Parks Canada, U of S team up to test bison for TB

New diagnostic tools for bovine tuberculosis (TB) being tested at the University of Saskatchewan could help better manage the disease in Canada’s bison populations.

The U of S Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-international Vaccine Centre (Vido-intervac) is partnering with Parks Canada to test tools, including the innovative Actiphage blood test developed by PBD Biotech.

The team will infect bison at Vido-intervac’s facility and test them at various points in time.

The Actiphage test can detect even low levels of the bacteria that causes the disease and provide results within hours. The current standard test for TB typically takes four to six weeks.

Actiphage testing has been successfully used in humans and some 20 animal species. The turn toward bison comes from Parks Canada hoping to better manage the disease in its herds in Canada’s National Parks, said PBD Biotech Canada managing director Luis Martin.

Under the Species at Risk Act, Parks Canada is responsible for the protection and recovery of listed species in national parks, bison included.

Bison in Canada are largely Tb-free, thanks to a control program in place since 1924. However, herds in Wood Buffalo National Park on the Alberta-northwest Territories border include bison infected with TB.

The test will also be used to determine whether vaccines proven effective in cattle can protect bison.

Data from the research could help get the test approved for commercial diagnostic use in animals and humans, Martin said.

“TB is a problem in humans, bison, cattle, essentially most mammals,” he said. “This could eventually be a broadly applicable diagnostic to help diagnose the disease, which then would lead to better disease management and hopefully eradication.”