News

A single burst pipe can interrupt high-stakes testing or ruin expensive equipment. That’s why one longtime employee has become the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, College Station facility’s first responder to anything that hisses, leaks, clangs, or drips.  TVMDL runs more than 2,000 tests daily to protect the health, economy, and food supply […]

After dedicating 20 years to the agency, Amy Swinford, DVM, MS, DACVM, director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, will retire at the end of December. During her tenure as director, Swinford has led the agency through multiple high-volume testing events, ensured TVMDL maintained a strong presence across national organizations, and elevated […]

Ellen Ruth Alexander Morris, Ph.D., Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, scientist in the research and development section, recently co-authored a review article exploring the use of next-generation sequencing, NGS, technologies in veterinary medicine. The paper focuses on Oxford Nanopore Technologies, ONT, a leading third-generation sequencing platform recognized for its real-time, portable, long-read capabilities.  The […]

The Texas A&M University System, TAMUS, Board of Regents has recognized Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, Assistant Agency Director for Pathology Gabriel Gomez, DVM, PhD, as a 2024-2025 Regents Fellow Service Award recipient. The Regents Fellow Service Award Program was established in 1998 to recognize extension, service, and research professionals. Each year, this […]

Effective Jan. 1, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has named Kiril Dimitrov, DVM, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, following the retirement of Amy Swinford, DVM, MS, DACVM, from the position. Dimitrov joined the agency in 2019 as head of the virology and molecular diagnostics section at […]

Three professionals from the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, were honored at this year’s American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, AAVLD, meeting in Aurora, Colorado. Amy Swinford, DVM, TVMDL director, was the 2025 recipient of the E.P. Pope Award, AAVLD’s highest recognition. The E.P. Pope Award signifies immense contributions to AAVLD and the […]

Botulism may be uncommon, but when it strikes, the consequences can be devastating. Botulism is a neuroparalytic disease caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum, a spore-forming, Gram-positive bacterium. Susceptibility varies among species, and the effects of infection may range from temporary paralysis to respiratory failure. Timely recognition and diagnosis of botulism are helpful for […]

Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, pathologist Josué Díaz-Delgado, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVP, and pathology resident Margaret Odom, DVM, recently co-authored a literature review examining high pathogenicity avian influenza, HPAI, subtype H5N1 infection in feline species.   This publication was the result of an international collaboration between scientists from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, […]

Urinalysis remains one of the most valuable, cost-effective, and accessible diagnostic tools available to veterinarians. Urine samples can reveal early indicators of disease affecting the kidneys, urinary tract, and other organ systems. However, because urine is a particularly sensitive and unstable biological sample, proper collection, storage, and shipping are important to ensure accurate diagnostic results.  […]

October is filled with treats that can make pet safety tricky. Candy, food, drinks, and decorative items rank among the spookiest of scares for pets. As such, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) is encouraging dog owners to take note of the seasonal items present during the month of October as many can […]