USFWS FISH DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

IN THE NORTHEAST

John CollLamar Fish Health Center

LAMAR FISH HEALTH CENTER

Based on the 2001 numbers, ASA's economic analysis lays out the $116 billion worth of benefits sport fishing brings to our local, state and national economies.

The report also details how forty-five million American’s spent more than $42 billion on fishing tackle, trips and related services in 2001 with each angler spending an average of $1,046 on fishing.

In addition, more than one million jobs are related to sport fishing, accounting for more than $30 billion in wages.

While these numbers are impressive, what resonates through all the facts and figures is fishing’s tremendous importance to our way of life and livelihood.

The Department of Commerce recently established an aquaculture policy to promote the development of a highly competitive and sustainable aquaculture industry. The objectives of this 1999 policy include forecast increases in production value from the current US$900 million to

US$5 billion by the year 2025, and an increase in aquaculture employment from 180 000 to 600 000 people.

Fish are regarded as sentinel species,and their status is often used as a measure of ecosystem health

As sentinel species,their health is a key monitoring factor; and as living organisms they are impacted by their environment, and susceptible to diseases.

DISEASE

disease /dis·ease/ (dĭ-zēz´) any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or

unknown.

Infectious

Bacterial

Environmental

ParasiticViral

Opportunistic

Exotic

Endemic

ObligateEmergingEmergency

Diseases can have an effect at the population level

A pathogen that has been newly introduced can have devastating effects.

Imperiled populations, particularly those under stress from a suboptimal environment, can be more vulnerable to pathogens

Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium) & trematode parasite (Ribeiroia) contribute to global decline of amphibians

Risk of amplification and distribution of pathogens to culture facilities and watersheds through gametes

ATLANTIC SALMON RESTORATION/RECOVERY PROGRAMS

Wild ATS adults captured during freshwater spawning migration for use as broodstock

ISAV INFECTIOUS SALMON ANEMIA VIRUS 1984 - First diagnosed in Norway1996 – Bay of Fundy, Canada1998 – Scotland1999 – Chile2000 – Faroe Islands2001 – Maine, USA

ControlSurveillanceDepopulation/ indemnificationZone FallowingVaccination

ISA virus in Wild Atlantic salmon

2001 RT-PCR assay of bloodMore sensitive Quantitative RT-PCR detected a handful in 2009 and 2010 from Penobscot sea runs

1 detected in Merrimack sea run in 2010

Not yet detected in Connecticut River

ISAV DETECTION AND MANAGEMENTDNA Sequence analysis identified non-pathogenic (HPRO) genotype found to be carried by wild ATS Possible mutation of HPRO to pathogenic strain in captivity causes risk to ATS programsIndividual fish identified as positive either released back into rivers, or culled from population before spawning.

IPNV - INFECTIOUS PANCREATIC NECROSIS VIRUS

Wide host and geographical rangeIn salmonids, clinical disease effects fry and fingerlings

Mortality can approach 100%Survivors become asymptomatic carriers to adulthood

Horizontal transmission in wild can lead to adult carriersVertical transmission occurs despite egg disinfection

IPN virus in Wild Atlantic salmonDetected in Connecticut River sea run ovarian fluid samples 2007No clinical diseaseAll Ct. R. sea run progeny at risk …putting incubation facilities at riskAll sea run eggs destroyed

Strain 11 AY026347

Strain 137 AF343570

Strain 93 AY026346

Buhl AF343573

Strain 114 AY026348

Strain Reno AY026345

Strain VR299 AF343572

Jasper 001915

Jasper AF342735

Dry Mills AF343571

W Buxton AF342727

Canada 3 AF342734

Canada 2 AF342733

Conn River ATS 2007

Canada 1 AF342732

Strain ASV AY026490

Tellina AF342731

Japan Y Tascites AB006783

Strain Ab AF342729

Strain CV-HB1 AY026489

Strain E1S AY026487

Strain EEV AY026486

Strain PV AY026488

Strain SP AF342728

Strain Fr10 AY026482

Strain Fr21 AY026483

Strain OV2 AY026484

Strain DPL AY026485

Strain He AF342730

81

99

99

89

89

23

67

87

67

35

98

51

83

93

69

64

78

92

66

57

29

26

26

88

0.01

Unique IPNV genotype•Canada 4?

•Connecticut River 1?

no IPNV detected since 2007

IPNV virus in Region 5 Great Lakes lake trout programDetected in production lots at Allegheny NFH in 2005, associated with clinical diseaseGreat Lakes “Restricted Disease”, facility depopulated Hatchery construction: renovation and Biosecurity

Nucleospora salmonis(Previously Enterocytozoon)

Microsporidian (intracellular) parasite No evidence vertical transmission occurs Erratic swimming, Dark coloration,

Exopthalmia, Pale gills, Increased mortalities - mild in rainbow trout,

severe in Atlantic salmon ??? lake trout ???

Issue in Northeast? N. salmonis was detected by nested

PCR in Region 3 LAT that experienced mortalities (no histology was performed)

Concern about LAT going from R3 to R5 (White River NFH)

R3 conducted nPCR testing on other sites and determined that it was “ubiquitous”

Is it ubiquitous in R5????

Testing of 400 samples (ovarian fluids and kidney) from 12 Northeast hatcheries and 8 wild waters negative for parasite by optimized nPCR and QPCR

6 Maine Hatcheries

What Next? UC Davis received samples from R3

for sequencing have not yet reported success in

sequencing or confirming N. salmonis. R5 should continue to avoid fish

from R3 sources More sampling – costly but will

conduct additional limited sampling until UC Davis’ report

Hatchery vs Natural

USFWS sponsored program that examines free-ranging fish to better understand the national distribution of fish pathogens.

An associated database stores, compiles, and permits queries of information gathered during fish examinations.

The National Wild Fish Health Survey

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey

How Are Fish Collected?

Through a variety of partnerships - including Tribal, State, non-profit groups, public utilities, and other federal agencies

Collected via traps, electrofishing, hook and line, netting (fyke, gill, seine) with appropriate permits

Laboratory Protocols and Procedures

All samples are required to be tested using a valid:Screening MethodConfirmation Method

What Happens to the Results? Results entered into a

database at the local level.

Partners aiding in collection receive reports

Exported to National Database

Information within Database can be queried by resource partners and others

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey/database.htm

Accessing the current NWFHS Database

Summary tables. USGS hydrologic unit code

(HUC) maps. Dot distribution relief maps

with or without political features.

Current web interface queries produce results displayed 3 ways…

Basic Interface

Basic Interface

Example report

Integration/Standardization

Standardized taxonomic information

Standardized input of named geographic locations, e.g. waterbodies

Links water-related data to the NHD surface water drainage network (traceouts)

FISH DISEASE CASES IN THE NATURAL SETTING

Fish killsSurveillance

Regulatory Actions

Exotic/Introduced Pathogens Emerging Disease Organisms

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is a severe disease of freshwater and marine fish.

Four(4) genetically different types of VHS Genotypes I, II, and III are mainly found in

Europe and Asia (rainbow trout). Genotype IV (North American strain)

East and West coasts of North America (IVa) Great Lakes watershed (IVb).

To date, VHS has not been found in aquaculture facilities in the Great Lakes

Can affect a number of fish species with potential for significant mortality

Viral Hemorrhagic SepticemiaVHSv-IVb

VHSv-IVb 2003

VHSv-IVb 2005

Findings From the NWFHS

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia First Isolation of VHSv-IVb

in Lake Erie freshwater drum and yellow perch in spring 2006. 

Follow-up sampling in the spring of 2006 of 12 species from the western and central basin of Lake Erie, isolating the virus from 10 of the species sampled.

VHSv-IVb 2006

VHSv-IVb 2007

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey

VHS continued In June 2008, in

collaboration with Ohio Division of Wildlife, LaCrosse FHC isolated VHS from a muskellunge in the Clear Fork Reservoir (Ohio River drainage)

This isolation was the first outside of the Great Lakes Basin

Photo by Wayne Davis

VHSv-IVb 2008

Spring viremia of carp (SVC)

Spring viremia of carp (SVC) is a contagious viral disease mainly seen in farmed carp and related species.

Outbreaks can cause substantial economic losses.

Since 2002, several SVC outbreaks have been reported in U.S. (farmed and wild species affected)

Spring Viremia of Carp Virus Surveillance

Common Carp

Recent NWFHS Findings - SVCV Lamar FHC: Isolated

Spring Viremia of Carp Virus (SVCv) from Bluegill and Largemouth Bass collected from the Pleasant Hill Reservoir, OH.

No clinical disease reported in these events.

First report of SVCv from centrarchids. 

NWFHS Sampling Spring Viremia of Carp Virus (SVCv) : 6-Digit HUCs

Map Provided by Josh Bradley

New Diseaseor

New Surveillance ?

In Conclusion The National Wild Fish

Survey’s purpose is to determine the distribution of certain fish pathogens

As the environment changes, the relationship between host and pathogen will change

The first step in documenting climate change is monitoring

The database is critical for analysis of the information collected

Steps in documenting effects of global climate change

Baseline information

Determine changes to baseline

Evaluate factors that may contribute to changes

Eliminate changes due to other factors

Other Utilities of the Survey

New aquareovirus from rainbow smelt in New Hampshire

Wild stocks as broodstocks in captive propagation programs

Lake sturgeon-WisconsinNorthern Pike – WisconsinAmerican shad – eggs to China, from NWBrown trout – Connecticut

Lamprey relocationsPacific re-introductions in Columbia and

WilliametteSea (Atlantic) sterile male program in

Great Lakes

Wild fish in other propagation programsLMB, SMB, Walleye as host species for

Endangered mussels

Fish passage

THE NATIONAL WILD FISH HEALTH SURVEY

A tool you can incorporate into ALL your fishery projects

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey/

WebsitesNWHFS:

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey/

About Fish Health Centers:

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey/about/

VHSV:

http://www.focusonfishhealth.org/

http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey