Biosecurity in aquaculture

Edgar BrunOIE Collaborating Centre on Epidemiology and Risk Assessment for Aquatic Animal Diseases

Workshop for OIE National Focal Points for Aquatic Animals,Byblos, Lebanon, 11–13 August 2013

Atlantic Veterinary College

Biosecurity

A holistic concept for the sustainability of aquaculture (food production)

Aims to protect environment including biological diversity

Based on regulations and standards to be applied at international-, national- and site level

Biosecurity

Every action involved in

●avoiding entry of pathogens (prevention/exclusion) Into a country into a farm

●controlling further spread of pathogens (containment)

●reducing consequences of outbreaks (eradication)

are traded world wide as eggs, live animals and products

are kept in open or semi-open systems

are part of the local ecological system●are continuously exposed to environmental

micro-organisms (and visa versa)

are more “stressed” than surrounding fellow animals in the wild

Cultured aquatic animals

Three levels within biosecurity

National/international level – governmental responsibility

Regional level – shared/industry responsibility

Site level – company/private responsibility

International/national level

International standards (OIE, WTO, Codex) National legal framework Management policy (hazards, surveillance,

stamping out, compensation …) Authority for implementing control measures

at national, regional and site level Infrastructure

●Lines of command●Laboratories●Reporting system●Information system●Competence building

Regional level

Epidemiological unit How is the connection between farms Can groups of farms be organized into zones

Regional collaboration Interaction between big intensive companies and

small (semi-) extensive private enterprises Can coordinated measures be implmented at the

same time

Example; development of PD in Norway

PD-outbreaks 1995-2010

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

To

tal

nu

mb

er o

f o

utb

reak

s p

er y

ear

PD- distribution in Norway 2008-2010

Hustadvika

Biosecurity measures to an emerging disease (ISA)

0102030405060708090

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

First occurrence

of ISAISA made notifiable

Compulsory health certificateCompulsory health control in hatcheries

Ban on using seawater in hatcheriesBan on moving fish already put to sea

Regulations on transport (vehicles and hygienic measures)

Regulation on disinfection of wastewater from slaughterhouses and processing plants, and of the seawater supply in hatcheries

Introduction of zones to combat outbreaks

Official guidelines for the handling of outbreaks Contingency plan,

revidert

The ”Stop ISA campaign”

ISAV identified

Biosecurity at site level

Wild aquatic animals

Farmed aquaticanimals

Environment

abiotic

biotic

biotic

abiotic

biotic

Import/trade

Biosecurity at site level

Described in a BIOSECURITY PLAN ●Based on a biosecurity risk assessment ●SOPs for various tasks/procedures●Routine health/disease monitoring ●Contingency plans

●Should be generic●The plan should be understood and

respected by all employees (biosecurity awareness)

●Routines for auditing and updating

Biosecurity assessment at site

Risk characterization of the facility

Pathogen exposure

Risk characterization of management

Identification of critical points

Risk characterization of the facility

Location and physical lay-out Internal production flow Separation into sub-units

Pathogen exposure

Which infectious hazards are threatening the plant, their epidemiology and control measures

● routes of introduction and spread● What do we know about the infectious agents● What do we know about the disease● Does the farm have susceptible species● Available diagnostic test● Available vaccines

Introduction routes

Oidtman et al 2011

Direct contact between fish● Vertical or horizontal● Entry through skin, open wounds, gills

Ingestion (oral)● Infected live or frozen fish● Cannibalism of dead

or dying fish ● Contaminated feed

Water Sources● Inputs, transfer● Including aerosols

Spray or splashesbetween tanks

Disease transmission in fish

Dr. Alain Le breton

Fomites: Inanimate objects● Equipment: Nets, buckets,

siphon hoses● Footwear, clothing, vehicles

Vectors: Living creatures● Predatory birds, wildlife● Pets● People

Zoonotic: affects people● Bacterial agents

Mycobacterium Edwardsiella Erysipelothrix Klebsiella

● Parasitic agents Anisakis

Disease transmission in fish

Dr. Alain Le breton

Risk characterization of management

Operations and routines● Routines for disease control ● Handling of diseased fish● Awareness for early disease detection ● Data registration ● Clear responsibility ● Traffic control● Disinfection

Competence● Biosecurity awareness● Knowledge of basic hygiene principles● Basic knowledge of diseases

Risk based characterization of a farm – control of fish movement

Dr. Alain Le breton

Production function

Resource input(animals, feed, labour, etc.)

Production process

Output: goods, services(to satisfy human needs)

DiseasesBiosecurity

Diseases will reduce the efficiency by which input are converted into output

Biosecurity • will reduce the probability of infectious exposure (known and unknown) and curtail its effect (holistic)

• is additional input to the production function

• may increase output or lower the need for input

• should be balanced between benefit and cost

Core issues to

Balance knowledge on hazards, technical feasibility and cost

Tailor the biosecurity plan according to the specific needs on each individual farm

Biosecurity

… everybody will sooner or later face the challenge of a disease outbreak

…is an act of responsibility●to the farmed animals●to the environment●to fellow producers●to society

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION