Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center Receives Governor's Excellence in Ag Partnership Award

Strategic Insights -

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's (UNL) Veterinary Diagnostic Center has been recognized for its scientific excellence and support of Nebraska agricultural stakeholders with the Governor's Excellence in Ag Partnership Award. The center provides critical support in detecting, researching, and addressing animal disease, which is essential for food security and national security. The diagnostic center analyzes 300,000 samples annually to monitor common animal diseases and high-consequence threats like avian influenza. The laboratory's work supports high-level veterinary and disease research, and its diagnostic testing has been vital in detecting diseases such as avian influenza and rabies.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center has received the Governor's Excellence in Ag Partnership Award for its scientific excellence and support of Nebraska agricultural stakeholders.
  • The center analyzes 300,000 samples annually to monitor common animal diseases and high-consequence threats like avian influenza.
  • The laboratory supports high-level veterinary and disease research, and its diagnostic testing has been vital in detecting diseases such as avian influenza and rabies.
  • The center has a partnership with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Animal Health Laboratory Network to receive training in cutting-edge diagnostic techniques.
  • Scott McVey, professor and director of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, said that the center provides daily support for practicing veterinarians and the many clients it serves.
  • Dustin Loy, the center's director and professor of veterinary microbiology, emphasized the importance of timely test results, stating that "for a lot of these diseases, every hour is an opportunity for it to spread or for more mortality to occur."
  • The facility is Nebraska's only veterinary diagnostic lab accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.
  • The center has expertise in disciplines including bacteriology, histology, immunohistochemistry, pathology, molecular diagnostics, serology, and virology.
  • The scientists working in the lab have expertise in disciplines including bacteriology, histology, immunohistochemistry, pathology, molecular diagnostics, serology, and virology.
  • The center has provided excellent and efficient service for the state and veterinarians, and has been a central resource for the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Statistics:

  • 300,000: The number of samples analyzed annually by the laboratory to monitor common animal diseases and high-consequence threats like avian influenza.
  • 65,000 square feet: The size of the laboratory.
  • 2020-21: The period during which the facility scaled up to handle the heavy volume of campus community samples to test for SARS-COV-2.
  • Aug. 13, 2025: The date on which Gov. Jim Pillen presented the Governor's Excellence in Ag Partnership Award to the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center at the 2025 Governor's Summit in Kearney.

Sources:

  • "University of Nebraska-Lincoln News Release: Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center Receives Governor's Excellence in Ag Partnership Award"
  • American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD)
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN)