Search Site   
Current News Stories
Solar eclipse, new moon coming April 8
Mystery illness affecting dairy cattle in Texas Panhandle
Teach others to live sustainably
Gun safety begins early
Hard-cooked eggs recipes great for Easter, anytime
Michigan carrot producers to vote on program continuation
Suggestions to celebrate 50th wedding anniversary
USDA finalizes new ‘Product of the USA’ labeling rule 
U.S. weather outlooks currently favoring early planting season
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids expanding and moving to new facility
Role of women in agriculture changing Hoosier dairy farmer says
   
News Articles
Search News  
   

BOAH OKs fee hikes for animal diagnostic testing

 

 

By JOHN BELDEN

Indiana Correspondent

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — During its quarterly meeting April 9, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) approved new fees and increases to existing fees for tests conducted at the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL), located at the Purdue University Heeke Laboratory in Dubois.

"There are new fees that are for completely new tests," ADDL Director Stephen B. Hooser said. "There are also a group of tests where the fees were increased to reflect increasing costs of doing those tests. We’re covering the increased cost of test kits, labor and the supplies that we use to do the tests."

He presented the new fee proposal to the board while noting most were increases of $1-$2, such as from $25 to $26 for a bacteriological drag swab or from $8 to $10 for a fecal exam for parasites. One exception is tests using an electron microscope, which increase from $20 per specimen to $30.

Hooser said the reason is the lab needs to use Purdue’s microscope on the main campus in West Lafayette. "An electron microscope is really expensive, $300,000 to $400,000 or more," he said.

"(The ADDL microscope) can’t be fixed. We nursed it along, kept having it fixed, but it got to be to the point where we couldn’t even get parts for it. Purdue does have a fairly new electron microscope on campus, so it works out well."

The fees were approved unanimously by the board. Changes to existing fees take effect July 1.

The fees for new services were established when the lab started doing the tests, Hooser said. They include new blood tests for Brucella ovis and PRRSV OF ($4-$7), aerobic milk cultures ($10-$12 for samples, $40 for bulk milk tank) and a canine toxicology for the recreational drug K-2 Spice ($32). A $30 fee was set for molecular diagnostic tests developed in the last year for porcine and turkey viruses.

"There will be another test (later in the year)," he added, "that combines porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, porcine delta coronavirus and a third related disease – a triplex test. We’ll announce it (online) and I hope it will be within the month. The test has been validated; we’re just doing the cost analysis to see what the price would be."

Hooser told the board Purdue is looking into reducing or ending the practice of the lab charging additional fees, typically double, for out-of-state submissions.

"When fees were first instituted for the diagnostic lab in 1983, most state veterinary diagnostic labs had an out-of-state fee that was anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent more," he said.

"Over the years, almost all of the states have reduced that drastically, or they have gotten rid of it, so now the feeling is – at least by me – that we would get much more out-of-state business, which would help support the lab and help decrease the costs for the taxpayers of Indiana, if we were to eliminate the out-of-state fee."

It can also be an animal and public health issue when considering there are tests the Indiana ADDL does that are not offered in other states. "For instance," Hooser said, "the molecular Turkey Corona Virus test; as far as I know we are the only veterinary diagnostic lab that offers that test.

"I don’t think there’s any other in the country. (Out of state clients must accept the higher fee) or they don’t take it at all. They would only send it to us in dire emergencies, probably, rather than having routine surveillance."

Hooser reported the university is in the planning stages of a project to rebuild Heeke Labs. When constructed 45 years ago, the building was expected to have a life expectancy of 25 years, he explained.

The approval of laboratory fees was the only measure requiring a vote for BOAH during its meeting, except for the election of board officers. Amy Lanum was selected as chair, Sarah Wagler as vice chair and Mark Legan as hearing officer.

The board’s next quarterly meeting is scheduled for July 9 at the BOAH offices, located at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

4/15/2015