Genaro García Regional Advisor on Food Safety Veterinary Public Health Unit Disease Prevention and...

Genaro GarcíaRegional Advisor on Food SafetyVeterinary Public Health UnitDisease Prevention and Control

Amelia la BarberaFondo Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (FONAIAP)Venezuela

4th Annual Meeting of Inspection and Quality-Control Services and Institutions

for Fish Products (Porlamar, Margarita Island, Venezuela,

28 July- 1 August 2003)

Pan American Health OrganizationRegional Office of the

World Health Organization

Fish-Kill Outbreak in the Southern Caribbean:

Epidemiology and Public-Health Impact

4th Annual Meeting of Inspection and Quality-Control Services and Institutions for Fish Products (Venezuela, summer 2003)

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1. Present an experience of fish mortality in the southeastern Caribbean (1999).

2. Discuss its public-health implications (Health: Socioeconomic ---> Political)

Objectives


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Where: Caribbean RegionWhen: 1999


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• Volcanic eruption in Trinidad.

• Red tides (toxic and non-toxic).

• Rainfall.

• Chemical spillage.

• Combination of: High water temperatures.

Increase of nutrients.

Decrease of oxygen.

Hypothesis


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Fish Kill: Temporal Distribution

(Caribbean, 1999)

Guyana: July 1999

Venezuela: Beginning of August 1999

Barbados: 16 September 1999

Grenada: End July – Beginning August 1999

Saint Vincent: 2 September 1999

Tobago: September (?) 1999

Decline: By mid-September 1999,mortality had declined in

affectedEnglish-speaking islands.


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Country Situation 1999:

Barbados (1)

Began on 16 September 1999.

Southeast coast affected.

Fisherman reported greenish water in affected areas.

Killing of reef fish : thousands per day.

Mortality declining by last week.

There are still no conclusive results on the cause(s) associated with the high fish mortality.


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Water Samples

None collected, thus no results for phytoplankton studies.

Observation showed water high temperature of 28–33° C.

Fish samples taken of freshly killed reef fish from one (? ) affected area.


Barbados (2)


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Fish Samples (cont.)No macroscopic lesions observed on skin.

Pale gills.

Liver, other internal organs: anemic appearance.

Distended abdomen (air in peritoneal cavity).


Barbados (3)


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Fish Samples (cont.)

Streptococcus iniae isolated from liver, brain, gastrointestinal tract of dying fish. (Source: Ferguson, St. John, Roach, 1999)

Samples taken of additional fish species from affected areas and “normal-healthy” fish.


Barbados (4)


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Fish Samples (cont.)

Streptococcus iniae is being proposed as a determining factor for the fish-kill events in Barbados.

(Source: Ferguson, e-mail of 10 November 1999)


Barbados (5)


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Fish Samples

“Investigation of predisposing factors is required but most difficult …

There are several areas for further monitoring/surveillance and research, the end result of which would be a … monitoring and early-control detection/warning system.”

(Ferguson, personal communication, 11/10/99)


Barbados (6)


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Water SamplesImproperly collected, thus no conclusive results for

phytoplankton studies.

Observation of high water temperature of 28–33° C.

Oxygen demand (DO2) was low.

Unusual organic matter.

Salinity a bit lower.

Carbamate-like compound present.


Grenada (1)


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Began at end July to beginning of August 1999.

Mainly on the east coast.



Mortality in Grenada declining by last week.

Mortality still reported in Carracou by 28 September 1999.


Grenada (2)


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Began on 2 September 1999.

Mainly on the east coast.



Mortality declining by last week.

Mortality still being reported in the Grenadines during the last two weeks.

Country Situation 1999:St. Vincent & the Grenadines (1)


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Water SamplesImproperly collected, thus no conclusive

results for phytoplankton studies.Observation of high water temperature of

28–33° C.

DO2 was low .

Unusual organic matter.Salinity a bit lower.High coliforms counts


St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2)


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Fish Samples

No macroscopic lesions.

Will be sent to Barbados regarding hypothesis of Streptococcus iniae.

Frozen fish samples will be send to Venezuela.

Japanese team.


St. Vincent & the Grenadines (3)


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The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) is investigating fish mortality in Tobago.

Press release issued by the IMA.

Preliminary report of findings: Report on water, phytoplanktons to be released and shared with countries and PAHO.

IMA does not have capability to run bioassays for marine toxins.


Trinidad and Tobago (1)

Satellite Images of Chlorophyll a Concentration (1999)

Satellite: Sea WIFs (USA) (01)

Ocean: Chlorophyll a Concentration (mg/m3)

Land: Normalized Difference Land Vegetation

IndexMaximum Minimum


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Fish-Killing a Serious Public-Health and Politico-Social Problem

Indirect Impact on Public Health

Tourism influx affected.

Apprehension among the national population regarding consumption of fish until problem clearly defined.


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Direct Impact on Public Health

Human cases: Only one reported case associated to rock fish consumption in Bequia.

Informal Interview of people from working people in Grenada, Saint Vincent: 3 out of 10 persons interviewed reported diarrhea, vomiting, and cramping a few hours after consuming rockfish.

Note: Is there any increase of diarrhea syndromes in the affected countries?

Fish Killing “a Serious” Public-Health and Politico-Social Problem


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Direct Economic Impact on Fisheries (St. Vincent)

Fish-landing drop: 75% value of EC$ 500,000 per month.

Fishermen: 75% drop in activity.

Vendors and fish-handlers: 75% drop in activity.

Exports to Martinique: Loss of US$ 120,000 per month.

Export of affected species to USA: Loss of US$ 12,000 per month.

Fish-Killing a “Serious” Public-Health and Politico-Social Problem


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Direct Economic Impact on Fisheries

(Saint Vincent)

If current trend continues, losses will amount to

US$ 132,000 in exports.

US$ 375,000 in local markets.

US$ 507,000 per month total losses.

Fish Killing “a Serious” Public-Health and Politico-Social Problem


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Epidemiological Surveillance

FK (P) = a + b1 (x1) + b2 (x2) + b3 (x3) + b4 (x1x2) + … + eFK (p) = Variable or probability of fish killa = interceptorb1……bn = regression coefficientsx1…….xn= independent variables (contributing

factors)x1 = Temperature (Centigrade)X2 = Phytoplankton (number of cells per liter)X3 = toxic dyflagelates a and b (0 or 1)X4 = Streptococcus iniae (ufc/g)E = Error


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Start Monitoring

HealthPermit

Certification

SAS/MAC/GN

Toxic dinoflagelates

Mouse Essay/Plankton

TransportPermit

Commercialization

Suspensionof

consumption

Information

Hospitalalert

Marketsupervision,confiscation

>Samplefrequency Normal

samplefrequency

Yes

No

Surveillance Program for Marine Toxins (PSP)

VenezuelaA. La Barbera, FONAIAP


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Websites of Interest

• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)http://www.paho.org

• Pan American Institute on Food Protection and Zoonoses (INPPAZ)http://www.panalimentos.org

• World Health Organization (WHO)http://www.who.org

http://www.paho.org/

http://www.paho.org/

http://www.panalimentos.org/

http://www.who.org/


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Thank you very much!

[email protected]

The End

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