Oklahoma Farm Bureau applauds the establishment of the Oklahoma Pandemic Center of Innovation and Excellence, along with the state’s Public Health Lab, in Stillwater.
The center will help unite Oklahoma’s leading animal and human health experts from Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine and the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, as well as numerous other public and private entities, to enhance and improve the state’s pandemic and public health preparedness. The Public Health Lab will serve as a pillar of OPCIE and will include a human diagnostic and public health laboratory, a genetic biorepository and a multi-disciplinary basic science lab for human, animal, plant and food-related bioterrorism research.
“By combining our state’s best resources in agriculture, animal and human medicine, food safety, and public health testing and preparedness, the Oklahoma Pandemic Center of Innovation and Excellence will ensure every sector of the Oklahoma economy – including agriculture – is prepared to protect against and respond to future public health emergencies,” said Rodd Moesel, OKFB president. “With many viral pandemics originating in animals, the center’s location in Stillwater will help integrate leading animal science research into our state’s efforts to innovatively prevent and combat future disease outbreaks across our nation and our world.”
