Enterics & Bacteriology

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• Research
• Short-term Research Priorities
• Long-term Research Priorities
• Strategic Linkages

Director: Dr. Lai King Ng

This program plays a crucial role in preparing Canada to deal with current and future biological threats whether of natural or bioterrorist origin. Bacteriology and Enterics consults with public health stakeholders, international health collaborators, and liaises with the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network, in addition to universities.

The goal of the Bacteriology and Enteric Diseases Program is:
To continue excel in public health laboratory knowledge, surveillance, emergency preparedness, and emergency response for existing and emerging bacterial and enteric diseases—based on fundamental research and training.

The Bacteriology and Enteric Diseases Program is comprised of five areas:

• Emerging Bacterial Pathogens

• Enteric Diseases—Identification and Serotyping and Phage and Molecular Typing

• Mycobacteriology

• Pathogenic Neisseria, Syphilis, and Vaccine Preventable Bacterial Diseases

• Antimicrobial Resistance and Nosocomial Infections

Research

The Bacteriology and Enteric Diseases program undertakes cutting edge research to better understand, detect, identify, and safely deal with bacteriological and enteric pathogens that threaten human health. The program also provides reference and diagnostic services to health programs at provincial levels, hospitals and community and provides medical legal support, investigates and tracks disease outbreaks, and develops new outbreak-tracking technology. Knowledge acquired by the Bacteriology & Enteric Diseases Program is used to:

• Develop better strategies for disease control and prevention

• Develop and update disease management guidelines

• Evaluate disease treatment therapies

• Improve disease detection and response capabilities

• Develop health risk response policies

• Support policy development

Short-term Research Priorities

The program has a number of short-term research priorities:

• Surveillance. Applied research to better predict and respond to emerging disease threats and to understand the behaviour and trends of existing bacterial and enteric diseases to facilitate improved preparedness and intervention strategies.

• Sequence Based Identification and Typing. Research into better methods of molecular identification and typing of bacterial and enteric organisms to improve response capability and capacity, improve support to Provincial Public Health Laboratories, and improve preparedness and response strategies.

• Antimicrobial Resistance. Research to improve detection, identification, and differentiation of antimicrobial resistant pathogen strains, monitor resistance trends, and develop intervention strategies.

• Vaccine Escape. Research to improve detection, identification, and typing of vaccine induced changes in the microbial population and escape strains, monitor resistance trends, and develop intervention strategies.

• Emergency Response and Preparedness. Research to improve and validate portable devices and nanotechnology for field investigation.

Long-term Research Priorities

The program has a number of long-term research priorities including:

• Outbreak Response: Enhancing Canada’s ability to predict, prevent, and respond to conditions that lead to human disease by understanding the complex dynamics between and among pathogens, potential host carriers, and the environment.

• Identification: Strengthening the ability to rapidly diagnose human infectious diseases, detect pathogens in the environment, and prepare for rapid response to protect the health of Canadians.

• Treatment: Development of new and improved methods for treatment and prevention of infectious illness, controlling outbreaks, and preventing epidemics.

• Re-emergence and Drug Resistance: Development of new strategies to control diseases that are re-emerging or drug resistant.

• Control Strategies. Identifying better control strategies for intractable infectious diseases that continue to challenge global human health.

• Communication Strategies: Developing communication plans and implement tools to improve our network’s capabilities to improve global health intelligence for emergency response.

Strategic Linkages

Global Salm Surv
PulseNet
University-affiliated specific research projects
 Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network
Canadian Monoclonal Antibody Group
Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control
Canada Paediatric Society: Immunization Monitoring Program (ACTive)

United States Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics -- Division of Bacterial Products and Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccines.htm

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
http://wrair-www.army.mil/

National Institute of Biological Standards and Controls --- Division of Bacteriology
http://www.nibsc.ac.uk/divisions/bacteriology.html

Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control
http://www.smittskyddsinstitutet.se/default____2166.aspx

Central Public Health Laboratory, Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, Government of Hong Kong

http://www.info.gov.hk/dh/main_ser/index.htm