ACHIEVEMENTS 



Washington, D.C. 



The staff of Laboratory Services was instru- 

 mental in compiling and editing material for 

 inclusion in a publication requested by the 

 subcommittee on Reorganization and Inter- 

 national Organizations of the Senate Commit- 

 tee on Government Operations. Entitled 

 "Veterinary Medicine of the United States and 

 its Contribution to Man's Health and Welfare," 

 it deals with both national and international 

 organizations and agencies in which veterinary 

 medicine of the United States plays a part. It 

 will be used mainly for congressional review 

 but should serve as an invaluable documentary 

 of information on the services veterinary medi- 

 cine has rendered to mankind. 



The semiannual check test kits for brucel- 

 losis were supplied to all of the principal State- 

 Federal laboratories. These tests check agree- 

 ment between laboratories. The results on the 

 last series showed agreement on 92 percent of 

 the samples tested. 



The chemistry unit, although an integral 

 part of the Division, performs services for 

 both Animal Disease Eradication and Animal 

 Inspection and Quarantine Division pertaining 

 to (a) acaricides, (b) disinfectants, (c) ani- 

 mal tissues and other matter suspected of 

 containing poison, (d) animal byproducts of- 

 fered for entry from areas having or suspected 

 of having foot-and-mouth disease or rinder- 

 pest, and (e) diagnostic agents. 



Two hundred and eighty-seven chemical 

 analyses on products and materials were com- 

 pleted in 1960. In addition to chemical analy- 

 ses, the laboratory develops apparatus and 

 methods for vat-side testing of dijjs used in the 

 Division's regulatory work. To maintain this 

 testing of dipping baths, chemicals for 16,872 

 tests were furni.shed field inspectors. Also 

 supplies for 967 tests were furnished inspec- 

 tors for determining the preservatives in 

 serums, vaccines, and diagnostics manufac- 

 tured under the supervision of the Veterinary 

 Biologies Inspection Section of Animal Inspec- 

 tion and Quarantine. 



All pullorum antigen employed for official 

 testing under the National Poultry and Na- 

 tional Turkey Improvement Plans must meet 

 the chemical and sensitivity standards estab- 



lished by Laboratory Services. Te.sts repre- 

 senting a production total of 1,349,488 

 milliliters of K polyvalent pullorum whole- 

 blood antigen, 1,021,751 milliliters of Redigen 

 whole-blood antigen, and 37,605 milliliters of 

 pullorum tube antigen were performed in 1960 

 in support of this program for the control of 

 salmonellosis. 



Belt-sville laboratory 



Brucellosis. — All diagnostic materials used 

 to conduct Brucellosis serological tests are pro- 

 duced at Beltsville. 



A total of 702,240 milliliters of Brucellosis 

 plate antigen, 119,500 milliliters of concen- 

 trated tube antigen, and 114,060 milliliters of 

 Brucella Ring Test antigen were produced 

 during 1960. The amounts of the three an- 

 tigens produced each year reflect the activi- 

 ties of the brucellosis eradication program 

 since 1950. 



Brucella abortus Stroin 1119 



ANTIGENS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED 



THOUS.ML. 



1950 



1953 



1956 



1959 



US DEMRTHENTOFaCRICULlUHE 



i3BiCyi,Tu««^ KESEAHCH SIBvi:£ 



Antigens are distributed for the most part 

 to State-Federal Cooperative Laboratories. 

 Small amounts are furnished on request to re- 

 search institutions and foreign countries des- 

 ignated for use as standard antigens for 

 comparative testing or research purposes. 

 More than 10,000 agglutination tests for 

 brucellosis were made on samples from cattle 

 and swine from Federal herds during 1960. 



Commercially prepared Brucella plate anti- 

 gens totaling 119,600 milliliters were tested 

 for sensitivity, total cell concentration, purity 

 and sterility and were found to be satisfactory 

 foi- diagnostic purposes. 



38 



