USFWS Fish Disease Surveillance in the Northeast

1. USFWS Fish Disease Surveillance in the Northeast John Coll Lamar Fish Health Center

2. LAMAR FISH HEALTH CENTER

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

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

7. DISEASE Exotic • Viral Parasitic Infectious Endemic Emerging Opportunistic 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. Emergency Environmental Bacterial Obligate

9. Diseases can have an effect at the population level Imperiled populations, particularly those under stress from a suboptimal environment, can be more vulnerable to pathogens A pathogen that has been newly introduced can have devastating effects. • Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium) & trematode parasite (Ribeiroia) contribute to global decline of amphibians

11. Atlantic salmon Restoration/Recovery Programs • Wild ATS adults captured during freshwater spawning migration for use as broodstock • Risk of amplification and distribution of pathogens to culture facilities and watersheds through gametes

12. Control • Surveillance • Depopulation/ indemnification • Zone Fallowing • Vaccination ISAv Infectious salmon anemia virus 1984 - First diagnosed in Norway 1996 – Bay of Fundy, Canada 1998 – Scotland 1999 – Chile 2000 – Faroe Islands 2001 – Maine, USA

13. ISA virus in Wild Atlantic salmon 2001 RT-PCR assay of blood More 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

14. ISAV detection and Management DNA 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 programs Individual fish identified as positive either released back into rivers, or culled from population before spawning.

15. IPNV - Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus Wide host and geographical range In 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 carriers Vertical transmission occurs despite egg disinfection

16. IPN virus in Wild Atlantic salmon • Detected in Connecticut River sea run ovarian fluid samples 2007 • No clinical disease • All Ct. R. sea run progeny at risk • …putting incubation facilities at risk • All sea run eggs destroyed

17. Unique IPNV genotype • Canada 4? • Connecticut River 1? no IPNV detected since 2007

18. IPNV virus in Region 5 Great Lakes lake trout program • Detected in production lots at Allegheny NFH in 2005, • associated with clinical disease • Great Lakes “Restricted Disease”, facility depopulated • Hatchery construction: renovation and Biosecurity

19. 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 ???

20. 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????

21. 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

22. 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

23. Hatchery vs Natural

24. The National Wild Fish Health Survey 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. http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey

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

26. Laboratory Protocols and Procedures All samples are required to be tested using a valid: • Screening Method • Confirmation Method

27. 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

28. Accessing the current NWFHS Database http://www.fws.gov/wildfishsurvey/database.htm

29. Current web interface queries produce results displayed 3 ways… • Summary tables. • USGS hydrologic unit code (HUC) maps. • Dot distribution relief maps with or without political features.

30. Basic Interface

31. Basic Interface

32. Example report

33. 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)

35. Fish Disease cases in the natural setting Fish kills Surveillance Regulatory Actions Exotic/Introduced Pathogens Emerging Disease Organisms

36. Viral Hemorrhagic SepticemiaVHSv-IVb • 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

37. VHSv-IVb 2003

38. VHSv-IVb 2005

39. 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.

40. VHSv-IVb 2006

41. VHSv-IVb 2007

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

43. VHSv-IVb 2008

44. 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)

45. Spring Viremia of Carp Virus Surveillance Common Carp

46. 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.

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

48. New DiseaseorNew Surveillance ? Map Provided by Josh Bradley

49. 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

50. 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