Statscan plans to collect body fluids from 10,000 volunteers.OTTAWA -- Statistics Canada plans to collect blood and urine samples from 10,000 volunteers beginning next year, a radical departure from its usual question-and-answer data collection. The project is still tentative, subject to the approval of the Canadian Privacy Commissioner. A pilot project is to be carried out next year, a full sampling will be done in 2006, following the scheduled Canada-wide census that year. The $20-million Canadian Health Measures Survey would involve laboratory tests on the blood and urine of up to 10,000 Canadians and will search dozens of key health indicators including: diabetes,, cholesterol levels, lead, pesticides, SARS, HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. , herpes Herpes Any virus of the herpesvirus group, which comprises a family of 70 species, 5 of which are pathogenic to humans; the term also refers to any infection caused by these viruses. , West Nile virus West Nile virus, microorganism and the infection resulting from it, which typically produces no symptoms or a flulike condition. The virus is a flavivirus and is related to a number of viruses that cause encephalitis. and many other measures of the health of the general population. It will also include direct measurements of weight, blood pressure, fitness, back strength and many others. A similar suvery was carried on in Canada in 1978. Other countries, including Britain, New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. , Australia and some European countries routinely collected bodily fluids Noun 1. bodily fluid - the liquid parts of the body body fluid, liquid body substance, humour, humor body substance - the substance of the body aqueous humor, aqueous humour - the limpid fluid within the eyeball between the cornea and the lens for testing. The United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. has a more complex program, which determined that the American population had high blood levels of lead. The finding was instrumental in getting lead additives banned from gasoline in that country. In the 1980s, Australia's survey discovered that the number of diabetics in the general population was double previous estimates that had been based solely on questionnaires. Previous estimates had been on surveys in which individuals reported on their own knowledge and belief of their conditions. Fluid-sample surveys in other countries also find statistics for healthy individuals, who do not appear in existing medical records of hospitals and doctors. Participation in the Canadian survey will be volunteers who are representative of the general population in terms of age, sex and other demographic factors and participants would not receive payment, though they will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses out-of-pocket expenses n. moneys paid directly for necessary items by a contractor, trustee, executor, administrator or any person responsible to cover expenses not detailed by agreement. such as travel. Results of the tests would be shared with each individual. Residents of native reserves, members of the military and people residing in institutions such as prisons will be excluded. |
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