Canadas

1
Canadas Aquatic Animal Health Program
OIE Regional Commission for the Americas Ad hoc
Aquatic Animal Health Working Group Panama City,
January 17-18, 2006
2
Presentation Outline

• Aquatic Animal Health History
• Canadas Veterinary and Aquatic Animal Health
  Structures
• Canadas National Aquatic Animal Health Program
• Interaction with the Private Sector and Provinces
• Canadas Aquatic Animal Health Situation

3
Canadas Aquatic Animal Health History

• gt 35 yrs fish health research parallel to
  Canadas salmonid aquaculture development
• gt 60 yrs shellfish health research Pacific and
  Atlantic (http//www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sci/shelldi
  s/title_e.htm)
• 1977 Fish Health Protection Regulations (FHPR)
• Fishery (General) Regulations Section 56 Live
  aquatic animal transfers (some provinces only)

4
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

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Canadas Veterinary Colleges
Atlantic Veterinary College  University of
Prince Edward Island Charlottetown, PEI
Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph 
Guelph, Ontario
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Universite de
Montreal  Succursale Centre-Ville   Montreal,
Quebec
Western College of Veterinary Medicine    
University of Saskatchewan    Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan
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Canadas Aquatic Animal Health Program A Federal
Partnership
Canadian Food Inspection AgencyRegulatory
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.
7
Aquatic Animal Health Structure
Aquatic Animal Health (AAH) SciencesDirectorate -
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 IT
Code (health) - Trade Regulatory technical
adviceAquaculture Management Directorate-
Aquaculture Framework Agreement (AFA)- National
Introductions Transfers Code

• Animal 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

8
Federal Provincial Industry Responsibilities
Nationally Reportable Diseases (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
Diseases (Provincial lead)Responsible for
endemic diseases posing significant risks for
losses if not actively controlled Production
Diseases (Aquaculture Industry Mgt.
lead)Responsible for management and biosecurity
of infections managed via husbandry, therapy,
circumvention
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Market Access Import Control
10
Canadas National Diagnostic Laboratory System
Components and Organization
DFO Ottawa CFIA
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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

12
Canadas Current Aquatic Animal Health
Status Finfish

• 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

13
Canadas Current Aquatic Animal Health
Status Molluscs

• 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

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Canadas Current Aquatic Animal Health
Status Crustaceans

• 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

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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