Most avian influenza viruses aren’t particularly harmful in birds, but at Circle of Life Farm in Tangent, Oregon, the death of two geese was a harbinger of disaster. (Courtesy: Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine)
December 18, 2023
Words by Kurt Williams, Photos by Jens Odegaard
The Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is the state’s best kept secret when it comes to diagnosing weird diseases people can get from other animals.
Matt Hutchinson from the Baker County Vector Control District prepares to set mosquito traps in the Baker Valley.
“We get plenty of mosquitoes, that’s for sure,” said Matt Hutchinson, manager of the Baker Valley Vector Control District (BVVCD), in Baker City, Oregon.
Lorely Miller said she owes her life to the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University. “I do not believe that I would still be alive today.”
Miller contracted tularemia, an extremely dangerous, highly contagious bacterial disease. People usually get tularemia from other animals. In her case, from a squirrel.
