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North Dakota Deploys Mobile Lab
Scientists and veterinarians in North Dakota will use a new mobile laboratory to investigate disease and potential cases of bioterrorism against the state’s livestock, the Associated Press reported yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 20). “There is a lot of concern about the potential vulnerability of our food supply, and this is one tool to try and deal with that,” said state Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. A 32-foot, truck-pulled trailer is undergoing more than $60,000 in upgrades to become the rolling laboratory. It has room for equipment on a stainless steel countertop, a refrigeration and freezer unit, sleeping space for six people and a rear holding area for examining animal carcasses. A satellite dish will be installed to allow researchers to send photographs and data to the North Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Fargo, AP reported. Two teams of staffers will be able to perform diagnostic tests on cattle, sheep and other livestock in remote areas without electricity or running water, AP reported. Doing investigations on site will reduce the chances of spreading disease by transporting sick animals to a fixed laboratory, said Pat Jensen, dean of the NDSU College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources. The lab was equipped through a $1.25 million federally funded agrosecurity program in North Dakota, according to AP.
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