By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky (UK) Livestock Disease and Diagnostic Center (LDDC) got a shot in the arm to the tune of $20 million on Sept. 12, by way of the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.

Gov. Steve Beshear made the presentation of the ceremonial check to LDDC officials. The money will be used for $25.8 million expansion and renovation of the facility to meet up-to-date health and biosecurity standards.

“The investment in this facility is key to supporting animal agriculture, a vital part of Kentucky’s economy. The state’s world-class equine and livestock industries, as well as robust and growing poultry and small ruminant industries, require vigilance in disease surveillance and diagnosis,” Beshear said.

“I’m pleased the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board funds were available to make this important project a reality.”

The center, a full-service animal health diagnostic facility, handles one of the largest case loads in the nation, seeing 60,000 clinical cases and performing 5,000 necropsies (animal autopsies) on average annually, according to information from the UK College of Agriculture. The laboratory also protects public health by diagnosing zoonotic diseases (communicable from animals to humans) that can potentially cross over into the public sector.

“Enhancement of these facilities is absolutely essential if the college is to be able to fulfill its state-mandated missions for safeguarding animal health,” said Scott Smith, dean of the College of Agriculture. “Our faculty and staff are to be applauded for managing one of the nation’s heaviest veterinarian diagnostic workloads in crowded and outdated quarters. But now they will have the capacity to make a major step forward.”

The project has taken a few years to get under way. Planning began in 2003 by Nancy Cox, UK associate dean for research and director of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, and Lenn Harrison, the center’s former director. UK received $8.5 million in general funds for the planning, digester design and purchase and the design of the pre-treatment facility from the 2005 legislature, with the $20 million allocated by the 2008 legislature in the 2009-10 budget.

“We have a lot of people to thank, including our stakeholders and legislators, because this has been a needs-driven process,” Cox said. “It was a very conscious and careful effort to place importance on animal enterprises in the state of Kentucky.”

But even with the long time frame, the center has moved forward, said Cox. “We haven’t been standing still. We’ve been improving our personnel and technologies.”

The center’s current director, Craig Carter, said the improvements will enable the center to be better equipped to respond in the event of an emergency or disease outbreak. “These renovations and additions will also help us to better mitigate potentially devastating outbreaks like Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) and in dealing with a potential agri-terrorist event,” he said.

Improvements to the facility will include addition of wings for necropsy laboratories and administration, making way for more lab space. The expansions will also nearly double the size of the existing 38,000-square-foot facility.

Information from UK noted that the center will switch to alkaline digestion as its main form of tissue disposal, which is more cost effective and environmentally friendly than other methods. These and other technological improvements to the facility will allow it to meet current biosafety requirements.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2010.