Prairie Diagnostics

Written by Catherine
Welcome to the lab! This is the receiving entrance where trucks drop of samples.
Welcome to the lab! This is the receiving entrance where trucks drop of samples.

Today I went on a fantastic workplace tour in preparation for a course field trip this semester. Prairie Diagnostics Service provides pathology and diagnostic tests for animal specimens.  They test wild and domestic animals for things like cancer and parasites, but also class 2 and 3 illnesses  like rabies, chlamydia, e. coli, salmonella, and BSE (‘mad cow disease’). Vegetarians and squeamish folks, click away now!

The boot wash station to avoid contaminating the outside world with the gross stuff on the floor in the lab.
The boot wash station to avoid contaminating the outside world with the gross stuff on the floor in the lab.

Lois, my intrepid guide, showed me all through the facility while we talked about how we can best relay information to the students.  As usual, I was interested in the work processes, but especially in the hazards present and the control strategies they use to mitigate them.   Here is a brief photo-essay on both…

This is a dissection table. Is is hydraulic and piped with water for automatic rinsing. There is also a handy ergonomic cutout for reaching into large animals. Nice!

This is a dissection table. Is is hydraulic and piped with water for automatic rinsing. There is also a handy ergonomic cutout for reaching into large animals. Nice!
Acoustic tiles and HVAC delivery vents
Acoustic tiles and HVAC delivery vents
Its a lab, so there are several showers and eye-wash stations.
Its a lab, so there are several showers and eye-wash stations.
This rail system comes in from the delivery area and has a crane/hoist to move large animals. Moose, horses, bulls, and everything down to a 10g piece of brain tissue comes into the lab.
This rail system comes in from the delivery area and has a crane/hoist to move large animals. Moose, horses, bulls, and everything down to a 10g piece of brain tissue comes into the lab
Some students doing dissections. These are mostly 3rd and 4th year Vet Med students doing their mandatory 2-week rotation in pathology. Some students doing dissections. These are mostly 3rd and 4th year Vet Med students doing their mandatory 2-week rotation in pathology.
All tissue waste has the potential to be contaminated, so there is careful stewardship to contain the waste and deal with it onsite.
All tissue waste has the potential to be contaminated, so there is careful stewardship to contain the waste and deal with it onsite.
This is from a study of illness in wild animals. Most are dead on arrival, and the trick is finding out what killed them and whether there is a risk to wild herds. Sorry for the grossness, but this was probably the least gross of all the things to photograph!
This is from a study of illness in wild animals. Most are dead on arrival, and the trick is finding out what killed them and whether there is a risk to wild herds. Sorry for the grossness, but this was probably the least gross of all the things to photograph!
The famous caustic digesters, which use heat, pressure, and potassium hydroxide to bring the waste to 150 degrees and 400kPA for 3 hours, then dehydrates it.
The famous caustic digesters, which use heat, pressure, and potassium hydroxide to bring the waste to 150 degrees and 400kPA for 3 hours, then dehydrates it.
This is where the sterile, 70-degree slurry comes out. It looks a bit like fudge and sets like fundge too. Nomatter how much e coli and BSE went in, it is sterile now and can be used for fuel or compost.
This is where the sterile, 70-degree slurry comes out. It looks a bit like fudge and sets like fundge too. Nomatter how much e coli and BSE went in, it is sterile now and can be used for fuel or compost.