US livestock disease centres receive US$21 million grant

A US$21 million package from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Texas A&M University and Kansas State University (KSU) will allow efforts to prevent potentially catastrophic animal disease outbreaks to continue.

The money will support the department's Centre of Excellence for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense at the universities through 2016.

Based at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, the National Centre for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense (FAZD) has led a consortium of universities and institutions in efforts aimed at protecting American agriculture since 2004.

During the next six years, the FAZD centre will co-lead the DHS's zoonotic and animal disease programme with KSU's Centre of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases.

The FAZD centre will develop information and analysis systems to equip decision makers with tools to manage foreign animal and zoonotic disease outbreaks. The centre also will continue work on biological systems.