4 days ago
CT has New England's only USDA accredited lab for bird flu tests. It monitors many deadly diseases
As the only laboratory in the Northeast authorized by the USDA to test for bird flu, the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory on the University of Connecticut campus, is helping play a role in detecting diseases in companion animals, livestock and wildlife as one of the largest animal diagnostic labs in New England.
The not-for-profit full-service laboratory, housed within UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, specializes in pathology, microbiology, virology, molecular diagnostics and toxicology, offering a range of diagnostic tests to support animal health professionals. The laboratory, one of the largest in New England, serves as a resource for veterinarians, researchers and public health officials.
Beyond serving veterinarians, CVMDL collaborates with state and federal agencies to monitor and respond to emerging infectious diseases, including zoonotic threats that could impact human health. The lab is also instrumental in the early detection of diseases such as avian influenza, Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
The CVMDL confirmed the state's first case of bird flu back in January as cases began to appear throughout the Northeast, according to their website.
'Each year we respond to around 3,000 necropsies or animal autopsies,' said Guillermo Risatti, professor and director for the CVMDL.
'Sometimes when we receive a case, the same case could be 10 chickens, but it's still considered one case. Often times when we receive small animals like chickens or birds, we may receive more than one animal. But we also receive a lot of samples including milk samples from farms and swabs from clinics or veterinarians. So in total, we are conducting around 12,000 to 15,000 tests per year.'
Risatti said that the laboratory works closely with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and with national agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
'DEEP is always bringing a lot of animals to us including bears, raccoons and skunks to get tested,' Risatti said. 'They are mainly bringing in animals for rabies testing, and we have a good working relationship with them. Rabies continues to be a source for concern in the state as it impacts public health.'
There were 36 rabies cases diagnosed in animals in 2023, according to the state's annual report.
The monitoring and detection of certain types of viruses must be reported to federal agencies including anything that affects livestock or poultry. Viruses that are required to be reported to the USDA include avian influenza, Newcastle disease virus, foot-and mouth-disease, African swine fever and classical swine fever, Risatti said.
Avian influenza or bird flu is a naturally occurring virus and can cause infection in birds, humans and some other mammals, such as pigs, according to officials. Sometimes, however, the virus is introduced into a new host, such as domestic poultry, and evolves into a more lethal, highly pathogenic avian influenza strain. HPAI can affect poultry and other large livestock animals including dairy cows, officials said. The laboratory tests for HPAI in cows using milk samples.
Surveillance and testing for bird flu are ongoing in Connecticut to quickly identify and contain any future cases, according to officials. The CVMDL conducts all tests at the laboratory in Storrs and informs the state veterinarian of findings. Connecticut is home to over five million poultry consisting of backyard and commercial flocks that could be affected by the disease outbreak, according to Risatti.
The CVMDL is nationally accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians – the only veterinary diagnostic laboratory in New England with this accreditation. Because of its national accreditation, it is authorized to conduct testing for federal agencies, distinguishing it among other diagnostic labs in the region.
'We were the first to diagnose the presence of HPAI in a dairy cow in Connecticut back in 2023,' Risatti said. 'We are the only lab in New England that is authorized to test for avian influenza for the federal government. It's based on a test provided to us by the USDA, and we are proficient in that test. So we receive samples from Connecticut and other state's like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. We conduct avian flu testing for most of New England and report results to the USDA.'
Some of the other diseases the laboratory diagnosis include rabbit hemorrhagic disease and equine herpesvirus.
RHD is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease affecting domestic and wild rabbits. The laboratory confirmed the presence of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus in a colony of rabbits located in Hartford County at a private facility back in 2022.
Equine herpesvirus affects horses and has two significant variations including EHV-1, which causes respiratory disease, abortion and neurologic disease; and EHV-4, which primarily causes respiratory disease and only occasionally causes abortion or neurologic disease. The laboratory confirmed diagnosis of EHV-1 in a 14-year-old horse located in Tolland County back in March 2022. CVMDL has the capacity to test clinical samples including nasal swabs and complete blood for EHV-1, Risatti said.
Anyone who suspects their companion animal or livestock to be exhibiting viral symptoms, may contact the CVMDL for testing. Ticks may also be mailed to the CVMDL if suspected for Lyme disease. A complete list of diagnostic testing services and prices can be found at
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@
