Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC)

Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) has been protecting America's agriculture from foreign animal disease for more than 50 years. Since 1954, PIADC has been conducting research, including vaccine development, for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and other exotic diseases of livestock. FMD is extremely contagious among cloven- hoofed animals, and accidental outbreaks of the virus have caused catastrophic livestock and economic losses in many countries throughout the world. The 2001 FMD outbreak in the United Kingdom is an example of the devastation FMD can bring. We work to protect farm animals, farmers and ranchers, the nation's farm economy and export markets... and your food supply. We're proud of our role as America's first line of defense against foreign animal diseases. We're equally proud of our safety record. Not once in our nearly 50 years of operation has an animal pathogen escaped from the island. Plum Island is located off the northeastern tip of New York's Long Island. USDA activities at Plum Island are carried out by scientists and veterinarians with the department's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In June 2003, operational responsibility for PIADC transferred from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

• The Targeted Advanced Development (TAD) unit: TAD partners with USDA, academia and industry scientists to deliver lead vaccine and antiviral candidates to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for eventual licensure and inclusion in the USDA National Veterinary Vaccine Stockpile.
• The Disease Threat and Assessment/Forensics (DTA&F) unit: DTA&F operates a bioforensics Laboratory as a "spoke" activity off of the National Bioforensics Analysis Center--the hub Laboratory in Frederick, Md. DTA&F obtains epidemiologic information on the foot-and-mouth disease virus and other high- priority foreign animal agents.
• USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS): APHIS scientists operate the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, an internationally recognized Laboratory performing diagnostic testing of samples collected from U.S. livestock with clinical signs suggestive of an exotic disease. APHIS tests animal products and live animals being imported into the U.S. to ensure that unwanted diseases are not accidentally introduced through importation. APHIS also maintains the North American Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank at PIADC. In addition, APHIS hosts the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnosticians training program, offering several classes per year to train state, federal, and academic veterinarians and veterinary pathologists to recognize foreign animal diseases.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): ARS scientists perform both basic and applied research to better formulate our countermeasures against foreign animal diseases, including strategies for prevention, control and recovery from foreign animal diseases. ARS focuses on developing faster-acting, safe vaccines and antivirals to be used during outbreaks to limit or stop transmission. Antivirals prevent infection while vaccine immunity develops. ARS also conducts research to better understand the animal- pathogen interaction. The principal diseases studied are FMD, classical swine fever and vesicular stomatitis virus.