Just How Prepared Are We For The Event Of A Foreign Disease Outbreak In The Heart Of Cattle Country

The most dangerous animal diseases can be found in a laboratory on Plum Island just off the coast of New York, at least for now. Currently, there is an effort to transfer these contained pathogens to a biosecurity safe laboratory at Kansas State University in Manhattan. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently. According to her, this upgrade of facilities will certainly help advance the research being done on infectious agents such as Foot and Mouth disease, to keep our food supply safe from contamination.

“I think it’s important to have the new facilities simply because the old facilities limited some of the work that could be done,” she said. “Having the facility in Manhattan should be able to secure the agents and allow us to have some advanced work done with some of these agents.”