New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

03/27/2025

Our histology section has brought on a second tissue processor to handle the higher volumes. This not only ensures quality and fast turnaround, but it provides redundancy in the event a processor is being serviced. The histology section produces over 40,000 slides a year. In addition to the pathology cases read by our four onsite boarded veterinary pathologists, our histology team prepares slides for an additional six pathologists who contract our histology services. With three full time histologists, and multiple part time technicians, we're very excited about their continued success.

02/10/2025

The NHVDL provides surveillance testing for avian influenza in backyard poultry and wild birds. We test thousands of backyard chickens annually through blood tests and we also perform autopsies daily on deceased birds to test for avian influenza and other diseases. The lab is currently working towards the implementation of rapid influenza PCR testing to expand our capacity and response during influenza outbreaks such as this.

The virus is circulating in some wild birds here. But so far, it hasn’t spread to any commercial poultry flocks or dairy herds.

02/10/2025

https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/cdfa-public-notice-regarding-h5n9-strain-avian-influenza

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) H5N9 Strain Detected for the First Time in California, A Different Strain than H5N1A commercial duck flock in Merced County, confirmed to have H5N1 bird flu on December 14, 2024, received secondary testing and the final report on January 13, 2025 confirme...

02/06/2025

The strain of bird flu is distinct from what has previously been found in dairy cattle. The finding raises some worrying questions — and concerns over the Trump administration's muted response.

09/10/2024

Congratulations to Dr. Annie Flocken who has completed her 3 years residency program in anatomic pathology. We have enjoyed having Annie here as part of a joint residency with Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She has been a valuable member of our team and our four boarded pathologists were glad to provide the mentorship. We look forward to some ongoing projects with Annie as she explores next steps in her pathology career.

04/19/2024

Very excited to have our new Sakura Prisma auto slide stainer installed. This new equipment will allow for larger throughput and faster turn-around for our histology slides. Our histology staff received training from Sakura and are eager to validate it over the coming days.

04/09/2024

Some of our lab staff taking a moment to appreciate today's eclipse. Beautiful day here in NH for the event.

01/25/2024

Learn to keep your birds safe.

09/26/2023

Do you know that September 28th will mark the 17th annual World Rabies Day? This global health observance started in 2007 to raise awareness about the disease and bring together partners to enhance prevention and control efforts worldwide.

Fun fact: September 28th also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.

Learn more: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2023/09/25/taking-bait-usda-safeguards-wildlife-against-rabies-virus

and https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-rabies-day

08/02/2023

08/02/2023

https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2023/07/unhs-nh-veterinary-diagnostic-lab-partners-dod-residency-program

Elise LaDouceur, a civilian veterinarian working with the Department of Defense's Joint Pathology Center (JPC) reached out to UNH’s New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (NHVDL) last spring and set in motion a partnership that is providing critical residency training to JPC veterinarians ...

06/09/2023

https://www.livescience.com/animals/whales/ultra-rare-deep-diving-whale-dies-on-new-england-beach-with-possible-case-of-bird-flu

A necropsy revealed that the animal may have been infected with avian influenza, which would be "a big deal" if it is confirmed by further testing, scientists say.