▁through ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁invest ment . ▁The ▁sale ▁continued ▁to ▁stir ▁controvers y ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁years ▁as ▁the ▁L abs ▁increased ▁prices ▁on ▁its ▁products ▁and ▁came ▁under ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁mis management ▁and ▁d eter ior ated ▁manufact uring ▁standards . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁the ▁L abs ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁private ▁ownership ▁as ▁the ▁CD C ▁was ▁dis m ant led ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Mul r oney ▁government ' s ▁program ▁of ▁priv at ization . ▁Con n aught ▁was ▁merged ▁with ▁Institut ▁M érie ux ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁it ▁was ▁transformed ▁into ▁the ▁Canadian ▁component ▁of ▁" P aste ur ▁M érie ux ▁Con n aught ", ▁owned ▁by ▁Rh ône - P ou len c . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁ac quis itions ▁since ▁then ▁have ▁transferred ▁ownership ▁of ▁what ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Con n aught ▁Labor ator ies ▁to ▁the ▁global ▁v acc ine ▁business ▁of ▁San of i . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁History ▁ ▁Canadian ▁public ▁health ▁at ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁was ▁defined ▁by ▁increasing ▁local ▁and ▁provincial ▁efforts ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁inf ect ious ▁dise ases ▁which ▁w ors ened ▁with ▁urban ization . ▁In ▁particular , ▁di ph ther ia ▁( known ▁as ▁" The ▁Str ang ler " ▁for ▁its ▁in fection ▁of ▁the ▁resp ir atory ▁system ) ▁was ▁the ▁leading ▁cause ▁of ▁death