Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Science Branch
Laboratories Directorate Animal Health
CFIA's Animal Health Laboratory Services are delivered by a network of Centres of
Expertise, each of which is the national centre for its area of specialization. The
Centres provide laboratory testing for CFIA's domestic disease control programs, for
import and export certification, and for artificial insemination centres; conduct
technology development and research projects to develop better testing and control
methods; and provide information and advice on disease epidemiology, detection and
prevention to CFIA's Policy and Operations officers.
The Centres are located at six different CFIA laboratories:
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CFIA Laboratory - Lethbridge, Alberta
(Animal Diseases Research Institute) |
- Indigenous Bovine and Equine Viral Diseases Centre of Expertise
An
Office international des epizooties (OIE) Reference Laboratory for Infectious Bovine
Rhinotracheitis (IBR) which provides tests for IBR, bovine viral diarrhea, and equine
viral arteritis. Activities include research to understand the pathogenesis of these
diseases and to develop improved detection technologies.
- Leptospirosis and Anaplasmosis Centre of Expertise
Activities
include testing for leptospirosis and anaplasmosis and research to improve the detection
and control of these diseases of livestock.
- Non-traditional Livestock Centre of Expertise
Provides scientific
information and research on commercially-farmed, zoo-reared and free-ranging wildlife
species. Activities also include research on diseases of wildlife which may affect the
health of domestic livestock and testing services for brucellosis and rabies.
- Reference Laboratory for Anthrax
Designated by the Office
International des Épizooties (OIE), the international animal health organization,
comprised of 162 member countries. CFIAs Dr. Pamela Gale has been designated as the
OIE Expert who will lead the Reference Lab.
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CFIA Laboratory - Veterinary Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
(Health of Animals Laboratory) |
- Centre for Animal Parasitology
Provides tests for parasitic diseases of domestic livestock and game-farmed animals.
Activities include technology development studies to improve testing methods.
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CFIA Laboratory - Arlington Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba
(Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health) |
- National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases
Provides virology, serology, pathology and microbiology testing services for foreign
animal diseases (FAD) that are exotic to Canada, for the import and export of domestic and
game-farmed animals, poultry and ratites, and for confirmatory testing, reference, and
epidemiological and traceback requirements. Also carries out technology development
projects to improve detection methods, and provide information on epidemiology,
pathogenesis, and transmission of FAD. Maintains emergency response capability and a state
of readiness for laboratory confirmation of FAD, and conducts training courses for
veterinarians in FAD. The CFIAs Centre for Policy and Epidemiology for FAD is
located in the Centre.
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CFIA Ottawa Laboratory - Fallowfield, Ontario
(Animal Diseases Research Institute / Center for Plant Quarantine Pests) |
- Avian Diseases Centre of Expertise
An OIE Reference Laboratory for
Mareks Disease. Tests for import and export certification for poultry and ratites.
Activities include research on avian leukosis, Mareks disease, and composting and
bio-management techniques for control of pathogens.
- Brucellosis Centre of Expertise
An OIE Reference Laboratory for
Brucellosis. Provides serological tests for import and disease control, and produces
brucellosis test reagents (testing node at Lethbridge). Activities include technical and
audit support for accreditation of non-federal labs which provide export testing. Provides
complement fixation tests for a variety of animal diseases of regulatory importance and
carries out research on new test technologies such as fluorescent polarization assays.
- Germplasm Centre of Expertise
Conducts tests to certify animals,
semen and embryos for import or export, and for entry of animals into artificial
insemination centres. Also conducts research and technology development studies to improve
detection of pathogens, and to evaluate risks of disease transmission.
- Mycobacterial Diseases Centre of Expertise
Provides culture and
histopathology tests for Mycobacterium bovis infection of domestic livestock and
wildlife or game-farmed animals. Other activities include studies to develop more rapid
diagnostic tests. Also produces and distributes tuberculin and other reagents for the
detection of mycobacterial diseases in animals.
- Rabies Centre of Expertise
An OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies,
and a World Health organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre. Provides tests for rabies in
animals (testing node at Lethbridge). Identifies rabies variants; maintains a reference
collection; and conducts studies on rabies detection, pathogenesis, and epidemiology.
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CFIA Laboratory - St. Hyacinthe, Quebec
(Health of Animals and Food Laboratory) |
- Indigenous Porcine Diseases Centre of Expertise
Provides serological
tests to certify swine for import, export and disease control programs. Also carries
out research on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) transmission and
detection. Also provides histopathology services, and trichinosis testing (node).
- Retrovirology Centre of Expertise
Provides testing for Equine
infectious anemia (EIA), Bovine Leukemia virus (BLV), Maedi-Visna of sheep, and caprine
arthritis-encephalitis. Activities include development and validation of new tests and
accreditation support for non-federal labs which provide EIA and EBL tests for export and
herd health programs.
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