USDA Certifies 5 New Labs

May 14, 2004 -- In a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) it was announced that five additional state laboratories have been certified to assist in the surveillance program for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The labs, located in Florida, Minnesota, Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, will receive federal funding on a per-test basis.

The labs will use approved rapid tests for BSE surveillance. The five laboratories announced this week are in addition to the seven laboratories previously announced on March 29. All of these labs are part of an existing network of state and federal labs that assist USDA?s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) with animal disease testing as needed.

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