Using foresight to prepare animal health today for tomorrow's challenges.

Foresight has been introduced in Canada in the area of animal health as a process to broaden thinking about the future and inform policy development. Its initial use and evolution through projects and studies over the past decade are described, demonstrating real action in animal health. Despite positive, continuing, and exciting results in animal health policy development, foresight's widespread acceptance and use thus far have been limited.

Canadian Perspectives on Verocytotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli Infection .

Infection with verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) became nationally reportable in 1990. Between 1990 and 1994, the national incidence of reported infections ranged from 3 to 5.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Growing Concerns and Recent Outbreaks Involving Non-O157:H7 Serotypes of Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) of serotype O157:H7 have been shown to be important agents of foodborne disease in humans worldwide. While the majority of research effort has been targeted on this serotype it is becoming more evident that other serotypes of VTEC can also be associated with human disease.

Variability in Broiler Carcass Bacterial Load at Three Abattoirs, as Measured by a Hydrophobic Grid Membrane Filter Interpreter.

In this observational study, the variability of broiler carcass bacterial load was investigated at three federally inspected abattoirs, using an automated hydrophobic grid membrane filter interpreter system. The measurement protocol involved: whole carcass rinses aided by a mechanical carcass shaker; filtration of rinse solutions through hydrophobic grid membrane filters (HGMF) (ISO-GRID, QA Laboratories, Ltd., Toronto, Ont.

Variability and Determinants of Carcass Bacterial Load at a Poultry Abattoir.

Roaster chicken carcasses (2,928) were collected from the evisceration line of a poultry abattoir over a 5-month period and identified as to the lot (truck load) and supplier. Bacterial load was determined by mechanically rinsing each eviscerated carcass in sterile water and then using an automated hydrophobic grid membrane interpreter system to obtain the log most probable number of aerobic bacteria per gram of carcass. Analysis of variance demonstrated that the between-carcass, between-lots-within-supplier, and between-supplier components of variability in bacterial load represented 73.