Animals > Animal Diseases > Surveillance  

Animal Disease Surveillance

The Animal Disease Surveillance Unit was created in the mid-1990's, as a means of improving Canada's ability to recognize and deal with emerging animal disease problems.

On the domestic scene, this helps lower the cost of food production, prevents human illness and leads to better prices in the supermarket. In the international commercial environment created by the World Trade Organization, demonstrated prowess in these areas gives Canadian livestock and poultry products access to more markets.

The Unit has two particular functions. Disease surveillance is its principal concern. Through the formation of a nationwide network known as CAHNet (Canadian Animal Health Network), the Unit has united the disease detection capabilities of practising veterinarians, provincial and university diagnostic laboratories and the federal government.

Detection is the first step towards arresting a disease outbreak before it impedes food production, represents a food safety concern or closes doors to international markets. The second step is the tracing of the infection to its source. The principal solution here takes the form of animal identification.

Part of the Unit's job is to ensure that Canada keeps apace of international developments in animal disease outbreaks, surveillance methods and identification approaches. To achieve that, it continuously exchanges disease intelligence and works with other nations and international organizations to establish united approaches to these common challenges.