The lab has diagnostic capabilities for a large number of FADs including, but not limited to: avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever, and Nipah and Hendra virus infections.
The NCFAD has received designations by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)e as a reference laboratory for both highly pathogenic avian influenza and for classical swine fever, in recognition of excellence in diagnostic competency, test method development, validation, research, collaboration and training.
[1] The mandate of the NCFAD is to provide scientific and laboratory services for the rapid and accurate identification and reporting of foreign animal diseases.
Serology/Immunology – This Section conducts both scheduled and special tests for the detection of antibodies to foreign animal disease agents in addition to assay development, validation, training and scientific consultation services.
The bulk of scheduled tests (avian influenza, Newcastle disease, bluetongue, pseudorabies, vesicular stomatitis and epizootic hemorrhagic disease) involve the use of validated test methods on traditional farm animal species and the qualification of these animals or their products for movement into, out of, or within Canada and in support of national sero-surveys required by Canada’s trading partners and the OIE to maintain the country’s disease-free status.
The Section maintains a state of readiness for emergencies or outbreak situations through research, technical development, training and scientific consultation.
Protected by positive pressure suits, bench work with infectious agents is conducted in a highly specialized CFIA containment level 4 laboratory.
Each of the services is provided by research and technical staff who specialize in up-to-date technologies relating to the efficient productions of quality reagents.
This unit is involved in assays for the determination of pathogenicity indices for avian viruses, the production of serum standards for diagnostic test methods, and research projects on disease pathogenesis.
Construction of the facility that came to be named the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (often referred to locally as “the Virology Lab”) began with an official groundbreaking in December 1992.
A renovation of infrastructure was started in October 2009 at the 1015 Arlington Street location as part of the Harper government's Economic Action Plan.