“If an emerging and economically devastating animal disease, such as African swine fever, had an outbreak that overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic and resulted in further complicating supply chain issues, currently available resources for these animal health laboratories would be spread incredibly thin,” NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said. “We must proactively plan for the needs of these facilities, so they have the capability to respond to the health needs of the public and protect our nation’s food system.”