Animal Health Centre
- If you suspect birds you own have avian influenza, contact your local CFIA District Office or veterinarian who will advise you on next steps.
- For more information on preventing, recognizing, and reporting Avian Influenza, review the ministry’s response resources webpage.
The Animal Health Centre is the leading accredited full-service veterinary laboratory in Western Canada, offering more than 400 laboratory diagnostic tests for agents that may be found in wild and domestic birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians.
Diagnostic testing and services
A full range of fee-for-service diagnostic testing, including Bacteriology, Histopathology, Molecular Diagnostics, Pathology (Necropsy), Serology and Virology are accepted from veterinarians, livestock producers, the general public and other government agencies. While primarily concerned with food-producing animals, the Animal Health Centre also provides diagnostic services for companion animals, captive and free-ranging wildlife, zoo animals, fish, fur-bearers and bees.
- Learn more about AHC’s services and how to submit a specimen for testing
- Search available tests at the AHC
Mandatory actions and testing for reportable diseases
Animal owners, veterinarians, and laboratories are required to immediately report suspicions of certain serious animal and zoonotic (contagious from animals to people) diseases under the federal Health of Animals Act and the BC Provincial Animal Health Act. Many diseases are named and reportable in both acts and must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the BC Office of the Chief Veterinarian, but the list of reportable diseases and syndromes in the provincial legislation is broader.
- Report a disease to the Office of the Chief Veterinarian for BC
- Learn about provincially reportable and notifiable diseases
- Learn whether a disease is federally reportable and how to report to the CFIA Animal Health District Veterinarian at CFIA’s Reportable diseases: Terrestrial animals webpage
Accreditations, vision and mission
The Animal Health Centre is accredited by:
- The American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AALVD) – full accreditation
- The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) for ISO/IEC 17025 – standard for accredited techniques and specific tests in the Animal Health Centre’s scope of accreditation
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) testing and Brucellosis (BPAT) testing
In addition to accreditation, the AHC also undergoes proficiency testing.
- The Molecular Diagnostics section undergoes proficiency testing conducted by the National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases (NCFAD) and USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory
- The Serology section undergoes proficiency testing conducted by the CFIA, NCFAD and the USDA's National Veterinary Services Lab. It is also an approved Johne's disease (M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis) testing lab, having successfully passed NVSL serology panels since 1999
Vision
A thriving, sustainable agricultural industry free from serious impacts caused by pests and diseases, for the benefit of all citizens of British Columbia.
Mission
To diagnose, monitor, and assist in the prevention, control and management of animal pests and diseases in British Columbia.
