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Asia diagnostic guide to aquatic animal diseases













Bondad-Reantaso, M.G., McGladdery, S.E., East, I., and Subasinghe, R.P. (eds.)Asia Diagnostic Guide to Aquatic Animal Diseases.FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 402, Supplement 2. Rome, FAO. 2001. 240 p.


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    Book (stand-alone)
    West Balkans Regional Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnostic Manual 2017
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    This West Balkans Regional Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnostic Manual is a handbook whose main purpose is to facilitate the daily duties at aquaculture farms and provide a useful reference that will answer the majority of practical questions posed by official veterinarians, veterinary inspectors and fish health experts in five Western Balkan countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia). It is developed through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Technical Cooperation Programme Project TCP/RER/3402 “Assistance to Western Balkan Countries for Improving Compliance to International Standards on Aquatic Animal Health”, a regional project that is based on a consultative and consensusbuilding process. This is a diagnostic guide for the surveillance, clinical inspection and sampling at aquaculture facilities with the aim to detect the diseases listed by the Word Organiza tion for Animal Health (OIE) and the European Union (EU) according to their guidelines and standards, as well as other diseases of economic importance. Both standards include monitoring for diseases, the obligatory notification of clinical signs in registered farms and sampling by official veterinarians, activities that unconditionally require knowledge on diseases, farm production, normal appearance of the farmed species, and recognition of any changes that could lead to the suspicion of diseas e occurrence. Thus, this manual provides essential information on how to perform clinical inspections of fish and mollusc farms, how to recognize unusual behaviour of fish; how to select the most appropriate specimens for laboratory examination; and how to collect, pack and ship samples to the diagnostic laboratory. The laboratory procedures employed to identify the various disease agents are described, and information on the viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases of fish and molluscs in the We stern Balkans is provided. The information presented should assist countries to maintain and improve their national aquatic animal health status, harmonize standards regionally, and better comply with the health standard requirements of regional and international trading partners.
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    Book (series)
    DNA-based molecular diagnostic techniques: research needs for standardization and validation of the detection of aquatic animal pathogens and diseases.
    Report and proceedings of the Expert Workshop on DNA-based Molecular Diagnostic Techniques: Research Needs for Standardization and Validation of the Detection of Aquatic Animal Pathogens and Diseases. Bangkok, Thailand, 7-9 February 1999.
    2000
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    In efforts to limit trans-boundary movement of pathogens and reduce the economic and socioeconomic impact of disease in aquaculture, there is considerable scope for more effective use of DNA-based methods of pathogen detection. These technologies offer rapid results with potentially high sensitivity and specificity, at relatively low cost. Recognition of these advantages has led to rapid adoption of available DNA-based tests, particularly in shrimp culture for which histological procedures lack specificity and culture-based methods have not been possible. However, few if any of the available tests have been assessed appropriately against other diagnostic methods or standardized and validated for specified applications. In fish and shrimp, type or strain specificity of most tests for pathogens in the Asian region is poorly understood and, in molluscs, there is little information on the significant pathogens and few tests of any kind have been developed. Furthermore, tests presently avai lable are frequently conducted by technicians who may not be sufficiently aware of the need for stringent test protocols or the meaning and limitations of the data generated. Implementation of standardized practices that produce reliable, useful and comparable data will require a significant investment in research, training and infrastructure development. Effective implementation will also be assisted by enhanced communication between aquatic animal health practitioners in the region and scienti sts with expertise in molecular diagnostic technologies. This review recommends development by FAO/NACA of 2 programs of managed cooperative research to assist more effective use of DNA-based detection tests. Program A should focus on improving the knowledge base by identification of new and emerging pathogens, relating pathogens in the region to those described elsewhere, and defining the extent of genetic variation between related pathogens in the region. Program B should draw on information currently available or obtained from Program A to develop suitably specific DNA-based diagnostic methods and to evaluate and validate the methods for disease diagnosis and pathogen screening programs. To increase the availability of scientists and technicians with skills in pathology and molecular diagnostic technologies, the review also recommends development of FAO/NACA-sponsored training programs for staff from key laboratories in the region. Training priorities should be in: i) the use of standard histopathological methods for health screening of fish and molluscs; and ii) the use of standard DNA-based methods for pathogen detection including sample collection, application of test protocols and the analysis and interpretation of test results. Because of the urgency of disease problems and the availability of suitable tests, training in DNA-based methods should focus initially on detection of shrimp pathogens. The review also recommends the development of a laboratory accredita tion program in order to achieve standardization of sampling methods and test procedures. The establishment of reference laboratories will assist accreditation for each of the major pathogens. Laboratory accreditation and training programs should complement the activities of OIE in obtaining internationally agreed test standards for molecular diagnostic technologies.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Field guide to the control of warmwater fish diseases in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia 2019
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    Due to the recent rapid development of freshwater aquaculture in the Caucasus Region, many new and previously known fish diseases have appeared. One of the most prominent features of the region’s aquaculture is that it is mostly based on the rearing of cyprinids, mainly the common carp (Cyprinus carpio), as well as a few other predatory fish species. As a result, this book focuses on the diseases that affect these and other important warmwater fish species. Although this field guide covers the diseases of warmwater fish of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, it also draws upon the extensive knowledge base available for the countries of Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, as well as recent research findings from the Islamic Republic of Iran and from Turkey. The major warmwater fish species cultured in the region and their health status are discussed, and two major categories of disease are recognized: biotic and abiotic diseases. Although there are numerous biotic diseases, abiotic factors (e.g. lack of oxygen, temperature, feeding mistakes) remain the main cause of losses in aquaculture. The best practices for the field and laboratory examination of disease outbreaks are reviewed, and the importance of accurate and detailed data recording emphasized. Prevention as a key factor in avoiding the spread of disease is highlighted, and actions to prevent the spread of diseases between farms, regions, countries and continents are discussed. Possible methods for the treatment of each disease are reviewed; unfortunately, the chemicals available for use in aquaculture are now rather limited, as many of them are hazardous to both the environment and human health. Of the viral diseases discussed, spring viraemia of carp (SVC) and koi herpesvirus (KHV) pose the greatest threats to the world’s carp populations. Of the bacterial diseases, ulcer disease is still the main problem in carp culture, while among the parasites, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, the cause of white spot disease, is among the most important. Exotic parasites such as various Thelohanellus species, as well as tapeworms belonging to the genera Bothriocephalus and Khawia, are responsible for a considerable amount of damage. Some diseases of unknown aetiology are also discussed.

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