The federal government is investing up to $3.1 million to improve how Canada detects and tracks diseases affecting pigs.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald announced the funding at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Canadian Pork Council will administer the project, with diagnostic and research work centred at the college.
The exact federal contribution is up to $3,111,486 through the AgriAssurance Program’s National Industry Association Component.
The project will develop, validate and upgrade multiplex testing technology. A multiplex test can screen a single sample for several viruses simultaneously, eliminating the need to run separate tests for each suspected disease.
Elizabeth Dobbin, principal investigator and director of the Diagnostic Services Laboratory at the Atlantic Veterinary College, said the team is developing an assay capable of detecting seven viral targets at once.
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