Mission:
The Plum Island Animal Disease Center is responsible for research and diagnosis to protect United States animal industries and exports against catastrophic economic losses caused by foreign animal disease (FAD) agents accidentally or deliberately introduced into the U.S. These missions are accomplished by basic and applied research directed toward: (1) more sensitive and accurate methods of disease agent detection and identification; (2) development of new strategies to control disease epidemics, including rDNA vaccines, antiviral drugs, and transgenic, disease-resistant animals; (3) the assessment of risks involved in importation of animals andanimal products from countries where epidemic FADs occur; (4) diagnostic investigations of suspect cases of FAD outbreaks in U.S. livestock; (5) tests of animals in animal products to be imported into the U.S. to make sure those imports are free of FAD agents; (6) production and maintenance reagents used in diagnostic tests and vaccines for FADs; and (7) training animal health professionals in the recognition and diagnosis of FAD.