# Vet-LIRN Capacity Building for Increased Sample Analysis (U18)

> **NIH FDA U18** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2024 · $27,600

## Abstract

Abstract
In 2007, some pets became ill and a few died as the result of consuming contaminated pet food.
An investigation revealed that the incident was due to melamine, an adulterant found in the
contaminated pet food. Melamine was also found in tainted animal feed that was used for farm
animal and fish. Some food animals that ate the tainted feed were processed into human food.
This event had major implications for animal and human health. In recognition of the event and
its consequences, the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) sought out cooperative
agreements with veterinary diagnostic laboratories to enable analysis of animal diagnostic
samples and animal food/drug products in the event that laboratory surge capacity resulting
from large-scale outbreak or threat incident is needed. Participating laboratories have increase
surge capacity and have prepared for analysis related to microbiological or chemical
contamination, either through intentional or unintentional means. This consortium of laboratories
is useful for the detection and surveillance of animal feeds or other large-scale outbreaks, so as
to halt an event early and reduce consequences. The emergent of SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2019
was a public health need that was not identified at the time of our original Vet-LIRN award. The
susceptibility of multiple animal species including household pets to the virus generated an
unknown threat to public health, and warrant investigation to bridge the knowledge gap of the
virus at the human-pet/animal interface. This application is to continue the Wisconsin Veterinary
Diagnostic Laboratory’s (WVDL) commitment to this cooperative agreement and to establish
rapid communication with Vet-LIRN to increase the government’s ability to examine samples
from animals adversely affected by contaminated or adulterated products. Examination of such
samples can contribute to overall food safety as animal food events could signal potential issues
in the human food system. The University of Wisconsin (UW)- Madison, Wisconsin Veterinary
Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL) is fully accredited by the American Association of Veterinary
Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), and thus, has the personnel with necessary experience,
technical expertise and necessary infrastructure to participate in method standardization,
training, proficiency testing, and deployment of new equipment to accomplish the task described
above with relative ease. The WVDL has participated in several proficiency test and intra-
laboratory comparison exercises (ICE) in the past 5 years and has participated in other funding
opportunities included the purchase, implementation and utilization of the Illumina iSeq 100
sequencing platform and SARS-CoV-2 PCR and serology testing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10844421
- **Project number:** 5U18FD006380-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Ailam Lee Lim
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $27,600
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10844421

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10844421, Vet-LIRN Capacity Building for Increased Sample Analysis (U18) (5U18FD006380-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10844421. Licensed CC0.

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