Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to express some fears or concerns about Bill C-11. I would like to take the opportunity to raise a matter that went unnoticed last time: bacterial toxins.
The CDC in the United States consider two or three toxins to be really dangerous. Most of the toxins on the list are very important research tools. We use them to study how cells work in cancer, in neurology and in immunology. Examples are the cholera toxin, the Clostridium botulinum toxin and the pertussis toxin. I am afraid that, if access to these toxins becomes too complicated, it could be very detrimental to research in cellular biology.
I also have some concerns about HIV. In the bill, HIV is classed at level 3. But it is a fact that several research groups and research networks in Canada have established sample banks, with samples taken from thousands of patients infected with HIV. These banks are invaluable for HIV research. One example is the Réseau SIDA et Maladies infectieuses, run by the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec. Members of that network have access to various banks of samples: from patients with primary infection, from slow progressors, and from patients infected with HIV and the hepatitis C virus.
Since HIV is now in containment group 3, I seriously wonder about the impact that Bill C-11 could have on the access to, and use of, these thousands of samples by qualified researchers. We can only imagine the bureaucracy and the permits needed for laboratories to exchange strains. And it is not just networks. Hundreds of professors and students need to handle and use these lines. We run the risk of setting up a huge logistical challenge, not to mention the impact on AIDS research.
I have to point out that these sample banks were established with grants from federal and provincial organizations. Bill C-11 would destroy all the financial commitments from government in the fight against AIDS. Paradoxically, that remains a federal government priority. I would really like that considered when you decide your position on Bill C-11.
There has also been talk of micro-organisms potentially being used for malicious purposes like bioterrorism. I have given Mr. Etoka a list from the Centers for Disease Control's website in Atlanta. The list is in English only and has not been circulated to everyone, but you can easily get it. It is a list of agents that can be used in bioterrorism.
The first thing we see is that the list of micro-organisms that are considered very dangerous is very short. There are six: anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, tularemia and the hemorrhagic fevers.
The second thing we notice is that these micro-organisms all belong to confinement groups 3 and 4, except smallpox, which is in group 5.
The third thing is this. In the list of micro-organisms that the CDC consider less dangerous because of their moderate morbidity and low mortality but that could still be potentially used for bioterrorism, some are in confinement group 2, like salmonella, some strains of E. coli, like 0157:H7, vibrio cholerae and cryptosporidium. In general, these are the micro-organisms most often responsible for food poisoning or contaminated water. Poisonings and contaminations of that kind are often due to poor hygiene practices or negligence on the part of the people in charge of water quality.
After I appeared here two weeks ago, I have had discussions with my colleagues and I have thought about the matter some more.
I would like to end with a recommendation. If the goal of lawmakers is to promote public health and safety in the area of micro-organisms and to protect Canadians from potential bioterrorist attacks, Bill C-11is not the solution. I feel that the bill could well create havoc by establishing a repressive system that lumps all micro-organisms together, whereas the vast majority of them pose no problem at all for people's health and safety. My recommendation is that lawmakers and the Public Health Agency of Canada concentrate on the few micro-organisms that potentially can be used maliciously and put in place appropriate measures for them.
Thank you for your attention. I will be pleased to answer your questions.