About Our Study

STOP THE SPREAD OTTAWA: FARM ANIMAL EXPOSURE AMMENDMENT

Avian Influenza A H5N1 Infection and Antibody Surveillance

The Serology and Diagnostics High-Throughput Facility at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine is conducting a study to monitor exposure to avian influenza H5N1 and other respiratory viruses in humans and animals. This study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)’s Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies. H5N1 is a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza that primarily infects birds, but has become of particular interest due to recent infections detected in mammals in both the U.S. and Canada. While the current risk of H5N1 infection in humans is low, future strains and variants of H5N1 potentially pose significant health risks to humans. Monitoring for infections (particularly asymptomatic infections) and past exposures to this virus can provide critical information on disease spread and inform public health decisions. Due to the nature of your profession, you are uniquely situated to provide valuable information on the spread of H5N1.

About our Facility

Our state-of-the-art facility uses specialized assays to detect active H5N1 infections in saliva using PCR and past exposures by measuring antibodies in blood. Our laboratory, located in a secure biocontainment facility, specializes in large-scale diagnostic testing and has been intensely involved in research and testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s Involved?

If you choose to participate in our study, you will provide from the comfort of your home:

  • Saliva samples: Every two months for 10 months to detect active infections for H5N1, we will also monitor for the presence of other common respiratory viruses (other influenza A strains, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, etc.)
  • Dried blood spot samples: Every two months for 10 months to identify past exposure to influenza A, as well as to other common respiratory viruses

All results will be securely reported using participant codes on a protected webpage.

Our Commitment to Excellence

Our highly-trained team of technical staff and data analysts follow rigorous Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and Good Documentation Practice (GDP) standards to ensure accuracy, reliability, consistency and confidentiality of our data.

For more information about who we are, please visit https://www.serologyottawa.ca/.