The Special Pathogens Program (SPP) within the National Laboratory of Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens aims to be among the leading high biocontainment facilities worldwide by providing diagnostics testing and performing reference work nationally and internationally; offering training at undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral levels; providing support of field work and performing innovative and novel research.

SPP currently employs 5 permanent full-time Principal Investigators and 8 permanent full-time technical staff. Another 3 persons are employed in term-limited positions. In 2009 we have trained, or had in training, 6 Post-Doctoral students, 7 PhD students, 7 MSc students and 12 undergraduate (Co-op) students.

Research interests include investigations on the molecular biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis and host immune responses of risk group 4 (RG4) pathogens as well as the development of clinical modalities to cure or prevent infections (e.g. antivirals, vaccines etc.). Additionally the development of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests and systems to detect and monitor RG4 pathogens is also a priority, including approaches that can be used successfully in field studies and outbreak settings. SPP collaborates extensively both nationally and internationally.

Research Collaborators

Provincial

·  University of Manitoba; high throughput screening of small molecules to inhibit influenza replication.

·  University of Manitoba; proteomics of influenza infection.

·  University of Manitoba; correlates of severe disease caused by pandemic H1N1 2009.

National

·  Institute Armand-Frappier; influenza virus biology, pathophysiology and immune responses.

·  CFIA/CL4, Ebola replication in pigs and Nipah virus physiopathology.

·  University of Saskatoon; porcine and bovine adenovirus as vaccine vectors.

·  BC Centre for Disease Control; H1N1 vaccine evaluation.

International

·  INRB, Kinshasa, DRC; field diagnostic and host of VHF infection.

·  Wildlife Conservation Society, Brazzaville, RC; new detection methodologies for field diagnostic.

·  University of Texas; clinical formulation of adenovirus-based Ebola vaccine.

·  University of Pennsylvania; development of a universal DNA vaccine against influenza.

·  University of Naples; Novel AAV for vaccine and gene therapy application.

Program highlights for 2009

§  Demonstrated post-exposure utility for VSVEbolaGP, VSVMarburgGP, in mice, guinea pigs and nonhuman primates.

§  Demonstrated susceptibility of domesticated pigs to Ebola and positive transmission to naive animals.

§  Generation of diagnostic reagents to detect CCHF, Nipah, Rift Valley, Junin and Manchupo in human samples.

§  Ebola virus outbreak assistance/response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nairobi.

§  H1N1 response in Canada and Mexico including vaccine evaluation supporting recommendation and characterisation of molecular determinants of virulence.

§  Provided diagnostic training to the National Public Health Laboratories of Kenya, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Publications

SPP members are authors on 19 peer-reviewed journal articles in 2009 and authors of two book chapters. Research was presented at national and international conferences through approximately 30 abstracts, the majority of which were oral presentations. We have also contributed to the generation of 3 technical documents through the World Health Organization’s Emerging and Dangerous Pathogens Laboratory Network.

Submitted by Dr. Gary Kobinger