WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. -- Newly restored services at the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Eastern Shore branch are expected to strengthen protections for livestock and provide faster answers for farmers.
For the first time since 2024, the agriculture department’s Eastern Shore facility has an anatomic pathologist on staff, allowing necropsies, the animal equivalent of autopsies, to once again be performed locally. The work is being done inside a state-of-the-art laboratory off Nanticoke Road.
State Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Trout said the expanded capabilities will benefit the region’s agricultural industry in several ways, starting with improved disease prevention and response.
Before entering the lab, visitors must suit up with protective equipment, including lab coats and plastic booties, and disinfect their footwear.
"We want to prevent us transmitting any disease to the animal that's on the floor that we're performing the necropsy on, and we also want to prevent any transmission from that animal to us," said Trout.
Inside the lab is a large table designed to accommodate horses, cows and other large animals.
"So, basically, if you had an animal that you wanted a necropsy performed on, you would bring it to the back," said Trout, pointing to a giant garage door towards the back of the lab.
A hoist system then lifts and positions the animal. Trout said the ability to handle larger animals is a major upgrade. The department’s previous pathologist primarily focused on poultry. While poultry necropsies will continue, the new pathologist can now work with larger livestock as well.
"It's exciting for us because it helps with our mission in the state to make sure that we're keeping our Maryland livestock herd, whether it's horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, healthy and disease-free," said Trout.
Trout said the necropsies can work hand in hand with testing conducted elsewhere in the facility, giving the state an additional tool to diagnose problems, identify potential outbreaks, and quickly develop treatment plans when time is critical.
Before the new pathologist was hired, farmers with larger animals had to travel to Frederick County or out of state for necropsy services. The department says restoring those services on the Eastern Shore will significantly reduce travel time and speed up diagnoses for potentially serious or infectious conditions.