OIE Global Conference on Aquatic Animal Health

Panama City, Panama

28-30 June 2011

OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards

Barry Hill
President
OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission

Aquaculture has been experiencing a boom since

the mid-1970s, sustaining an average annual growth
rate of around 9% until a recent slight fall back.
Today it continues to expand in almost all regions of
the world and is the fastest growing food animal
production sector globally.
There is substantial and growing international trade
in live aquatic animals and their products.

A detailed analysis of aquaculture production

and wild capture fisheries is published every
2 years by FAO.

World fish trade: export value

- in

1000 US$ (FAO) -

developing
developed

However, infectious diseases are causing major

aquaculture production losses in many countries,
even having a significant negative impact on
some national economies

In some countries, the rapid increase in aquaculture

output has been based on species diversification which
has led to an increase in the demand for introduction and
transfers of live non-indigenous aquatic animals, some of
which have introduced new diseases with them.

For example, outbreaks of infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) in Chile

since 2007 have had a devastating impact on the salmon farming
industry, causing a massive reduction in production and in export
volumes.
Economic losses of many $100 millions.
High numbers of farms closed and large numbers of job losses.
Will take years to recover.
A national disaster.
Imported (from ??)

The main aim of OIE is to ensure the sanitary safety of

international trade in live animals and their products.
This includes providing standards and guidelines on the
health measures to be used by the Aquatic Animal
Health Services of importing and exporting countries to
prevent the transfer of agents pathogenic for aquatic
animals, while avoiding unjustified trade barriers.

Aquatic animals

The OIE standards applicable to international trade in

aquatic animals and their products are laid out in the
OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code and in the OIE
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals.

The OIE standards and guidance in the

Aquatic Code and Aquatic Manual aim to
reduce disease risks

Developing the OIE standards for aquatic animals

is the role of the
Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission

Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission

(elected May 2009 for 3 years)
President:
Dr Barry Hill (UK)
Vice-President:
Dr Ricardo Enriquez Sais
(Chile)
General Secretary:
Dr Franck Berthe (EFSA)
Members:
Dr Olga Haenen (Netherlands)
Dr Huang Jie (China)
Dr Victor Manuel Vidal (Mexico)

The Commission is regularly assisted by:

Don Lightner
USA

Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya
Uganda

Rohana Subasinghe
FAO, Rome

With advances in scientific knowledge, the Aquatic Health

Standards Commission prepares draft texts for new chapters,
or revises existing chapters of the Aquatic Code and the
Aquatic Manual with the input of internationally renowned
independent experts, OIE ad hoc groups, and expertise at the
many OIE Reference Laboratories for aquatic animal
diseases.
These drafts are further refined with input from national
experts of OIE Members before being finalised and presented
to the National Delegates at the OIE General Session in May
each year for adoption.

OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code

(Aquatic Code)

Also available on-line at the OIE website

Some of the information available

in the Aquatic Code
Zoning &
compartmentalisation

Guidelines
for risk
analysis

Criteria for
disease
freedom

Conditions for
trade

Surveillance
for disease

Model
export
certificates

Disease reporting
obligations

Transport of
farmed fish

OIE listed
diseases

Procedures
for aquatic
animal waste
disposal

Quality of Aquatic
Animal health
Services

Responsible and
prudent use of
antimicrobial
agents

Stunning and
killing of farmed
fish for human
consumption

Contents of the Aquatic Code

General Provisions (Horizontal issues)

Users guide

Glossary

Section 1 : Animal disease diagnosis, surveillance and notification

Section 2 : Risk analysis

Section 3 : Quality of Aquatic Animal Health Services

Section 4 : General recommendations : disease prevention and

control

Zoning/compartmentalisation

Recommendations on disinfection

Contingency planning

Fallowing in aquaculture

Handling, disposal and treatment of aquatic animal waste

Contents of the Aquatic Code

General Provisions (contd)

Section 5 : Trade measures, import/export procedures and health certification

General obligations

Certification procedures

Criteria to assess safety of aquatic animal commodities

Border posts and quarantine stations

Model veterinary certificates

Section 6 : Veterinary Public Health

Control of aquatic animal health hazards in aquatic animal feed

Antimicrobials: prudent use/monitoring/ controlling resistance (under development)

Section 7 : Welfare of Farmed Fish

Transport

Stunning and killing for human consumption

Killing for disease control purposes (under development)

Contents of the Aquatic Code

Disease specific chapters
(OIE listed diseases - of importance to international trade)

Section 8 : Diseases of Amphibians

Section 9 : Diseases of Crustaceans

Section 10 : Diseases of Fish

Section 11 : Diseases of Molluscs

Aquatic Code Chapter 1.2.

Criteria for Listing Aquatic Animal Diseases

Aquatic Code Chapter 1.2

Article 1.2.1.
Criteria for listing an aquatic animal disease
Article 1.2.2.
Criteria for listing an emerging aquatic
animal disease

Criteria for listing an aquatic animal disease

A disease proposed for listing should meet all the
relevant parameters set for each of the criteria;
Parameters that support a listing include:
A.Consequences
B.Spread and
C.Diagnosis
Such proposals should be accompanied by a case
definition for the disease.

For the purposes of the Aquatic Code

An emerging disease means a newly recognised
infection resulting from the evolution or change of an
existing pathogenic agent, a known infection spreading
to a new geographical area or population, or a
previously unrecognised pathogenic agent or disease
diagnosed for the first time and which has a significant
impact on aquatic animal populations or public health.

Chapter 1.3.
OIE list of aquatic animal diseases
The list is reviewed annually by the AAHSC and
recommendations for deletions and additions are
proposed to OIE Members for adoption
Notification and reporting requirements apply to all
listed diseases and any new emerging diseases.

26 aquatic animals diseases listed by OIE (2011)

2 diseases of amphibians
8 diseases of crustaceans
9 diseases of fish
7 disease of molluscs

OIE list of aquatic animal diseases

A key purpose of listing a disease in the Aquatic Code is to
ensure transparency of the aquatic animal health status
world-wide, by obliging Member Countries to report its
occurrence to OIE.
The OIE collates and disseminates the information
received in reports on the status of those listed diseases in
Member Countries (WAHIS and WAHID).

Obligation to notify and report

disease detection to OIE

Disease notification
In this context, it is important to understand that the circumstances
for regular as well as immediate notification of aquatic animal
diseases do not require the presence of clinical disease or
mortality.

The Aquatic Code clarifies in Article 1.1.2.4:

This means that the presence of an infectious agent, even in
the absence of clinical disease, should be reported.

OIE guidance on import requirements

Section 5.
Trade measures, importation/exportation
procedures and health certification
General obligations related to certification
Certification procedures
Criteria to assess the safety of aquatic animal commodities
Control of aquatic animal health risks associated with transport
of aquatic animals
Aquatic animal health measures applicable before and at
departure
Aquatic animal health measures applicable during transit from
the place of departure in the exporting country to the place of
arrival in the importing country

Section 5.
Trade measures, importation/exportation
procedures and health certification
Frontier posts in the importing country
Aquatic animal health measures applicable on arrival
Measures concerning international transport of aquatic animal
pathogens and pathological material
Model health certificates for international trade in live aquatic
animals and products of aquatic animal origin

Chapter 5.3
Criteria to assess the safety of aquatic
animal commodities and products
2 sets of criteria:
Criteria to assess the safety of aquatic animal
commodities irrespective of country disease status
Criteria to assess the safety of aquatic animal
products destined for human consumption
irrespective of country disease status

39

Sections 8-11
Specific disease chapters
Each specific disease chapter includes recommendations to
prevent the disease in question being introduced into the
importing country
definition of the pathogen / disease
list of susceptible species
what are safe commodities (irrespective of disease status)
how to determine the free status of a country, zone or
compartment
recommendations for importations of aquatic animal
commodities from a country, zone or compartment declared
free
recommendations for importations of aquatic animal
commodities from a country, zone or compartment not declared
free.

Manual of Diagnostic Tests for

Aquatic Animals (Aquatic Manual)

Aquatic Manual
Sixth edition of the Manual of
Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic
Animals (2009)

6th edition, 2009

Published in September 2009
Major updates for all diseases
Chapters only for listed diseases
Amended format for future editions
Next printed edition will be in 2012
In the meantime, amendments can
be made to the web version

2011 edition of the Aquatic Manual is available

on-line at the OIE website

Purpose of Aquatic Manual

Provide internationally agreed standardised approach to the
diagnosis of OIE-listed diseases (Aquatic Code)
Facilitate international trade in aquatic animals and their products
by:
- ensuring harmonisation of diagnostic testing
- avoiding differences in interpretation of results
- ensuring quality of diagnostic tests
Improve aquatic animal health worldwide;

Purpose of Aquatic Manual

Describes diagnostic laboratory methods which are
suitable for the detection of disease as part of a
national aquatic animal health surveillance/control
programme, or as part of a programme to underpin
claims of freedom from a specific disease;
To assist with the development of surveillance
methodologies for OIE-listed diseases;

Purpose of Aquatic Manual

Surveillance programmes aim to determine, from the
results provided by standardised laboratory methods
performed with samples collected according to defined
rules, the health status for a country, zone or
compartment for a specified disease.

Contents of the Aquatic Manual

Part 1 General Provisions
Section 1.1 Introductory Chapters
Quality management in veterinary testing laboratories
Principles and methods of validation of diagnostic
assays for infectious diseases
Methods for disinfection of aquaculture establishments

Contents of the Aquatic Manual

Part 2 Recommendations Applicable to Specific
Diseases
Diseases of Amphibians (adopted May 2011)
Diseases of Crustaceans
Diseases of Fish
Diseases of Molluscs

General information
Each Section starts with general information on diseases of
amphibians (in preparation), crustaceans, fish, molluscs
A. Sampling
B. Material and biological products required for the isolation
and identification of pathogens

CHAPTER X.X.X.
DISEASE X
1. Scope
For the purpose of this chapter, DISEASE NAME is considered to be
INFECTION WITH [PATHOGEN NAME].

2. Disease information
2.1. Agent factors
2.2. Host factors
2.3. Disease pattern
2.4. Control and prevention

3. Sampling
3.1. Selection of individual specimens
3.2. Preservation of samples for submission
3.3. Pooling of samples
3.4. Best organs or tissues
3.5. Samples/tissues that are not suitable (i.e. not
possible to detect)

4. Diagnostic methods
4.1. Field diagnostic methods
4.2. Clinical methods
4.3. Agent detection and identification methods

5. Rating of tests against purpose of use

6. Test(s) recommended for targeted surveillance
to declare freedom from Disease X.
Describes test methods, for use in targeted
surveillance to declare freedom from disease as outlined
in the Aquatic Code.

OIE guidelines on disease surveillance

Chapter 1.4. of the Aquatic Code

- provides standards for aquatic animal health
surveillance
Guide for Aquatic Animal Health
Surveillance (2009)
- provides detailed guidance on
surveillance principles and practice.

Thank you for your attention