BC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory
The BCCDC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory is the primary public health and reference diagnostic testing facility for British Columbia. In addition to this role, the laboratory is also nationally recognized for its public health leadership, regularly conducting nationally funded research, and playing a leadership role in many areas including drinking water, molecular microbiology, influenza and health care acquired infections.
In response to recent outbreaks of Influenza A (H1N1 flu virus) and norovirus, this team of experts has taken a provincial leadership role with close links to the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network (CPHLN). The laboratory is internationally accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP).
All faculty members have teaching commitments, some at the leadership level, for undergraduates, graduates and post-graduates and actively participate in the UBC medical microbiology residency training.
Core Functions
The international benchmark for all public health laboratories is captured by the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network (CPHLN). The BCCDC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory is responsible in British Columbia for these core functions:
- Communicable disease surveillance prevention and control
- Outbreak and emergency response to communicable diseases
- Environmental health and food safety
- Reference, specialized and diagnostic testing
- Biosafety and Containment Level 3 programs
- Integrated communicable disease data management
- Public Health policy development and evaluation
- Laboratory improvement and regulation (Quality Assurance)
- Training and education of health care and public health works
- Public health related research
Synergy arising from Canadian provincial health laboratories working together is important. This is particularly critical in outbreaks that span provinces (e.g. foodborne disease). BCCDC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory also is actively engaged in progmoting our growing synergy with the BC Public Health Laboratory Network (BCPHLN), our BC partners in private and public labs, and the CPHLN.
Grant-supported Research
Our infrastructure and close ongoing collaborations with many public health colleagues across BC has facilitated grant support for research in:
- Genomics
- SARS-Corona virus diagnostics
- Influenza programs
- Mathematical modeling of viral hepatitis
- Enhanced surveillance for drinking water
- West Nile virus surveillance
- Lyme Disease and other zoonosis collaborations
- Microchip assays
- HPV vaccine studies
Canadian public health laboratories such as the BCCDC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory perform essential functions in patient care as well as population-level prevention. This team also provides reference and diagnostic data for health care and public health workers.
Programs & Services
Guide to Programs & Services (PDF 1.6mb)
NOTE: When the document is open, click on the items table of contents to be taken directly to the page you need. It can also be searched using CTRL + F.
Services
- Laboratory Surveillance Outbreak and Control Services
- Technical Support Services
- Quality Management
- Integrated Data Management Team
Synergy arising from Canadian provincial health laboratories working together is also important. This is particularly critical in outbreaks that span provinces (e.g. foodborne disease). BCCDC Public Health Microbiology & Reference Laboratory is actively engaged in promoting our growing synergy between the BC Public Health Laboratory Network (BCPHLN) and the national network of public and private laboratories.
Programs
NOTE: the program names are direct links to the program detail pages in the Guide to Programs and Services.
Bacteriology & Mycology Program
Providing consultations to physicians and working closely with public health officials in outbreak investigations and surveillance, the Bacteriology & Mycology Program services include Enteric Bacteriology, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Reference Bacteriology, Reference Mycology, Healthcare Associated Infections, outbreak surveillance and detection, and Containment Level 3 Pathogens.
Biosafety Biohazard Containment (BBC) Program
The Biosafety Biohazard Containment Program assists microbiology laboratories across the province to ensure biological and laboratory safety when handling biohazards. It leads provincial microbial biosecurity. The program also directs the transportation of these samples for the safety of laboratory workers and residents of BC.
Environmental Microbiology Program
The Environmental Microbiology Program provides an integrated public health service that provides expert consultation and testing in the areas of food poisoning, food quality, drinking water, and recreational water or sewage analyses. Their work consists of testing and analyzing environmental and human samples to assist in the detection, investigation surveillance and management of outbreaks of disease.
Mycobacteriology/Tuberculosis (TB) Program
The Mycobacteriology/TB Laboratory Program supports public health province-wide as well as all activities of the BCCDC Division of TB Control by providing expertise and reference in mycobateriology. Experts also provide reference services province-wide with links to national programs.
Parasitology Program
The Parasitology Program supports public health programs across BC by detecting and investigating outbreaks of parasitic diseases. Expert medical and technical staff also provide reference diagnostic services for the identification of intestinal, blood and tissue parasites found in humans.
Translational Research in Microbiology (TRM) Program
The Translational Research in Microbiology (TRM) Program supports the development, validation and implementation of effective standardized molecular tests in all programs in response to new or emerging pathogens. TRM staff also provide Quality Assurance educational efforts for molecular testing in all other public health programs and in the BC Public Health Laboratory Network.
Virology Program
The Virology Program experts carry out diagnostic and reference testing for patient management. For virology outbreaks it leads the investigations and management with public health workers province-wide with links nationally, as well it leads influenza and other respiratory virus surveillance works with the Sentinal Physicians Surveillance Network.
Zoonotic Diseases & Emerging Pathogens (ZEP) Program
The Zoonotic Diseases and Emerging Pathogens Program carries out detection of antigen or antibodies to exotic or bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic agents of public health importance. The program works closely with the national reference laboratory.