Alberta Ready to Combat Animal Diseases with Completion of Biosafety Level 3 Lab

---

Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). The province of Alberta has a potent new weapon in its arsenal to detect and combat a deadly array of animal diseases. Construction was recently completed on Alberta’s first Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) in Edmonton. In addition to being able to test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow disease”, the $14 million lab will also be able to identify chronic wasting disease (CWD), avian influenza (AI) and foot and mouth disease.

The 7,900 square-foot BSL-3 lab is contained within the new 28,000 square-foot, two-story facility that meets stringent safety measures, including sterilizable surfaces, the use of special biosafety cabinets and specialized air and waste handling systems. Featuring a modular, flexible design, the testing areas can be expanded or modified when required. This capability will allow Alberta to quickly respond and control the damage caused by animal disease outbreaks. Alberta is offering farmers $150 per head to make their cattle available for testing.

While the initial focus of the lab will be on testing, it will also be used for animal disease research in collaboration with the Alberta Research Council and the University of Alberta. The higher levels of containment and security of the lab will allow a broader scope of research targets.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is a Marketing Information Service company that has been doing business for over 23 years. IIR is respected as the leader in providing comprehensive market intelligence pertaining to the industrial processing, heavy manufacturing, and energy-related industries throughout the world.