2 nd Regional Workshop: Improving Capacity for Diagnosis of Disease of Fish

and Molluscs Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 20-24 October 2013

FAO Technical Cooperation Programme TCP/RER/3402Assistance to Western Balkan Countries for Improving Compliance to

International Standards on Aquatic Animal Health

Objectives and expected outcomes of the Regional

workshop No. 2Dr Sanin Tanković TCCT No1

Objectives

• to review the current status of national disease diagnostics in participating countries,

• to standardize diagnostic techniques in support of the Regional Disease Surveillance, and

• to provide targeted diagnostics training to participants

Objectives

• discuss other issues relevant to surveillance, e.g. diagnostics, surveillance data analysis, preparation of aquatic animal health information system, including the Western Balkan Aquatic Animal Health Website), and

• finalise work plans for the follow-up training/workshop related to surveillance as well as other components of the TCP.

Process

This workshop will be facilitated by: • TCCT Consultant 2 on DiagnosticsTCCT Consultant 3 (TCCT

Consultant 3 (Aquatic Epidemiology: Surveillance and Aquatic Animal Health Information System),

• International Consultant I (Disease Surveillance, Monitoring and Reporting; Contingency Planning and Emergency Preparedness),

• National Consultant 2 (Disease Surveillance, Monitoring and Reporting),

• TCCT Consultant 1 (Aquatic Animal Health) and

• FAO Lead Technical Officer for this project.

Process

It consists of 6 sessions, namely:• Session 1: Setting the scene and understanding the national

situation and current capacity on Diagnostics of Diseases of Fish and Molluscs of the 5 participating countries

• Session 2: Basic concepts and principles of diagnostics• Session 3: Basic concepts and principles of diagnostics for diseases

of fish and molluscs• Session 4: Design of NRL for listed diseases and drafting of scope

and contents of a regional diagnostic manual • Session 5: Relation between diagnostic and surveillance planning• Session 6: Conclusions and the way forward

Session 1: Setting the scene and understanding the national situation and current capacity on Diagnostics of Diseases of Fish and Molluscs

of the 5 participating countries

• Background, objectives and expected outcomes of TCP/RER/3402• Objectives and expected outcomes of the Regional Workshop• Current status of national disease diagnostics in the countries:

status and challenges

Session 2: Basic concepts and principles of diagnostic

• International aquatic animal health standards (OIE diagnostic manual and EU manuals): role of diagnostics for the control of aquatic animal diseases, diagnostic requirements as criteria for disease listing

• Function and duties of EURLs and NRLs with retrospect on inter-laboratory proficiency testing European Union Reference Laboratory

• Legal aspects of listed disease monitoring programmes: case of Croatia and different levels of diseases control

Session 3: General principles, protocols and techniques for fish and molluscan disease diagnostics

• Clinical inspection and sampling of cyprinid and salmonid farms and shipping of samples to the diagnostic laboratories

• Clinical inspection and sampling on the marine fish and molluscan farms and shipping of samples to the diagnostic laboratories

• Sampling, sample submission and other requirements for diagnostics • Virology for fish viruses: Cell cultures according to EU manuals; accreditation and

validation procedures • Techniques for fish viruses identification • Cytology and histology for molluscan diseases• Molecular methods for fish viruses: SVC and KHV for cyprinids and VHS and IHN for

salmonids Spring Viremia of Carp,Koi Herpes Virus, Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, Infective Hematopoietic Necrosis

• Molecular methods for; marine fish virus (VNN) and molluscan diseases Viral Nerval Necrosis

• Accreditation and validation of methods in aquatic animal disease diagnostics• Field trip with demonstration of clinical inspection, sampling and packing of samples

Session 4: Design of NRL for listed disease and drafting of scope and contents of regional diagnostic manual

• Introduction to Working Group (WG) and WG guidelines on possibilities, needs and capacity for NRL in particular Western Balkan country and drafting of scope and contents of regional diagnostic manual

• Working group discussions

Session 5: Relationship between diagnostic and surveillance planning

• Draft surveillance plan - output of 1st regional workshop (with most recent updates) – open for discussion

• Selection criteria, interpretation of results and role of laboratory diagnostics in planning and implementation of aquatic animal diseases surveillance

• Epidemiologic evaluation of diagnostic tests (with examples and interactive exercise for participants)

Session 6: Conclusions and the way forward

• Other issues relevant to surveillance, e.g. diagnostics, surveillance data analysis, preparation of aquatic animal health information system, including the Western Balkan Aquatic Animal Health Website (Prof Nihad Fejzic/ Dr Snjezana Zrncic)

• Work plans for the follow-up training/workshop related to surveillance as well as other components of the TCP (Dr Sanin Tankovic)

Participation

• The workshop will be participated by 5 countries

• Bosnia and Herzegovina (2)• Croatia (2)• Macedonia (2)• Montenegro (2)• Serbia (2)• FAO (5)

Products

• Good understanding of the status and challenges of disease diagnostics capacity for fish and molluscs in the 5 participating countries;

• Increased knowledge on the basic concepts and principles of diagnostics in general and specifically for fish and mollusc;

• A workshop report

Thank you for your attention!