Canada’s Canada’s Aquatic Animal HealthAquatic Animal Health

ProgramProgram

OIE Regional Commission for the AmericasAd hoc Aquatic Animal Health Working Group

Panama City, January 17-18, 2006

• Aquatic Animal Health History

• Canada’s Veterinary and Aquatic Animal Health

Structures

• Canada’s National Aquatic Animal Health Program

• Interaction with the Private Sector and Provinces

• Canada’s Aquatic Animal Health Situation

Presentation Outline

• > 35 yrs fish health research parallel to Canada’s salmonid aquaculture development

• > 60 yrs shellfish health research – Pacific and Atlantic (http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sci/shelldis/title_e.htm)

• 1977 Fish Health Protection Regulations (FHPR)

• Fishery (General) Regulations – Section 56 – Live aquatic animal transfers (some provinces only)

Canada’s Aquatic Animal Health History

Veterinary Service Structure• Federal Role – Canadian Food Inspection Agency

– Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer– Regulatory programs for food safety; terrestrial and

aquatic animal health– Laboratory system for terrestrial animal health program

• Provinces– Offices of Provincial Veterinarians– Aquatic Animal Health Programs for regional diseases

• Private Veterinarians– Veterinary services to private industry

Canada’s Veterinary Colleges

Ontario Veterinary CollegeUniversity of Guelph  Guelph, Ontario

Atlantic Veterinary College  University of Prince Edward IslandCharlottetown, PEI

Western College of Veterinary Medicine     University of Saskatchewan    Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversite de Montreal  Succursale Centre-Ville   Montreal, Quebec

Canada’s Aquatic Animal Health Program A Federal Partnership

Canadian Food Inspection Agency:Regulatory mandate – (inter alia) Lead for prevention of the introduction and spread of communicable diseases in CanadaExpertise - Veterinary & epidemiological based regulatory management of animal and plant diseases.

Fisheries & Oceans Canada: Regulatory mandate – Conservation of aquatic resources and aquaculture development Expertise – Research in aquatic animal disease identification, diagnostic techniques and introductions and transfer mitigative measures.

Aquatic Animal Health Aquatic Animal Health StructureStructure

Fisheries and Oceans Pêches et OcéansCanada Canada

Aquatic Animal Health (AAH) SciencesAquatic Animal Health (AAH) SciencesDirectorateDirectorate- - Lead diagnostic & research regulatory support programs for NAAHP- FHPR management pending new HAA regs.

- National Web Database- Coordination of SOPs; RA research- Advice to National I&T Code (health)- Trade & Regulatory technical advice

Aquaculture Management DirectorateAquaculture Management Directorate- - Aquaculture Framework Agreement (AFA)- National Introductions & Transfers Code

Animal Products DirectorateAnimal Products Directorate- - Program Leadership- Governance and Regulatory support- Import controls- Certification for trade- Disease control - contingency planning- Disease surveillance – Zoning- Risk analysis- International standards- Quality Assurance / Quality Control - Industry / province liaison

Federal – Provincial – IndustryFederal – Provincial – IndustryResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

Nationally Reportable DiseasesNationally Reportable Diseases ( (Federal lead)Federal lead)Responsible for reportable/exotic diseases posing significant threats to international or inter-provincial trade and/or aquatic resources; Notifiable List (subject to review)

Regional DiseasesRegional Diseases (Provincial lead) (Provincial lead)Responsible for endemic diseases posing significant risks for losses if not actively controlled

Production DiseasesProduction Diseases (Aquaculture Industry Mgt. lead) (Aquaculture Industry Mgt. lead)Responsible for management and biosecurity of infections managed via husbandry, therapy, circumvention

Regional

International

surveillance

qualitymanagement systems& intra-national controls

health certification

National

Canada’s National Diagnostic Laboratory System –Components and Organization

Pacific Biological Station

Freshwater Institute

Gulf FisheriesCenter

Charlottetown Aquatic Animal Pathogen

Biocontainment Laboratory

DFO OttawaCFIA

Interaction with Private Sector and Provinces

• Development of program changes require extensive consultation with industry and provinces

• Aquatic Animal Health Committee (18)– Canadian Food Inspection Agency– Fisheries and Oceans Canada– Canadian Veterinary Medical Association– Canadian Aquaculture Industry Association– Fisheries Council of Canada– Aboriginal Aquaculture Association– Provincial Regulatory Officials

• Working Groups on policy and regulation development

Canada’s Current Aquatic Animal Health StatusCanada’s Current Aquatic Animal Health StatusFinfishFinfish

• EHN negative• IHN positive – Pacific coast only• SVC negative• VHS North American marine strains only• CCV negative• VER Nodavirus positive; strains under investigation• IPN positive (managed under FHPR)• ISA positive (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia only)• EUS negative• BKD positive (managed under FHPR)• ESC negative• Piscirickettsiosis positive• Gyrodactylosis negative• RSBIV negative• WSIV negative

Canada’s Current Aquatic Animal Health StatusCanada’s Current Aquatic Animal Health StatusMolluscsMolluscs

• Bonamia ostreae positive – Pacific coast only• Bonamia exitiosa negative• Mikrocytos roughleyi negative• Haplosporidium nelsoni positive – Atlantic coast only• Marteilia refringens negative• Marteilia sydneyi negative• Mikrocytos mackini positive – Pacific coast only• Perkinsus marinus negative• Perkinsus olseni negative• Haplosporidium costale positive – Atlantic coast only• Xenohaliotis californiensis negative

Canada’s Current Aquatic Animal Health StatusCanada’s Current Aquatic Animal Health StatusCrustaceansCrustaceans

• Taura syndrome negative• White Spot disease negative• Yellowhead disease negative• Tetrahedral baculovirus negative• Spherical baculovirus negative• IHHNV negative• Crayfish plague positive (wild endemic) • Spawner isolated mortality negative

Conclusions

Application of OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards

• Definition / scope of susceptible species in endemic waters- e.g., MSX; Bonamia

• Differentiation of pathogenic vs. non-pathogenic strains- e.g., VHS; ISA

• Sensitivity / specificity of targeted surveillance protocols in non-endemic species and environments (validation)- e.g., WSV

• Pathogen inactivation standards (disinfection)- All