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| Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries |
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The principal focus of the laboratory is diagnostic testing of specimens from food-producing, fur-bearing and other agricultural animal species, including horses. However, since the laboratory provides the only comprehensive veterinary laboratory diagnostic service in the province, it also deals with specimens from other animal species (mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) including wildlife, companion animals, exotics and zoo animals.
The accurate laboratory diagnosis of disease problems helps veterinarians to institute effective treatment and prevention programs, and can often result in the prevention of losses for the livestock producer, as well as the prevention of animal suffering. The work of the Provincial Veterinary Laboratory Service also enables the government of New Brunswick and the livestock industries to do surveillance for diseases that may limit livestock production, affect trade, be of public health significance or affect consumer confidence. Some of our active surveillance programs include bovine dairy herd milk culturing, monitoring egg-laying chicken flocks for Salmonella enteritidis, and monitoring flocks of chicks for Salmonella species. New and emerging disease problems, as well as important diseases such as rabies, infectious laryngotracheitis, tuberculosis, Hantavirus infection and Lyme disease have been detected through laboratory submissions.
The range of specimens tested at the Provincial Veterinary Laboratory includes carcasses, fresh and fixed tissues from live or dead animals, swabs, smears, feces, blood, urine, milk, various other body fluids, parasites, hair, skin scrapings and avian fluff samples.
Tests performed at the laboratory include necropsy, histopathology, cytopathology, hematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, culture for bacteria and fungi, bovine dairy herd milk culture, bacterial susceptibility, parasitology and limited avian serology (for Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae). Samples for most other serologic tests, as well as samples to be tested for viruses, Chlamydia, most toxins, and some nutrients are referred to other laboratories, primarily at the Atlantic Veterinary College.
The Provincial Veterinary Laboratory is open for business from Monday through Friday, 8:15 am to 4:30 pm, excluding statutory holidays. Fees are charged for services provided by the Provincial Veterinary Laboratory. All specimens are submitted through veterinarians and all results are reported to the referring veterinarian.