Grants and Contributions

Domoic acid (DA) is a significant concern to consumers of marine foods, given acute poisoning can be life threatening, and with the impact of low doses being cumulative over time, can cause cognitive disability and illness. At present, the only existing option for biotoxin testing in Canada is to send samples to a CFIA laboratory. Sensoreal Inc. aims to develop a novel microfluidic integrated electrochemical sensing device for the detection of DA in water, phytoplankton, and shellfish. The proposed method involves a simple sample preparation method that does not require cumbersome instruments and results to extract and purify DA from simple (water) to complex (shellfish) samples by anyone. The device will be cost-effective and portable, making it ideal for the point-of-need detection of DA for water monitoring and food safety needs.

Avian Influenza (AI) is a contagious viral infection that can cause severe illness and mortality in gallinaceous poultry (chicken, turkey, quails). It also has the potential to cross over to mammals, including companion animals such as cats and dogs. AI is currently diagnosed in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) laboratories by molecular methods. This process is time consuming, labour intensive and requires expensive laboratory equipment. 11281232 Canada Inc. (LFAnt Medical) aims to develop an easy-to-use, rapid, and affordable lateral flow test for the detection of AI in the field. The proposed method involves the use of gold nanoparticles in combination with a lateral flow assay reader to detect AI and at the same time, H5 and H7 subtypes, with the same sensitivity and specificity as current molecular diagnostic tests used in the CFIA laboratory.

This project is comprised of five distinct sub-projects, each contributing to the overall objective of enhancing Canada’s preparedness for foreign animal disease incursions, specifically African swine fever (ASF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD):

Sub-project 1: CanSpotASF Epidemiologic Surveillance Analysis

Sub-project 2: ASF Large-Scale Depopulation Training Project

Sub-project 3: ASF/FMD - Defining Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments and Industry Partners (FPTI) Roles and Responsibilities Project
Sub-project 4: Foot and Mouth Vaccine Strategy Preparedness Efforts - Phase 1
Sub-project 5: African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease Exercises and Drills

The objective of the project is to validate certain elements of the Quebec pork industry's African swine fever (ASF) emergency response plan to determine preparedness. It will also assess human resource needs for ASF response partners in Quebec.

The objective of the project is to test the capacity of multiple stakeholders, including provinces and the federal government, to concurrently activate African swine fever (ASF) response plans.

The project objective is to enhance One Health research capacity in Canada by supporting student participation in one or more applied research projects focused on infectious animal diseases using the One Health approach.

Avian Influenza (AI) is a contagious viral infection that can cause severe illness and mortality in gallinaceous poultry (chicken, turkey, quails). It also has the potential to cross over to mammals, including companion animals such as cats and dogs. AI is currently diagnosed in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) laboratories by molecular methods. This process is time consuming, labour intensive and requires expensive laboratory equipment. Keystone Labs Inc. aims to develop an easy-to-use, rapid and affordable lateral flow test for the detection of AI in the field. The proposed method is a polymer-based optical sensing device that detects AI virus and at the same time, H5 and H7 subtypes, with the same sensitivity and specificity as current molecular diagnostic tests used in the CFIA laboratory.

Avian Influenza (AI) is a contagious viral infection that can cause severe illness and mortality in gallinaceous poultry (chicken, turkey, quails). It also has the potential to cross over to mammals, including companion animals such as cats and dogs. AI is currently diagnosed in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) laboratories by molecular methods. This process is time consuming, labour intensive and requires expensive laboratory equipment. 11281232 Canada Inc. aims to develop an easy-to-use, rapid and affordable lateral flow test for the detection of AI in the field. The proposed method involves the use of magnetic nanoparticles in combination with a magnetic lateral flow assay reader to detect AI and at the same time, H5 and H7 subtypes, with the same sensitivity and specificity as current molecular diagnostic tests used in the CFIA laboratory.

The objective of the project is to assess interventions to support the prudent use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals that could mitigate the risk of AMR in humans and animals.