Kurt A. Zuelke, DVM, Ph.D.

Director, USDA ARS National Animal Disease Center

ARS’ Animal Health Research

Program: Core Competencies

Infectious diseases

Virology

Bacteriology

Immunology

Genomics

Pathology

Disease detection

Epidemiology

Research Needs

Host-pathogen

response mechanisms

Host range and tissue

tropism

Carrier state, duration

& routes of shedding

Transmission

mechanisms

Ecology and

epidemiology

Global Factors Impacting Animal

Health

Trade

Regionalization

Travel

Intensification of

animal production,

Evolution of

infectious agents

Biotechnology

Bioterrorism

ARS Foreign Animal Disease

Research

Foot and Mouth

Disease

Rift Valley Fever

Classical Swine

Fever

Newcastle’s Disease

Highly Pathogenic

Avian Influenza

Foot and Mouth Disease

Research

Pathogenesis and

transmission

Development of

improved vaccines

Novel strategies to

speed-up

protective

immunity following

vaccination

Infrared image of a cow infected with

foot-and-mouth-disease virus.

Classical swine Fever & African

Swine Fever Research

Understanding

fundamental disease

parameters

Vaccine development

Rapid onset of immunity

& transmission

prevention

Ability to differentiate

infected from vaccinated

Rift Valley Fever Research

Identifying

potential vectors

Evaluating new

diagnostic assays

Investigating

potential wildlife

reservoirs

Developing new

vaccines

Newcastle Disease Research

Pathogenesis of

the disease

Development

and evaluation

of new vaccines

Avian Influenza Research

Countermeasures for

disease control and

prevention

Effective diagnostics for

early detection

Vaccine requirements:

Prevent viral

transmission

Differentiate vaccinated

from infected flocks

Delivered to large

numbers of birds

ARS Led the National Agricultural Research Response to

Novel 2009 H1N1 Influenza

Operationalized federal interagency partnership to combat emerging influenza viruses (NADC, CDC, NIH, APHIS) as a model ‘One Health Paradigm’

Determined pathogenesis and transmissibility in swine

Created new diagnostic tests to detect emergent H1N1 strains

Confirmed food safety of infected swine

Determined efficacy of existing commercial vaccines

Developed and tested new swine influenza vaccine strains

2009 H1N1 SIV Animal Studies -NADC

Tuberculosis

Brucellosis

Leptospirosis

Wildlife Reservoirs of Zoonotic Diseases

Wildlife Research in Bio-Containment

Brucellosis Research

Improving

diagnostics to

determine the

species of Brucella

Developing

vaccines to control

infection in wildlife

reservoir

Brucellosis in the Greater

Yellowstone Area

Leptospirosis Research

Development of new diagnostic technologies

Comparative microbial genomics studies

Genomics-based approach Ecology of Leptospira

species and serovars

Host-pathogen interactions

Bovine Tuberculosis

Developing diagnostic

assays for TB

Developing highly

efficacious vaccines

Bio-containment Infrastructure

for Animal Health Research

Ames Modernization

Project - NADC

National Bio-

Agrodefense Facility

Challenges

USDA Ames Modernization Project

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