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K-State Today

June 29, 2017

Rabies Laboratory director passes board certification for testing human rabies titers

Submitted by Joe Montgomery

Susan Moore

The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory announces the certification of Susan Moore, director of the Rabies Laboratory at Kansas State University, to direct human clinical laboratory testing, including rabies titers. She recently passed certification testing administered by the American Board of Bioanalysis, which operates under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, or CLIA, and other federal requirements.

"We have been working with Dr. Robert Flahart, current lecturer of microbiology at Washburn University and a former director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment microbiology laboratories in Topeka, to cover these needs and requirements for many years," said Gary Anderson, director of the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. "Dr. Moore's accomplishment is significant, and allows her to head specific and special areas of testing done by the Rabies Lab. This is a very good thing for the lab and the College of Veterinary Medicine."

"I had to pass two board exams: one on general laboratory knowledge covering employment law, regulations, quality assurance, and finance as well as laboratory practices and one on diagnostic immunology," Moore explained. "Usually human clinical laboratories are directed by physicians who have specialized in pathology, but CLIA will also recognize people with a doctorate and minimum number of years directing and working in a high complexity human clinical laboratory provided they are also board certified."

Moore said Kansas State University's Rabies Laboratory was a bit of an "odd duck" because it is located in a veterinary college, but performs human clinical laboratory testing.

"Having a CLIA high-complexity laboratory director allows us to test human samples for rabies titer, such as service samples, research samples and clinical trial samples," Moore said. "That is why we are one of the largest rabies serology laboratories in the world. And personally, it was challenging to study for and pass the exams while working full time."

The Rabies Laboratory is the primary diagnostic lab for rabies testing in the states of Kansas and Nebraska, and meets quality monitoring standards of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments as well as numerous State departments of health. Samples received for rabies serology originate from all over the country and world.

Moore has a bachelor's degree in medical technology, and a master's degree and doctorate in pathobiology, all from Kansas State University.

Clients or interested parties can contact the laboratory for additional information at 785-532-5650 and 785-532-4483, or rabies@vet.k-state.edu and clientcare@vet.ksu.edu.