AIRDRIE, Alta. — A new poultry institute has been established in Alberta to manufacture vaccines and provide diagnostic services for Western Canada.
Western Economic Diversification Canada announced a $2.6 million grant last week to buy equipment for the institute, which is based in Airdrie at an Alberta Agriculture facility. Support has also come from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency.
The Institute for Applied Poultry Technologies will work with producers and the University of Alberta’s poultry research centre, said Tom Inglis, a poultry veterinarian and a board member for the institute.
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Vaccine work will be done in Calgary, while Airdrie provides diagnostic services.
Along with diagnoses, the institute will develop, produce and commercialize made-in-Canada vaccines and promote technology for food safety and biosecurity needs on poultry farms, said Nick Allan, the newly appointed general manager.
Alternatives to antibiotics are mostly vaccines to fight against food safety related bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter as well as immunization against some bird diseases.
“One of the initiatives is early disease detection,” said Inglis.
He wants to work with producers, who are the first to notice changes in the birds’ health. Diagnosis and treatment can then be offered sooner.
Live birds can be received in newly designed carriers for diagnosis at Airdrie.
