An Abbotsford animal health lab has received international accreditation recognizing the facility's excellence in veterinary diagnostic testing.
The Animal Health Centre (AHC) – located in the Abbotsford Agriculture Centre on Angus Campbell Road – was given a five-year certification from the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, one of only three labs in Canada.
The accreditation committee review included a site visit last fall. Once completed, a report was made and the committee voted to grant full accreditation in February. It acknowledges the centre's adherence to the highest standards of quality control and quality assurance procedures.
The AHC handles about 5,000 case submissions annually, and diagnoses, monitors and assists in controlling and preventing animal diseases in B.C., including bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), avian influenza, West Nile virus and porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED).
The centre also provides fee-for-service diagnostic testing to the livestock and veterinary industries including pathology, bacteriology, serology, molecular diagnostics and virology in animals, poultry and fish.