Manitoba names new chief veterinary officer

Dr. Glen Duizer received the appointment from Minister Ron Kostyshyn

Dr. Glen Duizer is Manitoba’s new chief veterinary officer (CVO), Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced on Sept. 3.

“Dr. Duizer’s extensive experience and expertise in animal health, emergency planning and response and epidemiology and his strong relationships with livestock and poultry stakeholders and veterinarians will help guide our work protecting animal and human health, and we are excited to welcome him to this role,” the minister said in a statement.

As the CVO, Dr. Duizer will be responsible for leading work on animal health and welfare in the province. He will also be the leader when it comes to animal care and how related issues are related to ag and processing in Manitoba.

This includes aiding in emergency preparedness and response to protect animals and the safety of the food supply.

Dr. Duizer graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College in P.E.I.  in 1995 and joined Manitoba Agriculture in 2005. In 2015 he earned a Master of Science in epidemiology.

He recently participated in research about lessons learned from CanSpotASF, Canada’s national surveillance program for early detection of African Swine Fever.

The research concluded that “rule-out testing for ASFv was a step towards risk-based surveillance with health as the defining factor.”

At least one Manitoba ag organization has welcomed Dr. Duizer as the new CVO.

“We would like to welcome Dr. Duizer to his new role and want to congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment” Manitoba Pork General Manager Cam Dahl said in a statement. “In his time working in the office of the chief veterinarian, Dr. Duizer has maintained a collaborative approach while building a strong foundation of open and transparent communication.”

Duizer takes over as CVO for Dr. Scott Zarri, who stepped down earlier this year. He’d been in the position since 2019.