Mission:
The mission of the Virus and Prion Research Unit is to identify and characterize viruses, bacteria, and prions (abnormal disease causing proteins) associated with economically important diseases affecting livestock and to develop methods to control or eliminate these diseases. Our goals include: development of diagnostic tests; understanding pathogenesis of specific diseases; development of vaccines or other methods to control viral and bacterial infections; defining the prevalence and impact of emerging viral, bacterial, and prion diseases, and development of novel methods to diagnose, control, and inactivate prion diseases. We cooperate closely with field veterinarians, university scientists and diagnosticians, state and federal regulatory officials, as well as livestock producers and their national organizations in diagnosing and controlling economically important viral-, bacterial- and prion-induced diseases.