WHAT DISEASES WILL BE STUDIED? 
Diseases and disease organisms that 
have national significance or cause seri- 
ous economic losses are studied at 
the laboratory. Research projects will 
include: 
Diseases of cattle: Brucellosis, foot 
rot, enteric diseases (virus diarrhea), 
infertility and vibriosis, leptospirosis, 
mastitis, pinkeye (infectious keratitis), 
respiratory diseases (shipping fever), 
tuberculosis and paratuberculosis. 
Research Center 
The National Animal Disease Labora- 
tory is a complex of 33 fire-resistant 
buildings, located northeast of Ames. 
Three research buildings are the heart 
of the center. The main laboratory con- 
tains 32 separate units, all served from 
a central services core. Only small 
caged animals will be used in the studies 
in this building. Two animal isolation 
laboratory buildings are equipped for the 
holding of larger farm animals used in 
experimental work. All other buildings 
in the center support or reinforce the re- 
search: some provide necessary services ; 
others house staff, animals, and equip- 
ment. 
In the flexible, modern facilities of the 
National Animal Disease Laboratory, the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture will con- 
tinue and expand the animal disease 
studies formerly conducted at Beltsville, 
Md., and Washington, D.C. 
The laboratory is well equipped. For 
example, it has an electron microscope, 
which—for greater accuracy—stands on 
a foundation built independently from 
Diseases of sheep: (sore 
mouth), foot rot. 
Diseases of swine: Atrophic rhinitis, 
brucellosis, enteric diseases (transmis- 
sible gastroenteritis), hog cholera, lepto- 
spirosis, swine erysipelas. 
Diseases of poultry: Chronic respira- 
tory disease of poultry (airsacculitis of 
turkeys), fowl cholera, infectious bron- 
chitis, Newcastle disease, Salmonellosis. 
Infectious agents: Pasteurella, psitta- 
cold viruses, anaerobic bacteria. 
Ecthyma 
the rest of the building. Photographic 
equipment includes cameras for ultra- 
violet-light photographs. Among other 
modern research tools are high-speed 
centrifuges, freeze drying apparatus, ir- 
radiation equipment, spectrophotometers, 
an electrophoresis apparatus, ultracen- 
trifuges, and ultrasonic generators. 
The center incorporates many built-in 
safety features to protect both the re- 
search workers and the community 
against accidental spread of disease. All 
sewage and all air from research areas 
are decontaminated on the premises. 
Safety regulations govern routine opera- 
tions, including movement of workers, 
animals, equipment, and visitors. These 
extensive precautions have four pur- 
poses : 
® To protect research workers from the 
animal diseases to which man is suscep- 
tible. 
® To prevent the escape of disease agents 
from the laboratory to the surrounding 
eommunity. 
® To prevent the introduction of diseases 
from the community into the disease-free 
animal colony or into the research areas. 
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