University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-emergency-use-authorization-drug-treat-new-world-screwworm-dogs-and-puppies?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

FDA Issues Emergency Use Authorization for Drug to Treat New World Screwworm in Dogs and Puppies The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Simparica TRIO (sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel chewable tablets) for the treatment of New World screwworm (NWS) infestations (myiasis) in dogs and puppies.

https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/643089

Diagnostic Technician The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) develops and applies state-of-the-art diagnostic methodology to improve animal health and marketability, to protect the public health and to assist in the preservation of the human-animal bond th...

https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/642688

Staff Support Associate II The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) develops and applies state-of-the-art diagnostic methodology to improve animal health and marketability, to protect the public health and to assist in the preservation of the human-animal bond through the principles of One Health. F...

To UKVDL clients and submitting partners:

The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) is implementing an update to its submission policy for equine and companion animal diagnostic testing.

Effective September 1, 2026, all equine and companion animal submissions must include a licensed veterinarian for submission. To ensure appropriate case oversight, interpretation of results, and continuity of patient care, UKVDL will require that all testing requests for these species be submitted through a veterinarian.

As part of this policy change:

A licensed veterinarian must be identified on all equine and companion animal submissions.
Test reports will be issued to the submitting veterinarian.

All billing associated with testing services will be directed to and managed through the submitting veterinarian, unless other arrangements are made between the client and the submitting veterinarian.

Direct submission of equine and companion animal samples without an associated veterinarian will no longer be accepted.

This policy aligns UKVDL’s procedures with best practices for veterinary diagnostic testing and helps ensure that laboratory results are interpreted within the context of each patient’s clinical history and care plan.

We appreciate your cooperation as we implement this change. If you have questions regarding this policy or how it may affect your submissions, please contact UKVDL for assistance.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of UKVDL.
University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Dr. Jobin Jose Kattoor is a veterinary virologist, microbiologist, and translational researcher with expertise in infectious diseases, molecular virology, viral genomics, and molecular diagnostics. Originally from Kerala, India, he earned his BVSc & AH from Kerala Agricultural University and completed both his Master's degree and PhD in Veterinary Virology at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI).
Prior to pursuing a research career, Dr. Kattoor worked as a field veterinarian in India, providing clinical and preventive healthcare services for livestock and companion animals. This experience fostered his appreciation for the practical challenges of disease diagnosis and control and continues to inform his translational research approach.
His professional experiences at Purdue University and the University of Pittsburgh have focused on advancing the detection, surveillance, and understanding of infectious diseases affecting animal and public health. Dr. Kattoor has extensive experience in next-generation sequencing technologies, including Ion Torrent, Illumina, and Oxford Nanopore platforms, and has applied these tools to pathogen discovery, genomic characterization, and molecular surveillance of viral diseases.
His research interests include viral pathogenesis, virus-host interactions, translational virology, and oncolytic virotherapy. He has also utilized pseudovirus-based systems for serological surveillance and immune response studies involving SARS-CoV-2 variants and Influenza A and D viruses, with a strong interest in expanding the use of these low-biohazard platforms for studying a wide range of viral pathogens.
Dr. Kattoor is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM), board-certified in Virology and Immunology. He shares his passion for science with his spouse, a veterinarian with a PhD in Veterinary Pathology and a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM) specializing in Virology. Together, they are raising their son, who is excited to begin middle school after the summer. Outside of science, Dr. Kattoor enjoys singing Indian music, following a wide variety of sports, and playing competitive badminton.

UKVDL’s Own Lois Campbell Steps into the Role of Diagnostic Services Coordinator
The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) is pleased to announce that Lois Campbell has been named Diagnostic Services Coordinator.
Lois graduated from Morehead State University’s Veterinary Technology program in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Her areas of interest from her small animal clinic background include surgery, anesthesia and diagnostic testing. Inspired by a strong interest in clinical pathology, Lois completed a clinical practicum at UKVDL as part of her degree program, gaining hands-on training across multiple laboratory sections.
Over the past decade, Lois has served in the Receiving Department, where she has leveraged her laboratory knowledge and client-focused approach to help clients maximize the value of UKVDL’s diagnostic services. During this time, she has also built strong relationships with clients, partners, and colleagues across the veterinary community. Her favorite aspect of the job remains the daily interactions she has with clients and the opportunity to support their diagnostic needs.
In her new role as Diagnostic Services Coordinator, Lois looks forward to expanding her expertise, enhancing the client experience, and collaborating on new initiatives that support UKVDL’s mission of excellence in diagnostic service.
Outside of work, Lois enjoys hiking, obstacle course racing, gardening, and spending time with her dog and cat.
Please join us in congratulating Lois on this well-deserved promotion and wishing her continued success in her new role.

https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/641795

Scientist I The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, seeks a Scientist I. The VDL develops and applies state-of-the-art diagnostic methodology to improve animal health and marketability, to protect the public health and to assist in the prese...

Congratulations!

Jill Stowe has been named director of UK Ag Equine Programs and Dickson Professor of Equine Science and Management beginning Aug. 1.

Stowe returns to the role a decade after leading the program from 2013 to 2016. Since that time, she has continued to help guide the growth and development of the multidisciplinary program through leadership, instruction and research.

“I have been a part of Ag Equine Programs since arriving at UK in 2008, and it has been instrumental in my career trajectory as an agricultural economist,” Stowe said. “I am excited to be in a position where I am able to give back to the program through service.”

The University of Kentucky program is home to one of the college’s largest undergraduate majors and connects the equine work being done across UK’s land-grant pillars of teaching, research and Extension.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3RDlKpk

Changes are Coming to UKVDL MIC Reports!
UKVDL is updating our MIC reports to be more user friendly! These changes are being made to promote usability, advance antimicrobial stewardship and decrease the time spent by veterinarians and clients interpreting our reports. These changes include only reporting out first- and second-line antimicrobials if the bacterial isolate is susceptible to one-or-more of the tested drugs, removing some reporting for drugs in which breakpoints are not available, and changing the overall format of the report. We will also be altering our case comments to clarify common questions in advance and provide greater context for the results provided. As always, we recommend you contact us with any questions you may have regarding your results or samples.

Frequently Asked Questions
1. If the MIC panel includes a drug, why is UKVDL not reporting it out?
Our MIC testing panels are designed to provide information on a wide range of antimicrobial drugs in order to be used with a similarly wide range of bacteria. For many individual bacterial species-animal species combinations we can only reliably predict susceptibility for a subset of the drugs tested in the panel. Additionally, if a bacterial isolate is susceptible to a first-line veterinary drug, it is generally preferable to use that drug over a third-line antibiotic that is important for human health. By focusing our reports on drugs that have reliable predictions for a specific case, we can make the reports easier to read and promote antimicrobial stewardship at the same time.

2. What if I need to use a drug that is not listed on the report?
We recognize that in a specific clinical case there may be a need to use a drug that we did not report (e.g. an animal with a penicillin allergy). In these cases, please contact UKVDL to discuss the additional needed results in advance or when you receive the report.

3. What do I do if I have a question about what something means on the new report?
Please contact us and our bacteriologists will be happy to discuss the result and any comments given on the report.