Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 24/01) - Chief Medical Health Officer Andre Corriveau attended meetings in Ottawa this week to see how other jurisdictions are dealing with anthrax scares.

"All the chief medical health officers got together (in Ottawa) to share how things went because everyone was inundated by alarm," he said. "Other provinces that did not have local labs had problems, too."

Corriveau said a quicker means of doing the testing is very important. He said discussions about setting up initial testing labs closer to home, such as in Edmonton, were on the agenda earlier this week.

The Canadian Science Centre in Winnipeg received 46 test samples this week, according to its communications manager Brian Koshul. It usually averages about three.

"We have our moments throughout the year for whatever the flavour of the week is," Koshul told Yellowknifer. "What we do get is things that can not be done at the local level."

Corriveau said if a lab were set up in Edmonton it would be better for the public health department in the Northwest Territories.

After the conference this week that is a possibility.

"They are applying as soon as possible," he said. "We don't have the capacity (in the NWT) to do an initial screen."

Corriveau said the gathering in Ottawa was useful because he has discovered other jurisdictions are running into similar problems, such as what is or is not a proper packaging method, according to airlines, and how that can be harmonized among each of them.

He also said each medical health officer will take part in a conference call once per week for the next while due to the anthrax scares.