CRAYFISH PLAGUE - ITALY: (VENETO) OIE
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: Fri 26 Nov 2010
Source: OIE, WAHID (World Animal Health Information Database), weekly disease information 2010; 23(48) [edited] <http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=9980>
Crayfish plague (_Aphanomyces astaci_), Italy
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Information received on (and dated) 26 Nov 2010 from Prof Dr Romano
Marabelli, chief veterinary officer, Department for Veterinary Public
Health, Nutrition and Food Safety, Ministry of Health, Rome, Italy
Summary
Report type: immediate notification
Start date: 18 Oct 2010
Date of 1st confirmation of the event: 15 Nov 2010
Date submitted to OIE: 26 Nov 2010
Reason for notification: 1st occurrence of a listed disease
Manifestation of disease: clinical disease
Causal agent: _Aphanomyces astaci_
Nature of diagnosis: laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to a defined zone within the country
New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 1
Outbreak 1: Rio di Ron, Treviso, Voldobbiadene, Veneto
Date of start of the outbreak: 18 Oct 2010
Outbreak status: continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit: river system
Water type: fresh water
Population type: wild
Production system: open
Affected animals
Species / Morbidity / Mortality / Susceptible /Cases / Deaths / Destroyed /
Slaughtered
European freshwater crayfish (_Austropotamobius_) / 100 per cent / 100 per
cent / - / 1 / 1 / 0 / 0
Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: unknown or inconclusive
Control measures
Measures applied: no vaccination; no treatment of affected animals.
Measures to be applied: no other measures
Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute (IZS),
Padova (local laboratory)
Tests and results
Species / Test / Test date / Result
Austropotamobius / gene sequencing / 15 Nov 2010 / Positive (_Aphanomyces
astaci_ )
Austropotamobius / polymerase chain reaction (PCR) / 15 Nov 2010 / Positive
(_Aphanomyces astaci_)
Future reporting
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.
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[The aetiological agent of crayfish plague is _Aphanomyces astaci_, a
member of a group of organisms commonly known as the water moulds. Although
long regarded to be fungi, this group, the Oomycetida, are now considered
protists and are classified with diatoms and brown algae in a group called
the Stramenopiles or Chromista.
There is evidence that established older _A. astaci_ strains that have been
present in Europe for many years are less aggressive than newer strains
introduced with crayfish imports from North America since the 1960s. Some
isolates from warmer waters in Spain have temperature/growth curves with
higher optimum temperatures compared with those from northern Europe.
Although _A. astaci_ is not an obligate parasite and will grow well under
laboratory conditions on artificial media, in the natural environment it
does not survive well for long periods in the absence of a suitable host.
It has been shown that _A. astaci_ cysts survive for 2 weeks in distilled
water, and that zoospores remained motile for up to 3 days. As _A. astaci_
can go through 3 cycles of zoospore emergence, the maximum life span
outside of a host could be several weeks.
_A. astaci_, both in culture and in infected crayfish, is killed by a short
exposure to temperatures of 60 deg C (140 deg F) or to temperatures of -20
deg C (-4 deg F) or less for 48 hours or more. Sodium hypochlorite and
iodophores are effective for disinfection of contaminated equipment.
Thorough drying of equipment (more than 24 hours) is also effective, as
_Aphanomyces_ is not resistant to desiccation.
There is good field and experimental evidence that movements of fish from
areas in which crayfish plague is active can transmit infection from one
watershed to another. _A. astaci_ can also be spread by contaminated
equipment (nets, boots, clothing, etc).
The information above is derived from chapter 2.3.7. "Crayfish Plague
(_Aphanomyces astaci_)" in OIE's (World Organisation for Animal Health)
Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic animals. The chapter includes
additional comprehensive information on the agent factors, host factors,
disease pattern, diagnosis, control and prevention, etc; see
<http://oie.int/eng/normes/fmanual/2.2.01_CRAYFISH.pdf>. - Mod.AS
The location of the outbreak can be seen on the map included in the OIE
report at the source URL above. The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map
of Italy is available at <http://healthmap.org/r/0heO>. - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]
[see also:
Crayfish plague - UK: England 20101108.4054
2008
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Crayfish plague - UK: (England) 20080808.2444
2007
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Crayfish plague - UK (England) 20071023.3447]
.................arn/mj/sh/ll
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