Publication Abstract

The application of epidemiology in aquatic animal health – opportunities and challenges

Peeler*, EJ, Taylor* NGH

In recent years epidemiology has started to play an important role in protecting aquatic animal populations from both endemic and exotic pathogens and parasites. At a national level epidemiologists have an important role in identifying and assessing routes of pathogen introduction through import risk analyses, which facilitates safe trade in animal and animal products. More broadly risk methods have informed other health management decision making, as illustrated by the management of Gyrodactylus salaris. The application of new surveillance methods, developed for terrestrial animal diseases, could further improve the capacity of aquatic animal surveillance methods to detect disease incursions quickly and thus minimise their impact. Epidemiology is critical to the systematic investigations of outbreaks of transboundary diseases and the spread of disease between farms (e.g. infectious salmon anaemia virus) which informs the development of biosecurity from national to farm level. At a national level models of disease spread are powerful tools to assess competing control strategies, though the main constraint is the lack of data on which to parameterise and validate models. .Endemic diseases in aquaculture have important economic and welfare consequences. Epidemiological studies of endemic disease (e.g. risk factor studies) have informed effective control strategies. Whilst the application of epidemiology in aquatic systems has lagged behind its use in terrestrial livestock, in part due to the challenges faced by aquatic epidemiologist in obtaining suitable data, its value is now being recognised. The demand for epidemiological approaches to tackle complex emerging disease issues in wild and farmed aquatic animal populations will undoubtedly increase.

Reference:

E.J. Peeler* and N.G.H. Taylor*  (2012) The application of epidemiology in aquatic animal health – opportunities and challenges. Veterinary Research, 2011, 42:94