The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate Chemical and Biological Division awarded three new task orders to FAZD Center investigators totaling $809,137 for the development of novel agricultural screening tools for high consequence animal diseases.

These tools focus on the optimization and validation of field assays, including an isothermal lateral flow device for feedlot use to differentiate foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) from the similarly presenting vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), as well as a portable penside PCR technology for detection of FMD from oral swabs of infected cattle.

The third task is for the development of a lab-based fluorescent microsphere immunoassay for Rift Valley fever Virus (RVFV) using Luminex technology.