United States Department of Agriculture-Avian Influenza Modular Units
Project Description
The United States government has placed a high priority on the prevention of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, (HPAI) should the H5N1 strain appear in the United States. The presence of HPA1 would devastate the poultry industry and the depopulation effect to contain the spread throughout the industry. Another major concern involves the potential for HPAI to infect people, and possibly mutate to cause a world-wide epidemic. To provide the rapid and accurate diagnosis, quality reagents such as positive antiserum are required to markedly increase the capability to provide the reagent needed.
The project objective is to provide animal and laboratory space to produce HPAI reagents. All space is needed to be containment space to keep supply animals free of extraneous disease agents, contain the live virus when producing antiserum and keep the antiserum produced free of extraneous agents during processing and storage and containment.
Art’s Way Scientific, Inc. was selected to accomplish this by the design and manufacture of four modular units to be placed on a contained and secured compound. By choosing the modular option, the USDA was able to comply with the latest edition of the Biosafety in Microbiology and Biomedical Laboratories, (BMBL), CDC Publication, and able to proceed to the level required to meet the sharply increased demands for HPAI reagents.
Facts & Figures
Location:
Ames, IA
Type Of Project:
BSL-2 Enhanced
Modular Builder:
Art’s Way Scientific, Inc.
General Contractor:
Lockard Construction
Art’s Way Scientific, Inc.
Size:
5,650 Total SF comprised of
- 2 – 16′ x 88′ Poultry Housing Units
- 1 – 1,536 SF BSL-2 Enhanced Biocontainment Unit
- 1 – 1,298 SF BSL-2 Serum Processing Unit