WCVM Upgrades to Enhance Biosecurity

CANADA - The Western College of Veterinary Medicine says improved biosecurity is among the resulting benefits of a six million dollar upgrade of its Diagnostics Laboratory and Large Animal Clinic, writes Bruce Cochrane.

22 April 2009

2 minute read

North America

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The Western College of Veterinary Medicine provides veterinary undergraduate and graduate student training and a full range of diagnostic and clinical services for western Canada and supports clinical research.

College dean Dr. Charles Rhodes notes staff deal with a wide range of both non-infectious and infectious diseases affecting companion and food animals and provide support for disease monitoring and surveillance programs both locally and nationally.

Dr. Charles Rhodes-Western College of Veterinary Medicine

One of the reasons for the expansion of the diagnostic lab is to upgrade our facilities to address modern biosecurity issues and guidelines and standards.

When the building was built 40 years ago, the diseases we dealt with were a bit different and certainly our understanding and biosecurity standards were much different than they are today and so we need to be sure that we have a facility that can properly address those diseases that may enter into the lab and make sure that they are handled properly and also address any issues relating to humans which would be both our faculty and staff and students that are working in the lab.

So again there is considerable amount of effort and planning to make sure that the design addresses both efficiency and modern technology in diagnostics but also biosecurity in addressing the modern standards.

The upgrade of the Diagnostics Lab and Large Animal Clinic is expected to be complete within the next six weeks and is part of a larger modernization that began about five years ago.

Dr. Rhodes says the final phase of the expansion will move forward once funding has been identified.