The Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit (ABADRU) is a part of the Center for Grain and Animal Health Research (CGAHR) in Manhattan, KS. CGAHR operates under a branch of the USDA known as ARS, or the Agricultural Research Service. Within ARS, a number of National Programs have been developed for protecting and improving the nation’s food supply and other agricultural interests. Of these programs, the ABADRU focuses on research pertaining to the National Programs of Animal Health and of Veterinary, Medical and Urban Entomology.

The ABADRU conducts research on the diagnosis and control of livestock diseases that are transmitted by arthropods. Arthropods are a group of organisms that include insects, ticks and spiders. Arthropod-borne diseases cause significant economic loss and pose a constant threat to the U.S. livestock industry. Many of these diseases are zoonotic, causing illness and sometimes death in humans.