Animals > Laboratories  

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:

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. CFIA’s Dr. Pamela Gale has been designated as the OIE Expert who will lead the Reference Lab.

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.

CFIA Laboratory - Arlington Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health)

• National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases (NCFAD)
  
  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 CFIA’s Centre for Policy and Epidemiology for FAD is located in the Centre.

CFIA Ottawa Laboratory - Fallowfield, Ontario (Animal Diseases Research Institute / Center for Plant Quarantine Pests)

• Avian Diseases Centre of Expertise

  An OIE Reference Laboratory for Marek’s Disease. Tests for import and export certification for poultry and ratites. Activities include research on avian leukosis, Marek’s 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.

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.