Aerial view of Plum Island Animal Disease Center.

The Plum Island Animal Disease Center is a United States federal research facility dedicated to the study of foreign animal diseases. Since 1954, Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) has been protecting America's livestock from foreign animal diseases. Plum Island Animal Disease Center (aerial view). ... Plum Island Animal Disease Center (aerial view). ...

PIADC's mission can be grouped into three main categories: diagnosis, research and education.

As a diagnostic facility, PIADC is capable of diagnosing approximately 36 foreign animal diseases and several domestic diseases. PIADC runs about 30,000 diagnostic tests each year.

The facility's research program includes developing diagnostic tools and preventatives (such as vaccines) for foot-and-mouth disease and other foreign diseases of livestock.

Since 1971, PIADC has been educating veterinarians in foreign animal diseases. The center hosts several Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic schools each year to train federal and state veterinarians and laboratory diagnostic staff, military veterinarians and veterinary school faculty.

PIADC operates Biosafety Level 3 Agriculture (BSL-3Ag), BSL-3 and BSL-2 laboratory facilities.

At PIADC, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) work together in a shared mission. DHS' Targeted Advanced Development unit partners with USDA, academia and industry scientists to deliver promising vaccines and antivirals to the USDA for licensure and inclusion in the USDA National Veterinary Vaccine Stockpile.

USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) performs basic and applied research to better formulate countermeasures against foreign animal diseases, including strategies for prevention, control and recovery. ARS focuses on developing faster-acting vaccines and antivirals to be used during outbreaks to limit or stop transmission. Antivirals prevent infection while vaccine immunity develops. The principal diseases studied are foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever and vesicular stomatitis virus.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) operates the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, an internationally recognized facility performing diagnostic testing of samples collected from U.S. livestock. APHIS also tests animals and animal products being imported into the U.S. APHIS maintains the North American Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank at PIADC and hosts the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnosticians training program, offering several classes per year to train veterinarians to recognize foreign animal diseases.

The center is located on Plum Island, off the northeast coast of Long Island in New York state. During the Spanish-American War, the island was purchased by the government for the construction of Fort Terry, which was later deactivated after WWII and then reactivated in 1952 for the Army Chemical Corps. In response to disease outbreaks in Mexico and Canada in 1954, the Army turned the island over to the Agriculture Department to establish a research center dedicated to the study of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle. Because Congressional law stipulates that live foot-and-mouth disease virus cannot be studied on the mainland, PIADC is unique in that it is the only laboratory in the U.S. equipped with research facilities that permit the study of foot-and-mouth disease. Aerial view of Plum Island Animal Disease Center. ... Mercator projection of Long Island Long Island is an island in New York, USA. It has an area of 1,377 square miles (3567 km²) and a population of 7. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ...

In 2002, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center was transferred from the United States Department of Agriculture to the United States Department of Homeland Security. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The U.S. Department of Agriculture, also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA, is a Cabinet department of the United States Federal Government. ... The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), commonly known as Homeland Security, is a Cabinet department of the Federal Government of the United States with the responsibility of protecting the territory of the United States from terrorist attack and responding to natural disasters. ...

Foot-and-mouth disease is extremely contagious among cloven-hoofed animals. Accidental outbreaks of the virus have caused catastrophic livestock and economic losses in many countries throughout the world. Foot-and-mouth disease was eradicated from the U.S. in 1929 but is currently endemic to many parts of the world.

External links

• Official website
• PIADC site