COLUMBIA — The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine is undergoing an expansion to enhance its diagnostic capabilities, benefiting both animals and people across Missouri and beyond. The VMDL employs specialists from various fields to provide diagnostic services, research support, and training.
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Dr. Tamara Hancock, an associate professor specializing in pathology, described the VMDL as akin to a detective lab for animal health. When veterinarians refer tests to a lab, those samples often arrive at the VMDL in Columbia. While the laboratory does analyze bloodwork and tissue samples, its role extends far beyond those responsibilities.
Specialists at the VMDL collaborate with veterinarians at the Veterinary Health Center to select appropriate tests and reach accurate diagnoses. Dr. Hancock emphasized the lab's importance, stating that even those without pets or livestock are at risk of exposure to outdoor diseases like those carried by ticks, bird flu, or rabies. The lab's surveillance and disease detection efforts are vital for the health of both the Missouri population and its animals.
The original VMDL facility was established in 1970, and Dr. Hancock noted that advances in disease detection and diagnostics, along with increasing demand for testing, have prompted the expansion. "Our expansion project is going to position the VMDL to continue to help serve the people of Missouri and really the nation," she said. This investment aims to broaden services, training, and responses to current and emerging animal disease threats.
Dr. Hancock highlighted that the expansion represents an effective use of tax dollars, enhancing both human and animal health services while maintaining leadership in disease diagnostics.