The Government of Canada is investing up to $709,138 in a project with the University of Prince Edward Island's Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) to create diagnostic tests that will make it easier to safeguard the health of Canada's swine herds, as well as the country’s cattle herds.
The college's research team will develop new tests that are faster, more sensitive and less costly to detect bovine and swine viruses, according to a news release issued by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. A key goal is to create tests that can identify multiple viruses from a single sample. Researchers will target animal diseases that carry the highest economic risk in the global marketplace, including swine enteric viruses and bovine respiratory and enteric viruses.
Disease testing is part of the national assurance systems Canada uses to back the safety and quality of its meat products in markets around the world. The new tests developed under this project will be used by veterinary laboratories across Canada.
"Canada's reputation for safe, high quality meat and dairy products is one that is backed by science and helps to keep our sector competitive and profitable,” said Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay. “This partnership with one of Canada's leading veterinary colleges will ensure our industry continues to be recognized domestically and internationally for producing high quality products."
