Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Enhancing Animal and Human Health through Service, Education and Research

Whether for students or for the public, service lies at the center of the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department. Our undergraduate students benefit by receiving an educational foundation that makes them competitive applicants to colleges of veterinary medicine and our graduate students can sharpen their professional development with the help of a wealth of scientists willing to partner with them in research. The Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department also has laboratories that help expand service to the public. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of animal health problems is the role of the South Dakota Animal Research and Diagnostic Laboratory which is the only American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) accredited laboratory in South Dakota. Another critical component of the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department is a dynamic group of researchers who search for new ways to prevent and detect animal and human diseases.

The interaction of service, discovery and education that takes place within the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department results in new knowledge, timely information, and students prepared for careers that make a difference for animals and people alike.

The Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department is a great place from which to launch your career. Give it a look today!

Students and department administrators pose in President's house after breakfast

New Class of PPVM Students Welcomed

The Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine which is a program within the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department welcomed its 4th class of veterinary students during a three day orientation for the new students. During these three days students participated in JOALE activities, learned about resources offered by the Department and the University, met faculty and staff within the department, and had a breakfast at the President's house with President Barry Dunn.

Renovation Work Complete on Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory

The final stages of the ADRDL construction projects have been completed with the renovation of the "1967" and "1993" portions of the ADRDL. With the move of primary diagnostic laboratory functions to the new addition to the north, the former lab space has been remodeled to serve the research, teaching and diagnostic development functions of the Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department.
Some of the major changes include:
• Conversion of a storeroom and file room to classroom space for the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine (PPVM), set to welcome its first students one year from now.
• Replacement of the hoist in the necropsy area and addition of downdraft tables to handle formalin fumes - preparing for the PPVM's anatomy courses and research necropsies.
• Modification and renovation of several old diagnostic lab areas to provide additional, highly functional and flexible space for growing research programs.
• Significant mechanical upgrades including new air handlers, exhaust fans and environmental control systems; refacing and insulation for improved energy efficiency and moisture control moisture penetration; and a new roof and sewer lines.
• New LED lighting throughout the area to provide improved lighting and energy efficiency.
• New flooring, paint and ceiling grid/tile in much of the building.
(Below) Photos of renovated spaces: Renovated classroom (top L) and teaching laboratory space (top R) for the PPVM program; new hoist and downdraft tables in old necropsy room for PPVM anatomy courses (bottom L); renovated research lab space being put to use (bottom R).

SHIC Funding Supports ��Ƶ Work on Porcine Parvovirus' Role in Swine Respiratory and Reproductive Diseases

A project funded by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) will develop understanding of the prevalence and phylogenetic relationships of porcine parvovirus (PPV) infections in swine farms.

In addition, researchers at South Dakota State University, led by Drs. Jimmy Lin and Ben Hause will explore the role PPV2 infection plays in important diseases such as pneumonia, immune deficiency, reproductive failure and lameness, all causes of concern and lost productivity for pork producers. Other specific project objectives include development of research and diagnostic assays, including in situ hybridization and real-time PCR, for the detection, identification and differentiation of PPV1 and PPV2. SHIC's mission to protect the health of the US swine herd includes funding of this project, enabling work no one else is doing in the industry, then sharing the insights gained to benefit all.

During the project, researchers will ask what the current condition of PPV2 is on pig farms. They know, through evolution, new genetic and antigenic variants of parvovirus have arisen and occasionally achieve high frequency throughout the world. For example, a highly pathogenic canine parvovirus 2a recently emerged in dogs.

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