# CAHFS Microbiology VetLIRN support

> **NIH FDA U18** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2024 · $25,200

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The California Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) system, within the School of Veterinary
Medicine (SVM), is comprised of four laboratories dedicated to veterinary diagnostics. The
CAHFS system is uniquely qualified to assist with the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation
Response Network (Vet-LIRN) mission. Microbial testing of clinical samples and food matricies
is an integral part of our core mission. The large CAHFS system has built in redundancy. All four
locations have bacterial testing capabilities. Thus, CAHFS provides surge capacity that could
benefit FDA and Vet-LIRN in meeting microbiological testing needs and assisting with a
coordinated response to an animal food or product emergency event. As an accredited member
of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), CAHFS adheres
to rigorous standards and maintains strict oversight of all standard operating procedures to
ensure results are accurate, repeatable, and consistent. FDA protocols published in the
Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) are followed for food pathogen testing including the
Vet-LIRN samples. Incorporation of new food matrices or introduction of new instrumentation
are qualified first by established validation and verification procedures described in AAVLD and
FDA guidelines. Lastly, one of the benefits provided by collaborating with a full-service
veterinary diagnostic facility such as CAHFS is the broad range of expertise present within the
system. We have faculty with a vast breadth of expertise in infectious diseases, zoonotic
infections and food safety diagnostics and interventions. Our infrastructure (both CAHFS and
SVM) is available to provide diagnostic support for Vet-LIRN submissions. All of these
competencies align with the Vet-LIRN mission of expanding the FDA response to animal
food/drug adulteration or contamination. CAHFS participation in this current cooperative
agreement will allow the laboratory to maintain its readiness to respond to Vet-LIRN needs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10849708
- **Project number:** 5U18FD006161-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** KATHY Lynn KURTH
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $25,200
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10849708

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10849708, CAHFS Microbiology VetLIRN support (5U18FD006161-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10849708. Licensed CC0.

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