minutes.
The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan,
Kansas, is a state-of-the-art facility that will help protect
the nation's agriculture, farmers, and consumers against the
threat and potential impacts of serious foreign animal health
diseases. NBAF has Biosafety Levels 2, 3, and 4 Laboratories,
allowing them to study and diagnose the most consequential
animal pathogens. NBAF plays a critical role in our animal
disease preparedness and management and is an important partner
to the NAHLN system.
Dr. Retallick, how does Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory collaborate with NBAF? And how will each of your
operations supplement one another?
Dr. Retallick. We are excited to have NBAF as our neighbor
in Manhattan, Kansas. And so, NBAF has multiple missions. One
of those is research, and one of those is service, which is the
NAHLN FADDL lab that was discussed. And so the NAHLN being a
network, our interaction with them through the NAHLN and
confirmatory testing is going to be the same as all of the
NAHLN laboratories for that.
The other thing that you might see us assist in NBAF is
training the future technicians for them. Often, entry level
will come in, we will train, and they may go to work at NBAF.
But ultimately, the collaboration will be very similar among
all of the state laboratories with NBAF being our parent lab
and our confirmatory testing place.
The Chairman. Great, thank you. Next question, the
detection of the New World screwworm in Mexico is a huge threat
to our domestic cattle producers. USDA estimates that a
contemporary outbreak in Texas alone would cost producers $732
million per year. To expand those results to the states within
the historic range of the New World screwworm pre-eradication,
a contemporary outbreak would cost producers as much as $4.3
billion per year and cause a total economic loss of over $10
billion. These are not losses our producers or our economy can
afford.
Again for you, Dr. Retallick, surveillance and testing
capacity was critical to eradicating this pest back in the
1960s. How are the NAHLN laboratories involved in preventing
the spread of the screwworm? And what role would they play if
the pest were to reach our shores?
Dr. Retallick. So as stated earlier, the NAHLN labs, many
of them are universities and state departments of ag, which
have specialists. These specialists are highly trained to
recognize diseases and new disease threats. At KVDL, like many
of the other labs in the network, we have parasitologists and
pathologists on staff that have already gone through training
to recognize this, and so we will recognize through there.
The NAHLN also is discussing it in its weekly calls,
updating us, and providing training. And in addition, with the
caseload that comes through these diagnostic laboratories in
the states, we see all sorts of things and animals for
disposal, allowing us a large caseload to surveil coming in
through routine testing.
The Chairman. Great. And a final question will be for you,
Dr. Main. Two weeks ago, the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed
into law. We were able to secure historic investments to
modernize the farm safety net, promote ag products overseas,
increase research and, important to this hearing, shore up our
animal health tools. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the
NAHLN system will receive $10 million annually through Fiscal
Year 2030 on top of existing discretionary spending. At a time
when foreign animal diseases are threatening our producers on
all fronts, how will this investment help your lab to prepare
for and respond to an outbreak?
Dr. Main. Well, thank you. It will be of tremendous help, I
would say, from providing a base of capacity and capability,
which is principally driven by our people. And that additional
funding will enable, across the laboratory, to really help
with, I would say, maintaining adequate preparedness via the
people in the laboratory.
The Chairman. Great. Dr. Hensley, anything to add to that?
Dr. Hensley. No, I think that is true. I agree with what
Dr. Main said really.
The Chairman. Okay. Well, I will yield back the balance of
my time.
And next up, I will recognize the gentleman from New York,
Mr. Riley, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Riley. Thank you. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for
organizing this really important hearing. And to our witnesses,
thank you for coming to testify, particularly given the
extraordinary challenges a lot of you had with traveling here.
Dr. Retallick, am I pronouncing that correctly? Is it
Retallick?
Dr. Retallick. Very close. Retallick. Yep.
Mr. Riley. Okay. Well, I really appreciated your testimony
about NAHLN's role in defending our country against
agroterrorism. Food security is national security. I think that
has become kind of cliche over time, but it is actually really
true.
And my colleague, Zach Nunn, on the other side of the
aisle, and I recently introduced bipartisan legislation that
would crack down on agroterror threats from the Chinese
Communist Party. Our bill creates new criminal offenses for
knowingly and recklessly importing high-risk agricultural
biological agents, and we will have tougher penalties for
individuals who are doing that when they are tied to foreign
adversaries. I think this is a really pressing issue that
demands urgency, particularly in light of--I know you had in
your written testimony one recent example of this. I was hoping
you might be able to elaborate a little bit on how NAHLN's labs
work together to detect and prevent agroterrorist threats and
what more support you need from us on this Committee to make
sure we are keeping our food supply safe.
Dr. Retallick. Yes, agroterrorism is a significant threat
to United States agriculture. And so, through the laboratories,
through NAHLN, NAHLN has weekly calls, and that is with all the
laboratories, and that is key for communication about what we
are seeing and what testing needs to be done. We know that a
way to control an outbreak, per se, from agroterrorism is
through testing. It is one of those methods. And so the
coordination through NAHLN with all of the state laboratories
is vital in protecting or responding to an event of
agroterrorism very quickly.
And so for support, again, you are already on that track
for us. You have added funding for us to increase our capacity.
And so that is a critical part for us is maintaining funding or
increasing funding to help support these laboratories in their
surveillance for these type of agroterrorism events.
Mr. Riley. Thank you. Is anybody else on the panel
interested in addressing this issue of agroterrorism?
Dr. Main. I would just add to Jamie's comments is that the
NAHLN is a very frontline-facing thing. So, like, just at our
local laboratory there at Iowa, we have over 2,500 case
submissions a week coming in from Iowa and from across the
country that are food animal veterinarians that are working
with their producers and ranchers about things that don't quite
look right on their farm. And I think that really provides, as
Annette mentioned, like that first line of defense of
identification and early response would be very critical in any
such endeavor.
Mr. Riley. That is really helpful. Thank you.
I am honored to represent Cornell University, which, as you
all know, is home to some of the brightest scientific minds
working at the Animal Health Diagnostics Center, which is a
Level 1 NAHLN. I think you mentioned collaboration you all had
done with the brilliant folks at Cornell. And as all of you
highlighted in your testimony, the NAHLN program is just so
important not just for animal health but also food security.
And we are dealing with grocery prices here, right? Because if
there are outbreaks, that is going to drive grocery prices.
One of the things I would be interested in hearing a little
bit more about with my limited time is making sure we have the
workforce and the pipeline of folks coming into these labs. I
think we are not doing a good enough job in this country making
sure that STEM education is available in our rural communities,
and it is something that I want to work on improving. I am just
curious, with my limited time, and this can be for anybody, how
do we make sure we have the next generation of veterinarians
and scientists and lab techs coming to you?
Dr. Main. One thing I would mention is that the labs, and
we are just an example of one, but are very involved in the
teaching and training of the next generation of veterinarians,
diagnosticians, and veterinary scientists. And we use this
flow, this very rich caseload of very real-world stuff that is
going on out in the country, and we use that as fully
integrated into the training and teaching the next generations
of veterinarians, especially food animal interest veterinarians
from across the country.
Mr. Riley. That is great. I appreciate that very much.
Thank you.
The Chairman. Thank you. Next, I recognize the gentleman
from Wisconsin, Mr. Van Orden, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Hensley, I just want to say that we prayed for the
entire State of Texas this morning at the conference. It is
just devastating. And if there is anything we can do to help,
please. Losing a child is something I am familiar with, and it
is horrible. So I want you to know that we are with you here.
And that is a bipartisan thing.
Dr. Hensley. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Mr. Van Orden. You are welcome, sir.
Who is taking the lead tracking this New World screwworm?
Because it is not just going to have a devastating effect on
beefers. It is going to ruin the State of Wisconsin's economy
as far as dairy goes. And so who in this group is actually the
focal point? I learned in the military that if everybody is in
charge, no one is, and we need to make sure that someone is.
Dr. Hensley. That is a good point. I think right now, of
course, USDA is the primary agency because they are monitoring
what is going on in Mexico. Texas Animal Health Commission is
very involved in Texas working with USDA. We are involved.
There is a weekly call between Texas Animal Health Commission,
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, ourselves, Texas
Department of State Health Services, and the USDA's Veterinary
Services staff in Texas. And I think that is very important so
we are all hearing what the most current information is about
where that screwworm is and what is potentially being done.
Money has been given to Mexico to try to retrofit a fruit
fly plant down there. That is going to take time. There are
efforts to start a plant there in Mission at least to be able
to rear some of the flies that come from Panama for release.
But all of these things take time. So I think surveillance is
going to be extremely important, and everybody in the State of
Texas is going to have to be involved in that.
But I think as far as leading the information right now, it
is USDA and Texas Animal Health Commission. And I think
everyone so far in the state is working together. Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension Service has been very involved. We did an
online talk here a few weeks ago. There were 4,000 people that
signed up for that to hear what the current status is, what is
New World Screwworm. We have a population now even of ranchers
that have no idea. They weren't alive back then.
Mr. Van Orden. So, Doctor----
Dr. Hensley. Yes.
Mr. Van Orden.--hold on a sec here, please. So I am going
to have USDA and OMB in my office tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock
if you are around. If they deliver your luggage tonight, that
would be great. I don't care what you look like. We are from
Wisconsin. I will give you a Miller Lite at 8:00 in the
morning. No one cares. So they are going to be in tomorrow
morning. And again, that is a real invitation if you want to
come. It is right upstairs here. But what type of relationships
do you guys have with your foreign counterparts? So, this
started down south. There is the plant in Panama. There is one
in Mexico. There is one in actually the State of Georgia. And
we are going to talk about trying to retrofit these. What type
of relationships do you guys have with your Mexican
counterparts and Panamanian counterparts?
Dr. Hensley. Okay. Us as a diagnostic lab, we really do not
have contacts with the Mexican officials.
Mr. Van Orden. Would it be helpful for you to do that? And
can I facilitate that for you?
Dr. Hensley. I think where we need to be, we need the
current information. And whether that is coming from us working
with the Mexicans or we need to have the current information
coming from the USDA, and that goes back through the Texas
Animal Health Commission. To me, that is where we need to be
sure that everyone there is getting the most current
information. And I think they have been doing a good job of
trying to keep us updated on where that screwworm is. Is it
still moving north----
Mr. Van Orden. I think they have a tremendous economic
incentive to do so because we get a lot of feeder cattle from
Mexico and that has stopped.
Dr. Hensley. Yes.
Mr. Van Orden. Right.
Dr. Hensley. We have a tremendous incentive to do that.
Mr. Van Orden. Yes, sir. Well, with that, I yield back the
balance of my time. Sorry, before I yield back, I would like to
get a hold of you later.
Dr. Hensley. Yes, sir.
Mr. Van Orden. And if anybody else would like to come to
that meeting tomorrow morning, that is a real offer too. I
yield back.
Dr. Hensley. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
I now recognize the gentleman from Iowa, Mr. Feenstra, for
5 minutes.
Mr. Feenstra. Thank you, Chairman Mann. Thank you to each
one of our witnesses, greatly appreciate you here.
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network plays a
critical role in safeguarding animal health, supporting for
disease surveillance, protecting security of our national food
supply. This is very critical. We just passed some extra
dollars in our reconciliation bill, which is wonderful.
But Dr. Main, I would like to ask you, so we have these
dollars, which is wonderful. How does that affect you and your
lab? But more importantly, what else can we do? I mean, is
there more, instead of money, policy that we could go down and
look at? What are your thoughts on that?
Dr. Main. Yes, I think the support of the NAHLN program as
a whole, and then the additional funding that does trickle
down, essentially, to the member labs, and again, that
provides, I would say, some base funding to help enhance the
robustness of human resource-based capabilities that exist at
these laboratories. And I just can't tell you how important I
believe that is to be able to support the overall work that the
lab does.
As additional work in Committee, I think what I would
principally say is, thank you. And like I mentioned in my
testimony, I think the leadership and support of seeing the
value in--disease knows no borders across our country, and so
having that connectivity across states to be able to support as
a true nation, I just think is really vital. And the NAHLN is
the key to make that component work.
Mr. Feenstra. I want to talk about a couple different
diseases. Obviously, in my district and around the country,
high-path avian influenza is so critical and dangerous right
now. One hundred and eighty million birds have been affected
and been euthanized, 30 million in Iowa. Dr. Main, Secretary
Rollins has done a great job putting things together. How do we
eradicate this? Or how do we get it to where we don't have
millions of birds still dying? I mean, it seems like we
understand that this is going to happen. But is there some
preventative way that we can stop it?
Dr. Main. Yes, I think surveillance is key. Biosecurity is
key. And I think, as you know, there has been a lot of
discussion about the opportunities for new tools to be in
place, the immunization. That could be another tool in the
toolbox that would present as the opportunity for some
strategic use cases to, for lack of better words, the most
vulnerable. But obviously, there are lots of sensitivities
around that, principally because of the impact of vaccination
can have on international trade. And I know that is an active
conversation that is occurring amongst poultry producers, dairy
producers, and then the different segments of the poultry
industry both by segment of the industry, meaning layer versus
broiler versus turkey, as well as regions. And I think my only
encouragement, just a personal opinion would be that anything
that can be done to help further those conversations because I
think we are going to need more tools than less, and the
threats from wildlife are not going to go away.
Mr. Feenstra. Nope, that is exactly right. I want to speak
on how the lab works to prevent and the consequences of African
swine fever sweeping our nation. I mean, to me, it just worries
me. And obviously, we just talked about biosecurity. What are
the broader goals here of the pork sector? I mean, do you see
anything else from the lab side or anything that we can do to
make sure that this doesn't hit our swine?
Dr. Main. Early detection will be absolutely paramount.
Early detection will be absolutely paramount. Obviously, the
labs play a role in that. And then advancing our systems of
traceability that we have in this country is going to be also
very critically to be able to track and trace in a modern way.
And I think there are things afoot that are continuing to move
that forward. And I think those would be two key things that
would be critically important, as well as, obviously, the
tremendous efforts that are happening at the border to mitigate
entry because that is the biggest win.
Mr. Feenstra. Yep. Well, thank you. Thank you for your
time. I mean, these are two critical situations that all four
of you are involved in, and I thank you for that.
And with that, I yield back.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back. I now recognize
the gentleman from California, Mr. Gray, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Gray. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our
witnesses for being here today, appreciate your participation.
It is certainly nice to see Dr. Jones. Always great to see a
fellow Californian here in the swamp. And with this humidity
lately, I am really understanding why they call this place the
swamp.
But I appreciate the opportunity to speak today on the
vital role of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and
its role in safeguarding American agriculture. As a
Representative of the Central Valley in California, a region
where agriculture couldn't be more important, we certainly know
firsthand the importance of strong animal health systems.
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network is a critical
piece of America's biosecurity infrastructure, as it serves as
our early warning system for animal diseases. Our dairy farms,
poultry producers, livestock operations really form the
backbone of California's ag economy. And the health of these
animals is not just a matter of economics, as a major outbreak
could devastate farms, threaten food security, and certainly
would collapse local economies and the folks that I represent.
NAHLN's surge capacity is very important to a state like
California. As Dr. Jones mentioned in her testimony,
California's lab test sample load was 25 times higher than
normal at the peak of H5N1 outbreak, and NAHLN deployed
technicians from labs across the country to assist in response
efforts.
The standardization of testing and methodology across
NAHLN's labs allowed for the immediate expansion of lab
capacity, meaning efforts to address California's outbreak were
taking place across seven different states. When a farmer is
deciding whether to depopulate thousands of birds, this is the
data he is referencing. Simply put, the values of accurate and
timely data when you are making potentially business-altering
decisions is priceless, couldn't be more important. Twenty-five
million dollars a year is not enough to ensure that 64 labs
across the country have the tools necessary to protect American
agriculture.
Dr. Jones, in your testimony, you highlight the importance
of reducing the H5N1 virus in the environment and how the
current methods of euthanizing infected flocks and promoting
dairy immunity development through infection are not enough.
What do you think are the best biosecurity methods dairy and
poultry farmers should implement to reduce H5N1 presence on
their farms?
Dr. Jones. Okay. That is the most difficult question in the
world to answer right now because dairy farms in particular are
very open in states that enjoy good weather. That is why our
dairies thrive because the weather allows for open barns, which
means animals move in and out, birds move in and out, so
biosecurity is difficult.
Movement control of cows is extremely important, which is
why we quarantine our herds in California, as we do in other
states. But it is also why I mentioned and why immunity is
really important because basic biosecurity will help stop the
spread of virus from dairies to other dairies or to poultry,
but it needs help from the animal's own immune system. So that
is, again, why I am really encouraging the nation to consider
having that tool in their toolbox to vaccinate dairy cows.
For poultry, biosecurity is a little bit more
straightforward. They tend to be in more enclosed environments,
and movement control, wild bird control, et cetera, seems to be
pretty effective, unless they are drowning in virus in the
environment around them. Then biosecurity will not work either.
Mr. Gray. Thank you.
Dr. Jones. But research is really important to understand
the spread, and there is a lot of research going on nationwide.
Mr. Gray. I couldn't agree more. Farmers play a critical
role in the fabric of disease response as their cooperation and
early reporting are essential to the rapid containment of
outbreaks. The labs' work obviously can only be effective if
they have that trust. I know that livestock producers can be
wary of working with Federal partners. How do you build and
maintain good relationships with producers so that that work
can continue?
Dr. Jones. My two favorite questions. Livestock producers
definitely can be very skeptical of government, so the key is
to have a relationship, open communication, show them the
facts, show them the tests, have reliable tests, and share
information as fast as possible, and involve them in helping
with best practices for mitigating the effects of the disease.
So in California, I wouldn't say all the producers love us, but
we certainly have a very good relationship with them, and they
are our very most important cooperators and are on our side.
Mr. Gray. Thank you. I appreciate that.
The Chairman. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Gray. Yep. I was going to yield back.
The Chairman. Thank you. Next, I recognize the gentleman
from Indiana, Mr. Baird, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Baird. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank our
witnesses for being here.
I recognize how important your efforts are in protecting
our livestock industry, but agriculture in general across our
country, so I think it is very important. And I was glad to
hear several of you mentioned that livestock and biological
security is also food security, and that is very important to
all of us.
And Dr. Jones, it wasn't in your testimony, but I saw the
figures that I thought were relevant to what we are talking
about today. There is, what, $25 million? You have down $25
million to 64 labs across the country to maintain the skills,
equipment, and all that sort of thing, which I think is an
important factor to keep in mind when you think that HPAI could
cost the USDA about $2 billion. Foot-and-mouth disease, it
costs us $200 billion. I am just trying to establish the
relevance and the importance of what you do around the country.
So I would give you the opportunity, Dr. Jones, to
elaborate because also in your testimony you mentioned that you
would be asking for dairy cattle to be vaccinated ahead of
poultry, swine, and beef. So would you care to elaborate on
that?
Dr. Jones. Yes. Well, my intent with that comment is if I
was a swine producer, I would be asking USDA and my state
animal health officials and vaccine manufacturers to look into
vaccinating dairy cows to protect my pigs. I would want those
dairy cows vaccinated. If I was a beef producer, I would want
those dairy cows vaccinated. If I was a poultry producer, I
would want those dairy cows vaccinated because the way that a
dairy clears virus is living through the infection as it moves
through the herd. Some of our herds have been under quarantine
for over 300 days, so that means they are potentially spreading
virus in the environment that long because we are reducing
virus in those herds through natural immunity. If we could
vaccinate them, it would move it faster. The comment on trade
is the key to that, but we can't have those trade discussions
if we don't push dairy vaccine a little bit harder.
Mr. Baird. That brings up a couple of quick questions. When
you think about a lot of our swine producers in my area in
Indiana, we are in confinement units, so you have more
biocontrol of birds getting into the buildings to a certain
extent, whereas cattle are the same way, that a lot of them are
concentrated, the feedlot cattle. But the range cattle, is
there a difference between the range cattle and the dairy
cattle because they are confined in most cases? Is there a
difference there in the spread of disease through birds?
Dr. Jones. I think you were asking, is there a difference,
like does the disease have a preference for dairy versus beef?
Mr. Baird. Yes, the beef cow, the cow-calf herds. I mean, I
am wondering how about that----
Dr. Jones. Yes. So there is some breed-specific proclivity
of the virus, mostly because of the mammary glands, so
definitely Holsteins and Jerseys seem to be most susceptible to
this virus. There is no evidence that the virus has been in
other breeds, for example, typical beef breeds. We have seen it
in young stock, though. It is in calves, it is in feeder cows,
but primarily dairy breeds.
Mr. Baird. So you probably know Dr. Bret Marsh in Indiana,
Purdue University, and he is now the Dean of the College of
Veterinary Medicine.
But I would like to give all the others an opportunity to
just comment on one thing. I could ask questions all the rest
of the afternoon, but anyway, on the vaccine, your perspective
on vaccines for any of the species for protecting against HPAI?
Dr. Main. I think it needs to be explored. My
understanding, the technology exists, and the principal barrier
to move forward is navigating potential impacts on
international trade.
Dr. Hensley. I would agree. From what I know, there are two
vaccine companies looking at two different vaccines for dairy
cattle right now, but I think what Annette and Rodger said, we
do have to look at trade, but we have to weigh that against
being able to stop this virus in dairy cattle.
Mr. Baird. Dr. Retallick, you have 10 seconds.
Dr. Retallick. Oh, I am going to agree with my fellow
witnesses. The impact is on the international trade, and there
is a lot of research going on in the vaccination area. And so
as more of those conversations happen, we will develop the
importance----
Mr. Baird. That is one way to end the conversation, I
guess. Thank you.
The Chairman. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Baird. And I yield back.
The Chairman. Okay. The gentleman yields, I think. And the
chair now recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr.
Harris, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Harris. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I thank all of you
on the panel for your time today. And just a couple of
questions I wanted to toss out here.
First, Dr. Retallick, your testimony explains that the
Kansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory joined NAHLN Network in
2004, became a Level 2 member in 2016, and advanced to a Level
1 member in 2019. And of course, as we have talked about, Level
1 labs have the highest standards and have the most advanced
diagnostic capabilities, among other things. So if you could
take just a moment and explain the process of going from a
Level 2 member to a Level 1 member.
Dr. Retallick. So the NAHLN has a matrix they put out every
2 years for the labs to assess where the lab is on capacity and
the ability to respond. And in this matrix, there is facility
requirements, what equipment do you have, what does your
staffing look like, what outreach are you doing, and what NAHLN
technical groups are you working with? And so for us, we were
able to get access to BSL-3 testing facilities, including
necropsy facilities at Kansas State, increased equipment, and
got more active and involved in the NAHLN through outreach and
technical groups. And so with that, we were able to raise to a
Level 1.
Mr. Harris. Great. Well, thank you for sharing that. I
think it is important that we see as many labs as possible
continue to advance and move forward to achieve Level 1 status
in order to best fulfill their purposes.
I guess my other question, and I would just toss this out
to any of you on the panel that would be willing to share, one
of the roles that all of your labs play is communicating with
producers about emerging and existing animal health threats.
How do you go about those educational efforts? And how have you
been the beneficiary of such efforts? Go down the row if you
would like.
Dr. Retallick. I can start with that one from the KVDL
perspective. We have webinars we do for clients, quarterly
newsletters, email lists so if a new disease pops up, we can
get it out to our clientele and let them know something is
there. We have veterinarians that attend producer meetings
around the state, and we also have a field investigation unit.
And then, being located at the College of Veterinary Medicine,
the CE events bring in those veterinarians too, and we were
able to communicate that route with them too. So we have
several ways to communicate what is going on with our
producers.
Mr. Harris. Okay.
Dr. Hensley. Sort of the same thing at TVMDL. We do
podcasts. We put educational information on our website. We
have a veterinary services section that we routinely interact
with veterinarians and producers. We attend producer meetings,
give presentations there. We work with the AgriLife Extension
Service to help provide information through that resource. So
we have a number of outreach efforts that we do to try to get
information out to producers and veterinarians, of course.
Mr. Harris. Okay. Thank you.
Dr. Main. Yep. I would just say that our principal focus is
on educating our veterinarians, the practicing veterinarians,
and then they, in turn, are working with their producers. And
so like 98 percent of our caseload is the same, practicing
veterinarian submitting week after week after week, and so we
have really great, I would say, close working relationships
with those veterinarians about what is happening not only with
their caseload but with the lab more broadly. And then they are
in turn sharing that with the veterinarians, in addition to
more traditional partnerships with our extension service.
Mr. Harris. Okay. All right.
Dr. Jones. Same in California.
Mr. Harris. Okay. Great. Well, thank you very much for
sharing that, and I know that this is important, very important
way that we are communicating and getting that information out
there. And indeed, it makes a difference in the entire food
security of our entire nation, so thank you for all that you
do.
Mr. Chairman, with that, I yield back.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
I now recognize the gentlewoman from Connecticut, Mrs.
Hayes, for 5 minutes.
Mrs. Hayes. Good morning, and thank you to our witnesses
for your testimony and for being here today.
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network plays a key
role in protecting food supply chains, identifying disease
trends, and limiting the spread of infectious disease among
animals. The network also plays a key role in educating
producers and the public about potential disease outbreaks.
The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at
UConn is the only network laboratory in New England serving
producers in Connecticut and across the region. Each year, the
lab at UConn--I didn't mention I am from Connecticut--trains
approximately 40 graduate and undergraduate students and
provides them with hands-on learning opportunities. The lab has
identified this as an area for growth where it can develop
better programming for students to gain real-life experiences.
Dr. Jones, UC Davis offers numerous outreach opportunities
for pre-veterinary students, including summer programs for
middle school and high school students to learn about the
field. I am an educator by trade, and I am always thinking
about pipeline, capacity building, the future, how we engage
young people much earlier and introduce them to the potential
of so many careers that are within their grasp. Can you
describe how your laboratory partners with UC Davis to train
veterinary students?
Dr. Jones. Sure, the animal health lab at Davis not only
has a lab located at Davis, but they also have lab sites at
different locations throughout the state, so they are able to
partner with not only the students there at Davis, but also
bring them a little bit further down into our Central Valley,
which is really the heart of agriculture in California, to give
them a little bit more of a taste of the real world of
producing food for large groups of people. So that is one of
the examples of how they interact with the vet school and with
the undergraduates in high schools.
Mrs. Hayes. Can you talk a little bit about how you utilize
the National Animal Health Laboratory Network to perform
outreach to students and just, I guess, expose them? Because
what I have heard, many young people have an idea of what they
think careers and professions are, but it is not until they
have some actual practical interaction that they really kind of
see themselves doing that work.
Dr. Jones. A lot of that type of role, if you are talking
about the laboratory network itself----
Mrs. Hayes. Or any network that you use.
Dr. Jones. Yes, a lot of that exposure comes through summer
hires and tours, and it gives students a real flavor for the
science and technology involved in today's animal health world
and food safety world.
Mrs. Hayes. Dr. Main, I see you nodding your head. Did you
want to add something?
Dr. Main. Yes. So in Iowa, it is very much the--I think it
is over \1/2\ of the students at Iowa State College of Vet Med
graduating go into either mixed or large animal practice. And
the vast majority of those students are not farm kids. They are
students that are bright, and they could be--through work
experiences at school, internships, whether in undergraduate
and externships in veterinary school got turned on to animal
agriculture and have chosen to make a profession of it.
Mrs. Hayes. Thank you. And I appreciate you adding that
because many of my farmers are telling me their children don't
want to go into ag-related fields, so we have to be more
attractive to a broader network of young people in order to
infuse this pipeline.
In 2023, a study by Johns Hopkins University found that the
number of food animal veterinarians has decreased by 90 percent
since World War II. Today, less than two percent of
veterinarians work exclusively with food animals. Outside the
lab, veterinarians are the first line of defense during a
disease outbreak, meeting first with impacted farmers and then
reporting their findings to network labs.
Dr. Retallick, in the materials you provided to our
Committee, you mentioned that the Kansas State Veterinary
Diagnostic Laboratory experienced a 62 percent faculty turnover
in 2022. Has your lab worked to address these shortages? And
what could Congress do to help with that effort?
Dr. Retallick. I do think, though, all the labs saw
shortages in 2022. For us, it was getting in more technicians.
We developed a technician internship pipeline or program, and
so we started bringing in those younger generations for
technicians. We were able to increase our residents. Our
residents are those trained to be faculty, and so we were able
to increase our pathology residents. And so, again, we are
thankful for the support we get through the NAHLN. That does
help support salaries, and so that investment is going back to
helping train those technicians with salary support, providing
the internships, and helping us train future faculty through
residencies and graduate programs, which is important in
keeping us staffed.
Mrs. Hayes. Thank you. And with that, I yield back and
thank you for your--oh, hey.
Mr. Baird [presiding.] The young lady yields back.
Next, we go to the great State of Indiana, Representative
Messmer.
Mr. Messmer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you,
witnesses, for being here today.
With turkey products accounting for nearly \3/4\ of the
total livestock and animal production in my district, high-path
influenza remains a major threat. Thanks to the outstanding
efforts of Purdue's Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and
on-farm biosecurity measures, my district avoided an outbreak
this year. But even without a confirmed case, our farmers are
daily in contact with Purdue ADDL. As the only NAHLN lab in the
state, Purdue ran more than 11,000 avian flu tests in the first
2 months of this year alone.
Dr. Main and Dr. Retallick, each of your labs also serve as
the only NAHLN facility in your state. Given the strains ag
states of our size can put on a singular facility, how
important is it that our labs are well staffed and equipped
with state-of-the-art technology?
Dr. Retallick. It is very important that we are very well
staffed. We watch our molecular sections. NAHLN is primarily
molecular tests, and so making sure we are rapid on keeping
those staffs. We also have on-call for those sections. And
then, so, yep, it is important to make sure that we stay
staffed. And the equipment that we get through the NAHLN
funding helps us when we can add equipment or replace aging
equipment. That serves to increase our capacity also.
Dr. Main. And I would just echo that, is that it has been
very important to us as the State of Iowa to have a robust,
state-of-the-art, food-animal-centered veterinary diagnostic
laboratory to support Iowa and then broader U.S. animal
agriculture. And so we have been very blessed in that way. And
it is being leveraged in that we kind of function as an
extension of the practitioners and veterinary practices that we
serve. And I think it is that day-to-day--we are essentially an
extension of their business as a trusted partner, and we think
those relationships that we use day-to-day are leveraged
greatly when you get into times of crisis.
Mr. Messmer. Thank you. For the purpose of bringing funding
into perspective, would each of you share how much Federal
funding your facility receives compared to the value of the
livestock industry your lab protects?
Dr. Retallick. For the State of Kansas, for the Level 1,
the annual infrastructure is approximately $250,000. The Kansas
livestock is $12.9 billion. We do receive many years'
supplemental funding also in addition, but it is primarily that
infrastructure $250,000 from the NAHLN as a Level 1 laboratory.
Dr. Main. Same here as the $250,000 in Iowa would be about
$35 billion.
Dr. Hensley. Same here.
Mr. Messmer. Excellent. Well, each year, animal product
sales in Indiana totaled more than $3.5 billion. And based on
your responses, I think it is safe to say the investments H.R.
1 included for NAHLN will be paid back in spades, so thank you
for that.
Also, last Tuesday, Secretary Rollins issued a National
Farm Security Action Plan. The plan highlights the importance
of addressing biosecurity threats from our foreign adversaries.
Dr. Retallick, in your opinion, is NAHLN currently equipped
to handle major bioterrorism? And if not, what do we need to do
to make our nation and our ag system protected?
Dr. Retallick. Again, a key part of NAHLN is that
communication among the 64 laboratories. It provides that
robust network, which is that first line of defense. And so I
believe the NAHLN is very well equipped to respond. Capacity
can always be increased and improved and efficiency, and so any
funding that can help with salaries and equipment to increase
that capacity for the labs is always going to be beneficial in
an instance like that.
Dr. Main. Because one of the things when it is an early
detection system, but then it is also going back to the need
for laboratory capacity that, again, knows no boundaries within
the U.S. is very important, especially when you are getting
into multifocal incidences. And the vast majority of the
testing involved is demonstrating where the disease or
incursion is not to be able to maintain continuity of business
outside of the pinpoint of this is infected. But proving where
it is not is far greater than 95 percent of all the testing
that has happened.
Mr. Messmer. Thank you for all of your answers, and I yield
back my time.
Mr. Baird. Thank you. The gentleman yields back.
Our Chairman had to go vote in another committee, so he has
asked me to share with you some of his closing remarks, the
first being how much we appreciate all of you taking the time
out of your schedules to be here because we think this is an
important aspect of agriculture and food security.
But anyway, he says today's hearing provided the perfect
opportunity to highlight the critical work undertaken each and
every day by the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.
NAHLN's system is a shining example of what Federal, state, and
local collaboration looks like when it is done correctly. And
the work of NAHLN's laboratory is absolutely critical to
protecting our domestic animal supply, our producers, and
national security.
So to our witnesses, thank you for being here, for walking
us through the day-to-day operations of NAHLN laboratories and
explaining the detailed diagnostic testing you and your
colleague do and answering our questions about a whole host of
foreign animal diseases. Your testimony and expertise have been
invaluable. So we look forward to continuing to work with you
all on the animal health issues for the 119th Congress and for
the years to come.
Thank you, and this hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:22 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
[Material submitted for inclusion in the record follows:]
Submitted Questions
Questions Submitted by Hon. Mary E. Miller, a Representative in
Congress from Illinois
Response from Rodger G. Main, D.V.M., Ph.D., Professor and Director,
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and
Diagnostic Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State
University
Question 1. Dr. Main, the NAHLN system relies on both Level 1 and
Level 2 laboratories. Can you speak to how Level 2 labs--like the one
at University of Illinois, Urbana--support national disease response
when Level 1 capacity is maxed out?
Answer. All labs in the NAHLN play a significant role in supporting
the efforts of the network as a whole and most notably in supporting
the disease surveillance response efforts in support of the needs of
their local state or region.
While the size, scope, and composition of the routine (day to day)
clientele and caseload varies significantly among labs in the NAHLN;
each the participating labs are well suited to provide the quality
assured diagnostic testing of which they are certified to conduct. The
certifications pursued tend to be based upon the needs of the
respective lab's routine client base being served and can be expanded
in a time of national need.
The primary differences between Level 1 and Level 2 labs are
principally differentiated by the degree of laboratory infrastructure
present, size of the lab, and overall lab capacity or breath of NAHLN
scope related testing conducted at the lab.
Question 2. Could you share an example of a recent outbreak where
Level 2 labs made a significant impact in supporting the overall
national response? And more specifically, how does your lab at Iowa
State coordinate with Level 2 partners like Illinois to ensure a
strong, regional approach to testing and containment?
Answer. All of the Level 1 and Level 2 VDLs in the NAHLN are
certified to Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) PCR testing. AIV PCR is the
core testing being used in support of the response to the High-Path
Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak that has impacted U.S. poultry, egg,
and dairy producers over the course of the past 2 years. Thus, many
Level 1 and Level 2 NAHLN labs across the country have been actively
engaged in the recent HPAIV Response.
Our lab here in Iowa participates in the weekly calls hosted by the
USDA NAHLN Program Coordinator that includes representation of the
leadership of all of the VDL's in the NAHLN.
These weekly forums provide an excellent means and venue not only
for information sharing from the NAHLN Program Office to the
participating VDLs; but also for peer-to-peer VDL sharing of best
practices and their local (regional) experiences. The USDA NAHLN
Program Coordinators do an excellent job in ensuring the experiences
and lessons being learned ``on the ground'' in the participating labs
are well understood by their peers in the spirit helping to drive the
continuous improvement of the network over time.
The leadership of the labs across the NAHLN is reasonably small
community of veterinary diagnostic laboratory professionals nested with
the respective VDLs across the country. The weekly forums hosted by the
NAHLN as well as the continuing education related forums hosted by the
American Association of Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) create an
environment where there are many opportunities for peer-to-peer
learning and sharing of best practices among labs across the network.
Question 3. Are there any lessons from COVID-19 or recent livestock
disease outbreaks--such as ASF--that Congress should consider when
reauthorizing or expanding funding for NAHLN? Particularly in ways that
would strengthen the capacity, integration, and infrastructure of Level
2 laboratories?
Answer. As I mentioned in my testimony, I believe the NAHLN is an
exemplary example of a highly functional and effective partnership
among Federal, state, university, and industry partners.
The NAHLN delivers a national standard of best-in-class veterinary
diagnostic technologies, testing capabilities, and coordination of
information among the Federal, state, and private-sector (practicing)
veterinarians from across the U.S. who are responsible for surveilling
and responding to animal health emergencies of high consequence to U.S.
animal agriculture.
The power and cost effectiveness of the NAHLN comes via the
distributed nature its design in which a comparatively modest amount of
Federal coordination and investment leverages the substantive
veterinary diagnostic laboratory infrastructure, subject matter
expertise, quality assured laboratory testing capabilities, research
scientists, and the direct connectivity to the frontlines of U.S.
animal agriculture that exists at the university and state veterinary
diagnostic labs across the country. A true a true win-win-win--for U.S.
animal health and public health; for U.S. agriculture more broadly; and
for enhancing the security, safety, and affordability of our nation's
food supply.
A partnership in which I believe to be working well in utilizing
the capabilities of NAHLN labs irrespective of Level 1 or Level 2.
A recent example of a lesson learned via the recent HPAIV response
was that samples without the need for same day testing in California
were diverted via overnight shipment for next day testing at other
NAHLN labs throughout the country (e.g., the Iowa State University
Veterinary Diagnostic Lab as being one example). This strategy that
involved diverting samples to peer laboratories (due to the local NAHLN
laboratory being overwhelmed) in a time of need was extraordinarily
effective, broadly sustainable, highly scalable, and brings with it a
rather extraordinary magnitude of testing capacity that resides across
the network.
[all]