The view from the Director’s office

Snow, snow, snow. It has been a classic Canadian winter this year. However, there are hints that spring may be just around the corner. At the AHL, we have noted increased submissions of abortion/perinatal mortalities in multiple species, in addition to non-viable foals. Spring is a very busy time for laboratory testing, and we are primed and ready to meet the increased demand over the next few months.

Our March newsletter contains our valuable report on selected zoonotic pathogens and diseases from Ontario identified at the AHL in 2025. As integral partners of the ‘One Health’ perspective, we are pleased to be able to provide some data regarding important zoonotic diseases. AHL has recently developed multiple dashboards that track a variety of zoonotic diseases, including influenza A virus, Salmonella enterica, Coxiella burnetii, Leptospira spp., and neurological diseases of horses. Dashboards are built with input from practicing veterinarians and government animal health experts to address needs in clinical decision making, client education, and regulatory strategy. Free dashboard accounts are available to veterinarians in Ontario and government agencies in Canada, and at a nominal (cost-recovery) fee to commercial entities and research laboratories working in animal or public health. If you are interested in examining the dashboards, check out this link: https://iapd.lsd.uoguelph.ca/ [1]

So whether you embrace all the activities that winter provides, or practice hygge (as I do), I hope that you enjoy the remaining winter season and are looking forward to spring renewal.

Maria Spinato, Director

Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.