Prairie Diagnostic Services: A Key Tool for Veterinarians in Animal Disease Identification and Diagnosis

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Prairie Diagnostic Services is a non-profit corporation, owned by the Province of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan, dedicated to the provision of diagnostic services to veterinarians and their clients in Saskatchewan and other parts of Western Canada.

“In general terms, it is the veterinary equivalent of a medical laboratory in human medicine, but it goes much beyond that.

The first priority of the lab is to provide quality diagnostic information to clients to assist in the frontline detection and identification of both existing and new livestock diseases. The information is also used by the province to conduct disease surveillance work that monitors the health of the livestock population and by the University to provide case material and diagnostic expertise that supports teaching and research programs.

“Our facilities, located in Saskatoon and Regina, provide a full line of diagnostic services to veterinarians to support disease identification and investigation in farm animals, companion animals and wildlife.

An example of the potential impact of the work that PDS does can be seen through an investigation into a swine production problem during the 1990s. Swine practitioners recognized a syndrome that caused wasting in young pigs in Western Canada. They worked with diagnosticians in the veterinary laboratory at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon to identify and define the pattern of the disease.

Once common causes were ruled out, a new virus named Porcine Circovirus 2 was isolated from the tissues and scientifically proven to be involved as a cause. “The results of this work were published in the literature and soon the Post Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) was identified in most countries that produce pigs.

“The disease is now recognized globally and has a multi-million dollar annual impact on productivity,” explains Prairie Diagnostic Services (PDS) CEO Marilyn Jonas. In fact, as of January 2005, the pork industry in Ontario and Quebec have had significant problems with the disease.

In this case, the work was initially done at PDS and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), in partnership with Saskatchewan swine practitioners.” This collaboration was the cornerstone from which diagnosis and management of the disease stemmed.

While this is a more dramatic example of the potential impact of the laboratory, PDS diagnosticians and technicians work on a daily basis in partnership with the veterinary community and both livestock and pet owners to identify and diagnose disease and/or health issues that facilitate treatment and management of the diseases. The lab is a vital and necessary cornerstone service in the veterinary tool box.

Jonas says that “PDS has a very broad client base. While veterinary practitioners, the province of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan are our biggest clients, we also work with research organizations, animal health companies and livestock production companies.

For the most part, we provide diagnostic support to the veterinary community that works on the front line. They provide the professional animal health consultation. We do the testing.

Our team of about 55 full time equivalents consists of highly trained veterinary pathologists, professionally trained laboratory technologists and a core group of administrative support.

When asked what she likes most about her job, Jonas answers:

“This is a fascinating business. Knowing that we provide an important service to the community and the province really makes a difference.”

For more information on Prairie Diagnostic Services, visit: http://www.usask.ca/pds

Marilyn Jonas
CEO
Prairie Diagnostic Services
(306) 966-7248