Safeguarding public and animal health
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About the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)
VLA has merged with Animal Health to form the new Defra executive agency, the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA).
We are working on a new AHVLA website and in the meantime the former websites of the two agencies will remain in place. See the Animal Health website.
Under the former title of Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), VLA was originally launched as an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (former Defra) on 2 April 1990.
In 1995, CVL merged with the Veterinary Investigation Service in England and Wales to form a larger agency under the new name of the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
VLA has 16 veterinary laboratories which includes a central facility near Weybridge in Surrey, a laboratory facility at Pentlands Park in Scotland, two regional laboratories in Wales and a network of 12 laboratories across England.
For over 100 years, we have been delivering research, surveillance and laboratory services for animal and public health. Our services include a wide range of interrelated core functions and capabilities:
- Disease prevention & control
- Epidemiology
- Environmental health & protection
- Reference & specialist testing
- Supporting regulation & policy development & quality improvement
- Animal health related research
- Supporting international trade
- Expert advice
- Emergency preparedness & response
- Enabling partnership & communication
- Training & education
For further information about VLA, see: