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89-475: While most of the laboratory space is dedicated to Containment Level 2 (also known as Biosafety Level 2) and Containment Level 3 laboratories, CSCHAH is the only facility in Canada operating Containment Level 4 (CL4) laboratories and is the first facility in the world to have both human and animal Level 4 laboratories under one roof. Both NML and NCFAD operate critical diagnostic testing programs relied on across

178-399: A Category V body, must be curated at facilities rated BSL-4. Because the existing BSL-4 facilities in the world do not provide the level of cleanliness needed for such pristine samples, there is a need to design a facility dedicated to curation of restricted (potentially biohazardous ) extraterrestrial materials . The systems of such facilities must be able to contain unknown biohazards, as

267-450: A class III biosafety cabinet . Materials leaving the cabinet must be decontaminated by passing through an autoclave or a tank of disinfectant . The cabinets themselves are required to have seamless edges to allow easy cleaning. Also, the cabinet and all materials within must be free of sharp edges to reduce the risk of damage to the gloves. In a protective-suit lab, all work must be done in a class II biosafety cabinet by personnel wearing

356-512: A positive pressure suit . To exit a BSL-4 lab, personnel must pass through a chemical shower for decontamination, then a room for removing the positive-pressure suit, followed by a personal shower. Entry into the BSL-4 lab is restricted to trained and authorized individuals, and all persons entering and exiting the lab must be recorded. As with BSL-3 laboratories, BSL-4 labs must be separated from areas that receive unrestricted traffic. Also, airflow

445-494: A basis for and to maintain an atmosphere of public trust and confidence between the centre and the community. The committee consists of volunteer members representing a wide range of organizations including community residents, scientists, health care professionals, and agricultural professionals. The committee meets at least four times per year, holds regular public information sessions and issues reports on their activities. Other laboratories have been modelled on this approach. At

534-627: A concept of operations outlining four scalable response levels and a governance structure that aims to facilitate an efficient, timely, evidence-informed and consistent approach across jurisdictions. The PHAC headquarters are located in two pillars—one is in Ottawa , and the other is the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg , Manitoba , the location of Canada's only Level 4 microbiology lab for human health. Both

623-587: A direct point of connection to Chinese health officials (and an independent observer). In the absence of its own early-warning system, Canada was forced to rely more heavily on the WHO." Adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa and national security critic Wesley Wark laments that vacancy, and said "What we didn't have was the capacity – our own independent capacity – to verify" the state of affairs in China, which

712-499: A facility which cares for vulnerable animals) would require BSL-3 conditions. Biosafety level 3 is appropriate for work involving microbes which can cause serious and potentially lethal disease via the inhalation route. This type of work can be done in clinical, diagnostic, teaching, research, or production facilities. Here, the precautions undertaken in BSL-1 and BSL-2 labs are followed, as well as additional measures including: Also,

801-596: A federal/provincial/territorial process in 1991, with subsequent editions in 2000 and 2009. Following the 2009 revision, the decision was taken to make future updates on a case-by-case basis." The Canadian Adverse Events Following Immunization Surveillance System (CAEFISS) is a "federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) public health post-market vaccine safety surveillance system" managed by PHAC. CAEFISS receives passive reports of Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) as well as engages in active monitoring of marketed vaccines in Canada. Pharmacovigilance related to AEFI

890-464: A military base at its premises. At the time, the facility contained organisms rated at BSL-2. Biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) is suitable for work with well-characterized agents which do not cause disease in healthy humans. In general, these agents should pose minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment. At this level, precautions are limited relative to other levels. Laboratory personnel must wash their hands upon entering and exiting

979-719: A new organisation be formed. It was so instantiated, by Order in Council in 2004 under the Minister of State for Public Health (Canada) of the Martin government and subsequently by legislation that came into force on December 15, 2006 under the Harper government . It is part of the federal government's Health Portfolio (along with Health Canada , the Canadian Institutes of Health Research , and other organizations). At

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1068-575: A number of changes to public health in Canada. Among those were the creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada , and the construction of a high-tech operations centre at CSCHAH. This operations centre is the hub of the National Microbiology Laboratory when there is an outbreak or a deployment of personnel off-site. It is equipped with three separate phone systems, can videoconference with 38 participants at

1157-513: A piece of equipment that sterilizes materials with steam and pressure. Any liquids leaving the high-containment space go through a biowaste system that operates like a large autoclave to sterilize it. The high-containment labs are built as a box-in-a-box; they do not border exterior walls and there are mechanical spaces above and below them. CSCHAH is a high-security facility. Security staff work closely with local police, RCMP and CSIS to ensure an appropriate level of security at all times. Only

1246-531: A scientific review paper stated that the CSCHAH "has become the prototype for modern BSL4 laboratories". In 2009, Mexico sought help from NML in identifying the unknown respiratory pathogen which was to become known as the pandemic H1N1 influenza. NML's involvement in the response to the West African Ebola outbreak . For a period of about 18 months, teams from NML travelled to West Africa to aid in

1335-653: A split personality developed with the twin agencies of President and CPHO. The post of President is presently held by Iain Stewart, who was appointed on 21 September 2020 to replace Tina Namiesniowski. Vice-president of the Health Security Infrastructure Branch Sally Thornton was also dismissed on 15 September in the midst of controversy over the disbandment of the GPHIN system. The chief public health officer (CPHO)

1424-596: A threat to Canadian security", an inconvenient truth that the Chretien government wanted to silence. Christian Leuprecht , an academic at the Royal Military College says this reveals larger security issues at the NML: "This would also explain why you haven't charged them, because once you charge them, then eventually you have to put people on trial. And when you put people on trial, then you have to disclose

1513-545: A time, and can connect via satellite to remote locations around the world. Virtually all staff at NML are trained in the Incident Command System and are able to jump into action at a moment's notice if there is a public health event of some type. A three-story expansion to the building was completed in 2011. The expanded and renovated areas include specimen receiving, shipping and receiving, bio-repository, media preparation, office, and meeting space. CSCHAH

1602-445: A timely response to the needs of Canadians. The Public Health Network Council (PHNC) is an FPT committee that is co-chaired by the deputy CPHO, Dr Howard Njoo. The PHNC is populated by an array of directors, deputies, chiefs, experts and coordinators, from far and wide the public health guardians of Canada . The FPT SAC on Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events has been in place since at least October 2017: outlines how

1691-605: Is Canada's lead health professional. The CPHO is also a Governor-in-Council appointment whose role is to provide advice both to the Minister of Health and to the President of the PHAC. Dr. Theresa Tam was named CPHO on June 26, 2017. The Public Health Agency of Canada Act empowers the CPHO to communicate with other levels of government, voluntary organizations, the private sector and Canadians on public health issues. Each year,

1780-584: Is a set of biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed laboratory facility. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) to the highest at level 4 (BSL-4). In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have specified these levels in a publication referred to as BMBL. In the European Union ,

1869-404: Is a shared responsibility between Health Canada and PHAC. The PHAC produces numerous reports, amongst which are the annual CPHO reports to the public as well as the annual departmental results summary which is provided for a Parliamentary audience. The CPHO produces yearly public health reports which "summarize evidence on high-priority public health issues and provide a way forward to improve

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1958-691: Is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health , emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention. The PHAC was formed because of a series of official inquiries about the SARS crisis in Canada which was particularly severe. For example, the province of Ontario inquiry and the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health both recommended that

2047-479: Is expected to take 7 to 10 years from design to completion, and an additional two years is recommended for the staff to become proficient and accustomed to the facilities. According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published on 4 October 2007, a total of 1,356 CDC/USDA registered BSL-3 facilities were identified throughout the United States. Approximately 36% of these laboratories are located in academia. 15 BSL-4 facilities were identified in

2136-436: Is held in high regard within the international containment laboratory community. CSCHAH is a state-of-the-art, 332,766 square foot complex. Built to exceed national and international standards, CSCHAH maintains its high level of excellence through ongoing maintenance and regular upgrades. The complex is built as a series of program-specific blocks interconnected by an area dedicated to common elements for both departments such as

2225-612: Is obtained either to confirm continued work at this level, or to permit working with them at a lower level. This level is also used for work with smallpox virus, though this work is only performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, United States, and the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology in Koltsovo, Russia. Sample-return missions that bring back to Earth, samples from

2314-557: Is only required for circumstances where personnel might be exposed to hazardous material. BSL-1 laboratories must have a door which can be closed to limit access to the lab. However, it is not necessary for BSL-1 labs to be isolated from the general building. This level of biosafety is appropriate for work with several kinds of microorganisms including non-pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus , Bacillus subtilis , Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other organisms not suspected to contribute to human disease. Due to

2403-760: Is responsible for possible health risks from: The PHAC houses the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System (CJDSS) at its Ottawa headquarters. "The Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR) is a bilingual, peer-reviewed journal on infectious diseases." It appears "on the first Thursday of each month, with combined issues in March/April and July/August. CCDR publishes surveillance reports, outbreak reports, original research, rapid communications, advisory committee statements and more... The journal has been in continuous publication since 1975," first by Health Canada. Since

2492-532: Is responsible for regulating or tracking the number of these labs. U.S. high-containment laboratories that handle pathogens which are declared as " select agents " must be inspected periodically by the CDC or USDA, adhere to certain standards, and maintain ongoing education on biosecurity and biosafety policies as mandated by law. Public Health Agency of Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada ( PHAC ; French : Agence de la santé publique du Canada, ASPC )

2581-403: Is the highest level of biosafety precautions, and is appropriate for work with agents that could easily be aerosol-transmitted within the laboratory and cause severe to fatal disease in humans for which there are no available vaccines or treatments. BSL-4 labs are generally set up to be either cabinet laboratories or protective-suit laboratories. In cabinet laboratories, all work must be done within

2670-401: Is tightly controlled to ensure that air always flows from "clean" areas of the lab to areas where work with infectious agents is being performed. The entrance to the BSL-4 lab must also employ airlocks to minimize the possibility that aerosols from the lab could be removed from the lab. All laboratory waste, including filtered air, water, and trash must also be decontaminated before it can leave

2759-593: The CSIRO 's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) if he could have the newly released United States' National Institutes of Health and the British equivalent requirements for the development of infrastructure for bio-containment reviewed by AAHL personnel with a view to recommending the adoption of one of them by Australian authorities. The review was carried out by CSIRO AAHL Project Manager Bill Curnow and CSIRO Engineer Arthur Jenkins. They drafted outcomes for each of

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2848-682: The National Research Council of Canada to head up the troubled division. The PHAC controls and funds the National Microbiology Laboratory BSL4 lab at which Xiangguo Qiu and her husband Keding Cheng performed their research into dangerous infectious diseases like Ebola and the West Nile virus . In July 2019 the Chinese nationals were fired from their non-salaried positions at

2937-590: The University of Winnipeg and "an unknown number of her [UW] students from China were removed from the lab on July 5" after the RCMP was called in May 2019 to investigate the curious affair of a trans-Pacific shipment of BSL4-grade viruses; at the time the PHAC was not identified by the CBC as other than an interested party although her LinkedIn page does list her employer since 2003 as the PHAC. In May 2021, it came to light that

3026-695: The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). In 2014, the WIV's National Bio-safety Laboratory was built at a cost of 300 million yuan (US$ 44 million), in collaboration and with assistance from the French government 's CIRI lab . In 2007 a scientific review paper stated that the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health , which was designed in the early 1990s, "has become the prototype for modern BSL4 laboratories". Starting with

3115-531: The 1970s, participation in the conferences continued to expand and by 1983 discussions began regarding the creation of a formal organization. The American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) was officially established in 1984 and a constitution and bylaws were drafted the same year. As of 2008, ABSA includes some 1,600 members in its professional association. In 1977, Jim Peacock of the Australian Academy of Science asked Bill Snowdon, then chief of

3204-609: The 2004 bouleversement it has been published by PHAC. As of May 2020, the duties of Editor-in-Chief were delegated to Michel Deilgat, who resided in the Office of the Chief Science Officer at the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Branch. The French title of the publication is "Relevé des maladies transmissibles au Canada." The past Editor-in-Chief who had the office from 2013 to 2019

3293-790: The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic near the facilities of the WIV, work in biocontainment facilities has been politicized, especially in the US Senate for example as the result of Rand Paul 's work. Russia asked questions on 25 October 2022 in the United Nations over the presence in Ukraine of biolabs. In April 2023, Sudan's descent into civil war caused worries at the World Health Organization over its National Public Laboratory as contending factions battled over its area and NPL staff were kicked out in favor of installing

3382-513: The CPHO is required to submit a report to the Minister of Health on the state of public health in Canada. The PHAC houses several bureaucrats: Because the portfolio at the PHAC crosses so many boundaries, and especially jurisdictional ones, the civil servants have evolved what are known as Special Advisory Committees (SAC), which include Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) officials such as deputy ministers of health, so as to attempt to ensure

3471-651: The Chinese government." Meanwhile the Trudeau government sent the matter to the NSICOP , which was created in 2017 by Justin Trudeau to review matters relating to national security or intelligence. A former Crown prosecutor saw parallels to the 20th century Project Sidewinder , a joint RCMP-CSIS effort which found that "the Chinese government and Asian criminal gangs had been working together in drug smuggling, nuclear espionage and other criminal activities that constituted

3560-583: The Chinese soldier. Feihu participated in studies of Ebola , Lassa fever and Rift Valley fever . As of June 2021, the CBC had informants inside the NML who had seen "the Chinese military scientist" Feihu "at the NML", It was revealed in June 2021 that, during the initial RCMP investigation, "several computers had been seized, a lab log book was missing and Qiu's regular trips to China were suspended." The CBC reporter

3649-527: The European Union departs from the United States and classifies HIV and hepatitis B – G as Risk Group 3 agents best handled at BSL-3. Prions , the infectious agents that transmit prion diseases such as vCJD , are typically handled under Biosafety Level 2 or higher. This is due to the lack of any evidence of aerosol transmission and relatively higher infective dose of prion diseases, though some circumstances (such as handling animal-infective prions in

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3738-555: The NML, co-authored six scholarly papers with Qiu while s/he was employed by the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences , and furthermore had been paid by the PHAC for parts of this five-year collaboration which began before "early 2016". Qiu has co-authored at least eight publications with Yan. A retired CSIS director observed that Canadian researchers are subject to stringent security checks and that this national security procedure somehow appeared to have been bypassed by

3827-634: The PHAC had employed the pair until their dismissal in January 2021. As of May 2021 the PHAC "has repeatedly declined to divulge to the House of Commons special committee on Canada-China relations " the reason for their dismissal, a situation which puzzles certain Parliamentarians because Parliament through their agent the Cabinet funds the PHAC. In the event of continued rebuff from the President of

3916-581: The PHAC, the Parliamentarians have already voted to send the issue to the House from which they were delegated. The President has legal advice from government solicitors in which he is advised against disclosure, but the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs named Rob Oliphant broadcast his non-confidence in the legal advice of the government of which he is a member. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service had "urged

4005-565: The President and the CPHO officiate from Ottawa. The President is ranked above the CPHO in the departmental org chart. The PHAC is the locus of control for several systemic healthcare defences, amongst which are included: As well as the above, the PHAC houses the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPR), Canadian Field Epidemiology Program (CFEP) and the Canadian Public Health Service (CPHS). The CEPR

4094-483: The U.S. in 2007, including nine at federal labs. As of May 2021, there are 42 BSL-4 facilities in operation around the world, with a further 17 planned or under construction. The following is a list of existing BSL-4 facilities worldwide. A North Carolina Mosquito & Vector Control Association (NCMVCA) study highlighted safety concerns. In the United States, laboratories can be funded by federal, state, private, non-profit, or academically. The last accounts for 72% of

4183-948: The U.S. that were accredited biosafety levels 3 or 4. The Proceedings of a Workshop on "Developing Norms for the Provision of Biological Laboratories in Low-Resource Contexts" provides a list of BSL-3 laboratories in those countries. Biosafety level 3 is commonly used for research and diagnostic work involving various microbes which can be transmitted by aerosol and/or cause severe disease. These include Francisella tularensis , Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Chlamydia psittaci , Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus , Eastern equine encephalitis virus , SARS-CoV-1 , MERS-CoV , Coxiella burnetii , Rift Valley fever virus , Rickettsia rickettsii , several species of Brucella , chikungunya , yellow fever virus , West Nile virus , and Yersinia pestis . Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4)

4272-514: The Winnipeg-based Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Inc., visited laboratories around the world to seek best practices in containment and design. Construction finished toward the end of 1997, with the first programs beginning in the spring of 1998 following an extensive commissioning process. The rest of the laboratories then became operational one by one. The official opening took place in 1999. Since then,

4361-549: The agency itself." On 28 September 2016, the Commissioner of Official Languages (at the time Graham Fraser ) told the Executive Committee of the PHAC that "official languages leadership is also a question of public health" in a speech authorized by President Siddika Mithani . In 2015, CPHO Taylor left vacant a Beijing position, which had until 2015 "stationed a Canadian doctor in the Chinese capital as

4450-463: The committee's request, CSCHAH developed reporting guidelines to determine the extent of communication around any incidents that may take place at the centre. This ensures that the committee and others are apprised of incidents of any significance in a timely manner plus they have access to information on each and every incident no matter how minor, at their meetings. Biosafety Level A biosafety level ( BSL ), or pathogen/protection level ,

4539-578: The country. These programs protect human health, animal health, and international trade. In the 1980s, both Agriculture Canada (prior to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency being formed) and Health Canada identified the need to replace existing laboratory space that was reaching the end of its lifespan as well as the need for Containment Level 4 space in the country. Numerous benefits were identified for housing both laboratories in one building, including cost savings. Winnipeg

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4628-414: The diagnostics during the outbreak. Their ongoing work on developing both a vaccine and treatment was fast-tracked into clinical trials during this period to help stop the outbreak. The primary reason for housing the two laboratories in the same complex was economic. It saves the citizens of Canada money by only having one facility to operate with a number of shared services also keeping costs down. However,

4717-479: The environment. This includes various microbes that cause mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting. Examples of pathogens classified as "Risk Group 2" in the United States include seasonal influenza, SARS-CoV-2 , hepatitis A , B , and C viruses, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus , Salmonella , Plasmodium falciparum , and Toxoplasma gondii . Notably,

4806-640: The evidence that you have. So the government might quite intentionally trying to keep this sort of relatively below the radar as much as it can," not to mention the fact that there is no facility in Canadian law which allows trial in absentia . The PHAC has played a central leadership role in Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2020, the PHAC convened the COVID-19 Clinical Pharmacology Task Group. The CPTG

4895-470: The facility which houses the BSL-3 lab must have certain features to ensure appropriate containment. The entrance to the lab must be separated from areas of the building with unrestricted traffic flow. Also, the lab must be behind two sets of self-closing doors (to reduce the risk of aerosols escaping). The construction of the lab is such that it can be easily cleaned. Carpets are not permitted, and any seams in

4984-557: The facility. Biosafety level 4 laboratories are used for diagnostic work and research on easily transmitted pathogens which can cause fatal disease. These include a number of viruses known to cause viral hemorrhagic fever such as Marburg virus , Ebola virus , Lassa virus , and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever . Other pathogens handled at BSL-4 include Hendra virus , Nipah virus , and some flaviviruses . Also, poorly characterized pathogens which appear closely related to dangerous pathogens are often handled at this level until enough data

5073-598: The facility. Health Canada reports that world-wide until 1999 there were recorded over 5,000 cases of accidental laboratory infections and 190 deaths. The first prototype Class III (maximum containment) biosafety cabinet was fashioned in 1943 by Hubert Kaempf Jr., then a U.S. Army soldier, under the direction of Arnold G. Wedum, Director (1944–1969) of Industrial Health and Safety at the United States Army Biological Warfare Laboratories , Camp Detrick , Maryland . Kaempf

5162-411: The floors, walls, and ceilings are sealed to allow easy cleaning and decontamination. Also, windows must be sealed, and a ventilation system installed which forces air to flow from the "clean" areas of the lab to the areas where infectious agents are handled. Air from the lab must be filtered before it can be recirculated. A 2015 study by USA Today journalists, identified more than 200 lab sites in

5251-525: The funder had been redacted by government. Qiu appears to have defected, since she has published 32 academic papers since she was escorted from the NML in July 2019, although Qiu was on the payroll of PHAC until January 2021. The CBC had actually asked Wang Wenbin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China) in June 2021 at his weekly press conference "if Qiu and Cheng were involved in espionage on behalf of

5340-472: The funding. High-containment labs that are registered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Select Agent Program must adhere to Department of Defense standards. Since BSL3 and 4 laboratories in the United States are regulated by either the CDC or USDA or another federal agency (depending on the pathogens they handle), no single federal agency

5429-558: The group recommended only administering the drug as a part of a clinical trial . The president is a Governor in Council appointment for a term of five years. While in early years of the PHAC the President of the organization was identical to the Chief Public Health Officer , who is required by law to be a scientist, the Harper government innovated to manage the organization via the more malleable civil service, and

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5518-426: The lab. Research with these agents may be performed on standard open laboratory benches without the use of special containment equipment. However, eating and drinking are generally prohibited in laboratory areas. Potentially infectious material must be decontaminated before disposal, either by adding a chemical such as bleach or isopropanol or by packaging for decontamination elsewhere. Personal protective equipment

5607-468: The laboratories in the facility have been instrumental in responding to a number of significant infectious disease outbreaks: The 2003 SARS outbreak when NML led the laboratory response; the 2003 BSE case when NCFAD provided the diagnosis of the initial case and then undertook testing as part of a vast investigation; the 2004 avian influenza outbreak in BC for which NCFAD led the laboratory investigation. In 2007

5696-583: The levels of security. AAHL was notionally classified as "substantially beyond P4". These were adopted by the Australian Academy of Science and became the basis for Australian legislation. It opened in 1985 costing AU$ 185 million, built on Corio Oval . The Australian Animal Health Laboratory is a Class 4/ P4 Laboratory. In 2003, the Chinese Academy of Sciences approved the construction of mainland China's first BSL-4 laboratory at

5785-415: The library, cafeteria, and theatre. CSCHAH houses laboratories to manage any type of infectious organism from the most common to the most exotic. Containment Level 2 (CL2) laboratories are the same as what can be found at a hospital or doctor's office; 60.8% of CSCHAH lab space is dedicated to level 2. Containment Level 3 involves specific engineering controls and protocols to ensure the safety of lab staff,

5874-484: The lobby area is open to the public; all guests must be escorted within the secure area at all times. All staff working in the facility have Secret Level II security clearance. The Community Liaison Committee to the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health was struck by the ministers of Health and Agriculture in 1999. The committee's first meeting took place in January 2000. It was to create

5963-474: The national response to public health events caused by biological agents will be conducted and coordinated, with a focus on implementation of responses led by senior-level FPT public health decision-makers. The plan was developed by an expert task group and was approved by PHNC in October, 2017. The plan describes roles, responsibilities and authorities of FPT governments for public health and emergency management,

6052-420: The omnibus budget bill instituted a parallel Presidential structure to govern the organisation that then could be staffed by non-medical and non-scientific personnel. The NDP health critic said at the time that: "To bury it in an omnibus bill says to me that they don't want people to know about it and they don't want questions," while Health Minister Rona Ambrose said that "the idea for the new structure came from

6141-475: The partnership between these two world leading labs also allows for collaboration and cooperation on established, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Many of the viruses, bacteria and prions studied at CSCHAH are zoonotic , meaning that they can transfer from animals to humans. Co-location of these labs allows scientists to work together on these shared challenges and to take advantage of each other's complementary expertise and unique resources. This model

6230-453: The populace were infected with the virus, with 363 confirmed deaths (as of December 8); confirmed cases had reached 10,000 when Health Canada stopped counting in July. Canada began its vaccination campaign in October and vaccinated a higher proportion of its citizens than any other country. The pandemic was the subject of a review document, issued in November 2010. The CPHO position was left vacant for 16 months until Dr Gregory W. Taylor

6319-448: The public and the environment; 35.5% of CSCHAH lab space is CL3 space, the majority of which is dedicated to animal pathogens. Although the facility is thought of as a "Level 4 facility," only 3.7% of lab space is used for CL4. Level 4, with its special construction and biosafety suits, is necessary to work with the most serious of pathogens including Ebola, Nipah, and Marburg. Following the SARS outbreak in 2003, lessons learned resulted in

6408-421: The relative ease and safety of maintaining a BSL-1 laboratory, these are the types of laboratories generally used as teaching spaces for high schools and colleges . At this level, all precautions used at Biosafety level 1 are followed, and some additional precautions are taken. BSL-2 differs from BSL-1 in that: Biosafety level 2 is suitable for work involving agents of moderate potential hazard to personnel and

6497-504: The removal of the security clearances" of the Chinese pair, the event of which brought the matter to public light in July 2019. Stewart said March 2021 that the January 2021 termination of the scientists was due to a "number of review processes" initiated by the PHAC in 2018, "relating to possible breaches of security protocols". It later came to light that a soldier from the People's Liberation Army of China named Feihu Yan had worked at

6586-660: The same biosafety levels are defined in a directive . In Canada the four levels are known as Containment Levels. Facilities with these designations are also sometimes given as P1 through P4 (for pathogen or protection level), as in the term P3 laboratory . At the lowest level of biosafety, precautions may consist of regular hand-washing and minimal protective equipment. At higher biosafety levels, precautions may include airflow systems, multiple containment rooms, sealed containers, positive pressure personnel suits , established protocols for all procedures, extensive personnel training, and high levels of security to control access to

6675-491: The size of any putative alien microorganism is unknown. Ideally, it should filter particles down to 10 nanometers , and release of a particle 50 nanometers or larger is unacceptable under any circumstance. Because NASA and ESA are collaborating on the Mars Sample Return campaign, due to return samples from Mars in the early 2030s, the need for a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) is becoming more pressing. An SRF

6764-417: The three principal biological warfare (BW) laboratories of the U.S. Army. Because of the potential implication of the work conducted at biological warfare laboratories, the conferences were restricted to top level security clearances . Beginning in 1957, these conferences were planned to include non-classified sessions as well as classified sessions to enable broader sharing of biological safety information. It

6853-564: The time of its creation in 2004, most of the agency's staff were located in the former Gandalf Technologies building in Nepean , south of Ottawa, and were part of Health Canada 's Population and Public Health Branch . The first President of the PHAC and Chief Public Health Officer was David Butler-Jones . In 2009, when the 2009 swine flu pandemic episode occurred, the PHAC had already been chartered for three years. In Canada, roughly 10% of

6942-429: The year and provides 24/7 response to biological or chemical issues. Any material exiting the level 3 or 4 laboratories must be sterilized or decontaminated in some manner. Air is drawn into the laboratories through the use of negative air pressure before being filtered out through High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters. Laboratory waste such as gloves, test tubes, and pipette tips are removed via an autoclave ,

7031-545: Was an ad-hoc advisory committee composed of experts in the fields of infectious disease, microbiology, clinical pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences. The group's work concluded on March 30, 2021, and their statements removed from the government website. Membership of the CPTG included: The CPTG released several statements regarding COVID-19 treatments , advising against hydroxychloroquine while advocating for dexamethasone in hospitalized patients. Considering remdesivir ,

7120-796: Was chosen as the site and an announcement was made in October 1987. After some debate, the spot chosen for the site was a city works yard near to the Health Sciences Centre (a major teaching hospital) and the University of Manitoba's medical school. The City of Winnipeg transferred the title for $ 1. Construction of the facility that came to be named the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health (often referred to locally as "the Virology Lab") began with an official groundbreaking in December 1992. The design team, headed by

7209-577: Was designed for safety; it was built to meet or exceed all national and international standards. The construction, engineering controls and sterilization systems are geared toward the highest level of safety. Safety is of paramount importance to everyone working in the facility. Extensive Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are in place and everyone is well-trained for the specific area they work in. A safety and environmental services (SES) team provides numerous "hands-on" demonstrations and presentations on biosafety and occupational health and safety throughout

7298-513: Was elevated to the post on 24 September 2014. Taylor had filled the position on an interim basis since the departure of David Butler-Jones . In the November 2014 omnibus budget bill , the 28th Canadian Ministry of Stephen Harper decided to reorganise the management structure of PHAC. Whereas formerly the deputy civil servant charged with the operation of the PHAC was identical to the CPHO ,

7387-501: Was issued. On 30 July 2020, the auditor general of Canada took notice of a Globe and Mail report in which whistleblowers had participated and launched an investigation into the scandal. The GPHIN had been part of Canada's contribution to the WHO , which described GPHIN as "a cornerstone" and "the foundation" of global early warning. In fact "approximately 20 per cent of the WHO's epidemiological intelligence" had come from GPHIN before it

7476-809: Was named Patricia Huston. The Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (CNDSS) "collects, validates and maintains basic surveillance data on approximately 60 nationally notifiable diseases, dating back to 1924. Nationally notifiable diseases are infectious diseases that have been identified by the federal government and provinces and territories as priorities for monitoring and control efforts. Provinces and territories voluntarily submit annual notifiable disease data, which are used to produce national disease counts and rates. Age-group and sex breakdown are presented from 1991 onward." "Case definitions for nationally notifiable diseases are intended to support public health activities rather than clinical diagnosis. Standardized case definitions for NND were first developed through

7565-457: Was not until 1964, however, that conferences were held in a government installation not associated with a biological warfare program. Over the next ten years, the biological safety conferences grew to include representatives from all federal agencies that sponsored or conducted research with pathogenic microorganisms. By 1966, it began to include representatives from universities, private laboratories, hospitals, and industrial complexes. Throughout

7654-415: Was silenced. On September 18, 2020 while Parliament was prorogued , Tina Namiesniowski, who was then the President of the PHAC resigned 17 months into her five-year tenure, which had begun on May 6, 2019. Her resignation followed the resignation of Vice-President in charge of the pandemic early warning system and emergency stockpile who had resigned earlier in the week. Iain Stewart was transferred from

7743-505: Was the source of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak from which was drawn the raison-d'etre of the PHAC. This state of affairs came to light in various media at various times during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic . On 24 May 2019, the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN) of PHAC was completely disbanded and a "department edict that all such alerts had to be approved by senior managers" of PHAC

7832-457: Was tired of his MP duties at Detrick and was able to transfer to the sheet metal department working with the contractor, the H.K. Ferguson Co. On 18 April 1955, fourteen representatives met at Camp Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. The meeting was to share knowledge and experiences regarding biosafety , chemical, radiological, and industrial safety issues that were common to the operations at

7921-600: Was under the impression that two clearances are required to work at the NML: one under the HPTA and another "secret level clearance", but she does not disclose the name nor the controller of this latter clearance. The CBC reported in June 2021 that they had seen government documents through the Access to Information Act that revealed Qiu to have been funded by a third-party not PHAC for her Chinese travels, of which there were "at least five trips" during 2017 and 2018. The identity of

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