{"id":8190,"date":"2020-04-17T12:39:36","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T16:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qa.vet.purdue.edu\/news\/?p=8190"},"modified":"2026-05-14T08:10:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:10:06","slug":"addl-begins-limited-testing-of-human-covid-19-samples-to-expand-indianas-testing-capacity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/addl-begins-limited-testing-of-human-covid-19-samples-to-expand-indianas-testing-capacity.php","title":{"rendered":"ADDL Begins Limited Testing of Human COVID-19 Samples to Expand Indiana\u2019s Testing Capacity"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Angie
Angie Chan, supervisor of the Molecular Diagnostic Section, which performs the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, reviews data from COVID-19 samples. (Purdue University photo\/John Underwood)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Purdue University is continuing to lend expertise and\nresources to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing Indiana\u2019s testing\ncapacity through the capabilities of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory\n(ADDL) at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Thanks to a\ncollaborative effort, the ADDL is utilizing its skills and expertise in the\ndetection of pathogens to conduct COVID-19 tests on specimens from partner\nhospitals with the goal of providing results the same day the samples are\nreceived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ADDL began COVID-19 testing after obtaining the Clinical\nLaboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification required for\nlaboratories performing testing on human samples. The lab was certified in a\nmatter of days after Purdue leaders suggested using the ADDL to conduct tests\nand address the state\u2019s limited testing capacity and need for resources. State\nHealth Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said in a recent daily briefing with\nGov. Eric Holcomb that resources are still limited for COVID-19 testing in\nIndiana as the number of cases continue to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe College of Veterinary Medicine has a long history of\nproviding services to protect animal and human health,\u201d said Purdue Veterinary\nMedicine Dean Willie Reed. \u201cProviding COVID-19 testing is yet another way to\nsupport the citizens of Indiana during this unprecedented public health crisis.\nThe project was shepherded by David Broecker, chief innovation and\ncollaboration officer for the Purdue Research Foundation, and involves several\npartners including the foundation, the Indiana State Department of Health,\nParkview Hospital, and the Purdue community.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Gloved
When samples are received at the ADDL from hospital partners, the primary transport containers are disinfected and the samples are prepared to be taken to the Molecular Diagnostic Section of the facility for testing. (Purdue University photo\/John Underwood)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

ADDL Director Kenitra Hendrix says the lab had a unique\nopportunity to assist with COVID-19 testing in Indiana because of its expertise\nin providing infectious disease testing and immunity surveillance for animals\nacross the state.  Dr. Hendrix explains\nthe human samples are being tested using a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)\ntesting method that the ADDL uses regularly for animal specimens. \u201cOur plan to\nhelp our state in this way does not diminish our capacity for animal testing,\u201d\nDr. Hendrix said. \u201cOur primary mission is diagnostic support of animal health\nand the safety of the food supply, and that will remain our first priority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ADDL team, working with state health authorities,\nadjusted its intake and sample processing procedures to gain the necessary\ncertification to use the PCR testing capability on human specimens.  \u201cOur team has worked diligently to prepare to\nperform this testing,\u201d Dr. Hendrix said. \u201cIt is rewarding to be able to take on\nthis role in support of the citizens of our state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan is to expand testing in collaboration with other hospitals, as ADDL testing capacity allows, with all samples sent directly from partner hospitals to the ADDL. To avoid a testing backlog, hospitals interested in working with the ADDL are required to complete the \u201cPartnership Inquiry\u201d form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project is a cross-disciplinary, collaborative effort\nwith the Indiana State Department of Health, the Purdue Research Foundation and\nthe Purdue community.  \u201cIndiana continues\nto increase our capabilities and preparedness for rapidly testing patients to\nsupport our front-line health care workers,\u201d Dr. Box said. \u201cWe are grateful to\nPurdue and the ADDL for helping to make testing more available for Hoosiers who\nare helping others during this pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Wayne-based Parkview Health provided clinical expertise\non obtaining a CLIA license and setting up the lab for human testing.  \u201cIt still takes several days to get results\nthat are sent out to central labs across the country,\u201d said Dr. Michael J.\nMirro, chief academic research officer at Parkview Health. \u201cEven the new tests\nare limited by supply constraints. What Purdue has done is fantastic and shows\nthe ingenuity associated with creative problem solving. Paired with the\nsignificant amount of time invested by the Parkview lab team, we believe this\nwill have a positive impact on the state\u2019s testing capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ADDL is a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) facility accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD). BSL-2 laboratories are used to study moderate-risk infectious agents or toxins.\u00a0 Dr. Hendrix says that additional partnerships with other hospitals across the state are possible. Click here to view a complete news release about the ADDL COVID-19 testing program<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purdue University is continuing to lend expertise and resources to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing Indiana\u2019s testing capacity through the capabilities of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (ADDL) at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,27],"tags":[87,854,1586,1587,56,1629,25],"class_list":["post-8190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diagnostic-laboratories","category-services","tag-addl","tag-animal-disease-diagnostic-laboratory","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-homepage","tag-test","tag-top-story"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8190"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33992,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8190\/revisions\/33992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vet.purdue.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}