Non ABSANZ Events
Nipah virus isn't present in Australia and the risk remains very low - but it highlights why animal, environmental and human health are closely connected. The Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and CSIRO will be exploring Nipah virus as part of a One Health approach to disease threats.
This webinar will feature presentations followed by a facilitated Q&A session.
We will discuss:
- the One Health dimensions of Nipah
- Australia’s preparedness and experience with Henipaviruses
- the impact of risk communication and human behaviour in shaping the narrative about this virus.
The webinar will feature the following speakers:
- Dr Md Saiful Islam: Infectious disease social epidemiologist and lecturer at the School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney
- Professor Glenn Marsh: Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO
- Dr Elizabeth Shanahan: Professor and Fulbright Scholar, Montana State University.
Please note: this webinar will be recorded.
Register your attendance for this webinar here: One Health Wonders webinar: Nipah virus as a One Health issue | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
Please feel free to share with your networks as appropriate and bring along your questions for discussion.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Warm regards,
The CDC One Health Unit and CSIRO team
One Health Unit
One Health, Climate and Environment Branch | Public Health Division
Australian Centre for Disease Control
Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Time: 11:00–13:00 (Japan Standard Time, JST)
Format: Virtual (Zoom®)
Language: English
Registration
Register here to receive the Zoom® access link in advance of the event.
November 15-19, 2026
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO)
University of Saskatchewan (USask)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
https://cabs-acsb.ca/highcontainment.aspx
The University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) and the Canadian Association for Biological Safety/L'Association Canadienne Pour la Sécurité Biologique (CABS-ACSB) and Merrick Canada ULC are pleased to co-present the International High Containment Operations and Maintenance Workshop.
This workshop addresses the increasing needs of facility operators, maintenance and operations staff for training in relevant aspects of biocontainment facilities and fills a critical need within the operations and maintenance community. The focus of this workshop is operational-based, not research based.
This four day course allows participants to gain hands-on experience in some of the special containment and facility support areas (CL3 and CL3-Ag) of the International Vaccine Centre (InterVac), Canada's newest and largest CL3-Ag facility.
Proposed workshop topics will include:
- Physical integrity verification of containment laboratories
- Assessing the performance of HVAC and HEPA filtration systems
- Performing maintenance and operational functions on critical containment systems
- Integrating operations and maintenance with the scientific program
- Assessing and verifying the performance of primary containment devices
- Waste treatment and solid waste systems
- Energy centre operation
- Electrical systems and maintenance
- Decontamination procedures for animal containment spaces
In addition, participants will be presented with an overview in biosafety and biosecurity, as well as lessons learned in facility design and construction.
After successful completion of this 4 day workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe a HEPA filter, how it works and how it is certified
- Explain the purpose of a BSC and how it works and identify the elements of BSC certification
- Identify and describe different systems and roles found within the energy centre of a large facility
- List different methods of treating liquid effluent from a biocontainment laboratory and identify items that could be considered when selecting a treatment system for biological laboratory waste
- Define purpose of room integrity in a containment laboratory and describe how it is tested and verified
- Describe how to safely maintain the different electrical distribution systems in a containment facility
The uniqueness of this workshop is in its intensive, participatory-based approach. Teams will work with different instructors each day to complete technical modules, supplemented by plenary lectures and discussions.
All aspects of the workshop will be conducted in English. It is important for safety reasons that all participants be comfortable working in this language. There are only 20 spaces available for this course. The deadline for application is July 30, 2026.
The cost to attend is $3,600 CAD (inclusive of the 5% Goods and Services Tax).
If you have questions or need more information, please contact us at info@cabs-acsb.ca
The application process is now open! All applicants will be informed of the Committee's decision by August 15, 2026.
The Canadian Association for Biological Safety/L’Association Canadienne pour la Sécurité Biologique (CABS-ACSB) is happy to present the 2026 Canadian Biosafety Symposium!
Join us in person in Winnipeg, Manitoba from September 21-23, 2026 for Canada’s annual event for biosafety professionals and personnel involved in biosafety and/or biocontainment facilities.
The 2026 Canadian Biosafety Symposium is Canada's premier source of new knowledge and opportunity for dialogue across the biosafety community. It is the forum for advancing professional development and for building capacity for new solutions to be applied to the emerging challenges in laboratory biosafety and biosecurity. The Symposium consists of oral presentations and panels related to biosafety and biosecurity and provides networking opportunities for all biosafety professionals.
The symposium will feature presentations on an array of biosafety topics that may include:
Emergency Management for Labs
Lessons Learned
Biosafety Culture
Biosafety and Public Health
Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases
Regulations
Audits and Inspections
Biowaste Management
Airflow, Ventilation, Design and Biosafety
Laboratory Acquired Infections
The CABS-ACSB Annual General Meeting will also take place on September 22, 2026.
Information on sponsorship and registration costs will be posted in the upcoming weeks on the CABS-ACSB website.
We anticipate opening registration in May and providing a draft program at that time.
This symposium will be a unique opportunity for the biosafety community to learn and share knowledge with colleagues from across Canada and other countries.