Penn State Animal Diagnostic Lab

01/26/2026

Due to the extreme weather, the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory will be closed on Monday January 26th. All PADLS labs and HPAI drop off locations will be closed and there will be no same day testing of HPAI swabs. Samples can be left in the after hours cooler at the rear of the building and will be processed when the lab reopens. Please call or email us with any questions or concerns 814-863-0837 adlhelp@psu.edu messages will be answered as soon as possible.

01/13/2026

Attention Clients of the Animal Diagnostic Lab!

The Animal Diagnostic Lab will be closed Monday January 19th in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr Holiday. Please plan your sample collections accordingly.

As always, after hours drop off is available at the rear of the building. Please follow all posted signs and directions. Samples dropped off in the cooler after 5 p.m. Friday January 16th will be collected and processed the morning of Tuesday January 20th. Please call or email us with any questions or concerns 814-863-0837 adlhelp@psu.edu.

12/19/2025

Just a quick reminder to ALL clients of the Animal Diagnostic Lab.

PLEASE DO NOT SHIP TIME SENSITIVE SAMPLES TO THE ANIMAL DIAGOSTIC LAB BY THE US POSTAL SERVICE AFTER TODAY, FRIDAY DECEMBER 19TH, UNTIL MONDAY JANUARY 5TH.

THE PENN STATE MAILING SERVICE IS CLOSED FROM DECEMBER 24TH THROUGH FRIDAY JANUARY 2ND!

PLEASE SHIP ALL SAMPLES BY UPS OR FEDEX TO ASSURE DELIVERY TO THE LAB DURING THE HOLIDAY BREAK!!!!

If you have questions, please call us 814-863-0837 or email adlhelp@psu.edu

12/02/2025

Attention ADL Clients!!!

Tuesday December 2nd.

Due to inclement weather the Penn State University has issued a 4 hour delay.

Therefore the Animal Diagnostic Lab at Penn State will also be on a 4 hour delay and will open at 12 noon.

Avian Influenza swabs that are dropped off before the lab opens will be run and results will be released as soon as possible Tuesday afternoon/evening.

Samples can be dropped off before noon in the after hours drop off cooler at the rear of the building. Please follow all signs and instructions.

If you have any questions or concerns please call 814-863-0837 and leave a detailed voicemail or send an email to adlhelp@psu.edu.

11/25/2025

Attention clients of the Animal Diagnostic Lab at PSU.

The ADL will be CLOSED Thursday November 27th and Friday November 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

After hours sample drop off is available at the rear of the building. Please follow all signs and directions.

Samples that are dropped off in the after hours cooler after Wednesday 11/26 at 5:00 pm will not be picked up until Monday December 1st. Please plan your sample collections to accommodate this closure.

You can send us an email to adlhelp@psu.edu or leave a voicemail at 814-863-0837 during this closure and we will get back to you the next business day.

If you are experiencing an animal health emergency while the lab is closed, please contact the PA Department of Agriculture hotline at 717-772-2852.

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!

11/19/2025

Attention ADL Clients!!!

Wednesday November 19th.

Due to inclimate weather the Penn State University has issued a 2 hour delay.

Therefore the Animal Diagnostic Lab at Penn State will also be on a 2 hour delay and will open at 10 a.m.

If you have any questions or concerns please call 814-863-0837 and leave a detailed voicemail or send an email to adlhelp@psu.edu.

10/28/2025

The PSU Animal Diagnostic Laboratory Avian Medicine and Pathology Residents, Drs. Emily Frye, DVM, MBA and Stephanie Benedict toured the Bell and Evans' processing plant today along with the PSU Poultry Science Club. It was an excellent learning opportunity and a privilege to see such dedicated employees in a state-of-the-art facility. Thank you to Bell and Evans for hosting us!

09/18/2025

The avian pathology team from the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received national recognition at the recent 2025 American Association of Avian Pathologists’ annual meeting in Portland, Oregon.

See this link for more detailed information:

The avian pathology team from the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received national recognition at the recent 2025 American Association of Avian Pathologists’ annual meeting in Portland, Oregon.

09/18/2025

Yesterday was the 97th Northeastern Conference on Avian Diseases (NECAD) held at the Penn Stater with the PA Poultry Sales & Service Conference. The Penn State University Animal Diagnostic Lab Avian Pathology team contributed to the meeting in many ways, including inviting speakers, organizing the agenda, moderating the conference, and giving general session and scientific session presentations.

- Dr. Megan Lighty served as moderator for the conference and conducted the NECAD annual business meeting.
- Dr. Emily Frye, DVM, MBA presented her work on avian metapneumovirus ("Pennsylvania aMPV outbreak overview") in the morning general session and her work on blackhead disease ("Epidemiologic investigation of blackhead disease outbreaks in Pennsylvania turkey flocks") in the afternoon scientific session.
- Dr. Stephanie Benedict presented an interesting case report ("Beyond the respiratory tract: peritoneal culture of Avibacterium paragallinarum in commercial layers") in the scientific session and won the award for "Best Postdoc/Resident Presentation". Congratulations, Stephanie!
- And Dr. Kayla Niel presented the additional outbreak characterization work done on the 2023 PA HPAI pheasant case in collaboration with the University of Minnesota and the NIH.

It was a great day connecting with the poultry industry. Huge thank you to all of the invited speakers and those that contributed abstracts.

08/22/2025

The Animal Diagnostic Lab at Penn State will be closed Monday September 1st in observance of Labor Day!

Please schedule sample collections accordingly and please do not ship samples over the long holiday weekend.

As always, after hours drop off is available at the rear of the building, please follow all posted signs and instructions. Samples left in the after hours cooler after 5 pm on Friday August 29th will be picked up on the morning of Tuesday September 2nd.

If you have any questions or concerns please call 814-863-0837 or send an email to adlhelp@psu.edu.
Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!!

07/01/2025

Dr. Kayla Niel of the Animal Diagnostic Lab presented a poster titled "Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1, Clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype C2.1) in Commercial Ring-Necked Pheasants During the 2022 Outbreak in the United States" at the 11th International Symposium on Avian Influenza in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The conference covered many topics relevant to avian influenza including diagnostics, vaccination, or other mitigation strategies for poultry and wildlife; notable outbreaks, field and molecular epidemiology, and surveillance in poultry and wild birds; biosecurity, mitigation, control, and post-epidemic considerations in poultry; etc.

Great Job Dr. Niel, keep up the great work!!!

06/24/2025

Attention clients of the Animal Diagnostic Lab:

The Animal Diagnostic Lab will be closed on July 4th for the observation of the independence day holiday.

Please plan your sample collections accordingly.

As always after hours drop off is available at the rear of the building, please follow all signs and instructions.

Samples left in the after hours cooler after 5 pm Thursday July 3rd will be picked up the morning of Monday July 7th.

Please check our website for other holiday closings and information:
https://vbs.psu.edu/adl
If you have questions please call or email us at 814-863-0837, adlhelp@psu.edu

If you are experiencing an animal health emergency, please contact us by phone. Do not use email for emergencies. For emergency assistance outside of laboratory working hours, please call the PA Department of Agriculture hotline at 717-772-2852.