BELLEVILLE, ON, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. , a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced that its President of Food Safety is taking part in a panel discussion at the annual convention of the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions, being held November 14 to 17 in Toronto. Rick Culbert, President of Bioniche Food Safety, is part of a three-member panel discussing how scientific thinking and technology have evolved over the past decade, resulting in a shift away from a “one-front” attack on E. coli to a more integrated approach.
It is estimated that close to six million Americans visit animal exhibits each year. In the U.S., between 1999 and 2006, there were seven outbreaks of E. coli-related illness attributed to animal exhibits, resulting in thousands of people becoming ill, more than 36 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and two deaths. HUS is a disease characterized by kidney failure, from which 5 percent of affected individuals will die. In Canada, 159 cases of E. coli O157:H7 -related illness were reported by people who attended an agriculture pavilion at the Western Fair in London, Ontario in 1999. Petting zoos, fairs, and agricultural exhibits provide many possible routes of transmission for E. coli. Direct animal contact is the obvious route, but contact with contaminated products (e.g., sawdust, shavings, soiled clothing or shoes) can also lead to human infection.
“Participation by Bioniche Food Safety in the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions’ annual convention is important,” said Rick Culbert, President of Bioniche Food Safety. “We need to highlight the risks associated with exposure to E. coli O157:H7 by people, particularly children and the elderly, who are most severely affected by the organism. This includes making the appropriate people aware that the Bioniche E. coli O157:H7 vaccine is available under Permit to Release Veterinary Biologics and could be used to vaccinate demonstration cattle in Canada.”
The Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions (C.A.F.E.) is a non-profit organization established in 1924 whose principle role is to provide leadership in the growth and development of the Canadian fair and exhibition industry. C.A.F.E. is largely funded by membership fees. It represents Canadian rural fairs, urban exhibitions, agricultural societies, provincial associations, industry service providers, and affiliate associations, with a direct interest in the industry.
About E. coli O157:H7
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are normal organisms found in the intestinal tract of all animals and humans. Most E. coli are non-pathogenic (non-disease-causing) to their host. However certain strains can cause intestinal disease and, occasionally, other significant systemic disease. The E. coli O157:H7 bacterium, which was first identified in South America in the late 1970s and drifted northward, produces a powerful toxin (shiga/vero toxin) that can cause severe illness in humans and often result from consumption of contaminated food or water.
Today, the bacteria can be found in most cattle herds in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Ruminant livestock (e.g. cattle) are considered the major reservoir of E. coli O157:H7 worldwide. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in beef and dairy cattle is widespread and that the organism is found in, on, and around cattle in all parts of the world. Use of manure as fertilizer for crop production and run-off from beef and dairy cattle operations are a source of contamination for the general environment, as well as surface and ground water. E. coli O157:H7 contamination of food and water as a result of fecal shedding by livestock is a well-recognized and documented threat to human health.
About E. coli O157:H7 Infection
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that E. coli O157:H7 infection affects some 73,000 people per year in the United States, and that 2% to 7% of those people develop HUS (in recent outbreaks, this percentage has risen to as high as 16%). Five percent of HUS patients die, many of them children and senior citizens, whose kidneys are more sensitive to damage. The annual cost in the United States is estimated at more than $650 million due to medical expenses, lost productivity and death. In Canada, the annual health-related and economic costs are estimated to be $63 million.
About the E. coli O157:H7 Cattle Vaccine
This vaccine received international recognition in September, 2007 by the Animal Pharm Industry Excellence Awards as the best new veterinary product for livestock. The vaccine has been developed by a strategic alliance formed in 2000 between the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Alberta Research Council (ARC), the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine & Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), and Bioniche, which holds the rights for worldwide commercialization of the vaccine. The vaccine prevents the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from attaching to the intestines of vaccinated cattle, thereby reducing their reproduction within the animal, and reducing the amount of bacteria that can be released through cattle manure in the environment. More than 30,000 cattle have been involved in clinical testing of the vaccine over the past five years.
About Bioniche Life Sciences Inc.
Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. is a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of proprietary products for human and animal health markets worldwide. The fully-integrated company employs approximately 195 skilled personnel and has three operating divisions: Human Health, Animal Health, and Food Safety. The Company’s primary goal is to develop proprietary cancer therapies supported by revenues from marketed products in human and animal health. For more information, please visit www.Bioniche.com.
Except for historical information, this news release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s current expectation regarding future events. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, which may cause, but are not limited to, changing market conditions, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the establishment of corporate alliances, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s ongoing quarterly and annual reporting.
CONTACT: Jennifer Shea, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
Manager, Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., Telephone: (613) 966-8058, Cell:
(613) 391-2097, Jennifer.Shea@Bioniche.com
