About one quarter of our operational budget of the AHDC is funded through a contract with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to support its function as the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, as established by law, with additional state funding for wildlife health through a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation contract, and funding from USDA Veterinary Services to support high consequence disease surveillance, response and mitigation activities.
The AHDC was awarded funding through USDA: APHIS to serve as a National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility/NAHLN liaison laboratory for the U.S. Northeast.
We are a designated Level 1 Laboratory in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). We operate a BSL-3 functional laboratory space, including for necropsy of animal species.
New York Code – Agriculture and Markets – Article 5 § 73-b. The New York state veterinary diagnostic laboratory
- The commissioner is authorized to establish and maintain, by contract or otherwise, a New York state veterinary diagnostic laboratory and to contract for other diagnostic services, as he or she may deem necessary or beneficial, to improve the health of food and fiber producing animals, companion animals, sport and recreational animals, exotic animals and wildlife.
- The New York state veterinary diagnostic laboratory shall:
- Evaluate domestic and wild animal populations for evidence of disease agents that may cause human disease;
- Maintain capability to respond to disease outbreaks in animals;
- Establish diagnostic testing capabilities to establish herd health status and evaluation of disease programs;
- Support disease surveillance and monitoring programs of domestic, zoo and wild animals;
- Support veterinarians by analyzing and interpreting samples obtained from clinical cases; and
- Evaluate, adjust and improve New York’s ability to recognize diseases that impact animal populations.
