The B.C. government’s Animal Health Centre has received a new international accreditation that furthers its reputation as Western Canada’s leading full-service veterinary laboratory.

The centre, located just off the Trans-Canada Highway in the Fraser Valley, has been accredited for ISO/IEC 17025 (International Organization for Standardization) by the Standards Council of Canada. This new designation further validates the Animal Health Centre tests for Foreign Animal Disease, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Infectious Salmon Anaemia Virus. The centre optimized and validated an OIE-World Organization for Animal Health recommended PCR test for Infectious Salmon Anaemia Virus that was accepted and given accreditation status.

The Animal Health Centre continues to offer more than 400 laboratory diagnostic tests for agents that may be found in wild and domestic birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The high-quality, fee-for-service tests include pathology, bacteriology, serology, and molecular diagnostics and virology.

The centre handles approximately 6,000 case submissions per year and is one of only three laboratories in Canada accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and one of only two with AAVLD and ISO accreditation.

Learn More:

Standards Council of Canada – Scope of Accreditation for Animal Health Centre: http://palcan.scc.ca/specs/pdf/987_e.pdf

Further information on the Animal Health Centre: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/animals-and-crops/animal-health/animal-health-centre