2 nd Regional Workshop: Improving Capacity for Diagnosis of Disease of Fish and Molluscs Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 2013 FAO Technical Cooperation Programme TCP/RER/3402 Assistance to Western Balkan Countries for Improving Compliance to International Standards on Aquatic Animal Health Objectives and expected outcomes of the Regional workshop No. 2 Dr Sanin Tanković TCCT No1

Objectives to review the current status of national disease diagnostics in participating countries, to standardize diagnostic techniques in support of the Regional Disease Surveillance, and to provide targeted diagnostics training to participants

Objectives discuss other issues relevant to surveillance, e.g. diagnostics, surveillance data analysis, preparation of aquatic animal health information system, including the Western Balkan Aquatic Animal Health Website), and finalise work plans for the follow-up training/workshop related to surveillance as well as other components of the TCP.

Process This workshop will be facilitated by: TCCT Consultant 2 on DiagnosticsTCCT Consultant 3 (TCCT Consultant 3 (Aquatic Epidemiology: Surveillance and Aquatic Animal Health Information System), International Consultant I (Disease Surveillance, Monitoring and Reporting; Contingency Planning and Emergency Preparedness), National Consultant 2 (Disease Surveillance, Monitoring and Reporting), TCCT Consultant 1 (Aquatic Animal Health) and FAO Lead Technical Officer for this project.

Process It consists of 6 sessions, namely: Session 1: Setting the scene and understanding the national situation and current capacity on Diagnostics of Diseases of Fish and Molluscs of the 5 participating countries Session 2: Basic concepts and principles of diagnostics Session 3: Basic concepts and principles of diagnostics for diseases of fish and molluscs Session 4: Design of NRL for listed diseases and drafting of scope and contents of a regional diagnostic manual Session 5: Relation between diagnostic and surveillance planning Session 6: Conclusions and the way forward

Session 1: Setting the scene and understanding the national situation and current capacity on Diagnostics of Diseases of Fish and Molluscs of the 5 participating countries Background, objectives and expected outcomes of TCP/RER/3402 Objectives and expected outcomes of the Regional Workshop Current status of national disease diagnostics in the countries: status and challenges

Session 2: Basic concepts and principles of diagnostic International aquatic animal health standards (OIE diagnostic manual and EU manuals): role of diagnostics for the control of aquatic animal diseases, diagnostic requirements as criteria for disease listing Function and duties of EURLs and NRLs with retrospect on inter- laboratory proficiency testing European Union Reference Laboratory Legal aspects of listed disease monitoring programmes: case of Croatia and different levels of diseases control

Session 3: General principles, protocols and techniques for fish and molluscan disease diagnostics Clinical inspection and sampling of cyprinid and salmonid farms and shipping of samples to the diagnostic laboratories Clinical inspection and sampling on the marine fish and molluscan farms and shipping of samples to the diagnostic laboratories Sampling, sample submission and other requirements for diagnostics Virology for fish viruses: Cell cultures according to EU manuals; accreditation and validation procedures Techniques for fish viruses identification Cytology and histology for molluscan diseases Molecular methods for fish viruses: SVC and KHV for cyprinids and VHS and IHN for salmonids Spring Viremia of Carp,Koi Herpes Virus, Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, Infective Hematopoietic Necrosis Molecular methods for; marine fish virus (VNN) and molluscan diseases Viral Nerval Necrosis Accreditation and validation of methods in aquatic animal disease diagnostics Field trip with demonstration of clinical inspection, sampling and packing of samples

Session 4: Design of NRL for listed disease and drafting of scope and contents of regional diagnostic manual Introduction to Working Group (WG) and WG guidelines on possibilities, needs and capacity for NRL in particular Western Balkan country and drafting of scope and contents of regional diagnostic manual Working group discussions

Session 5: Relationship between diagnostic and surveillance planning Draft surveillance plan - output of 1st regional workshop (with most recent updates) – open for discussion Selection criteria, interpretation of results and role of laboratory diagnostics in planning and implementation of aquatic animal diseases surveillance Epidemiologic evaluation of diagnostic tests (with examples and interactive exercise for participants)

Session 6: Conclusions and the way forward Other issues relevant to surveillance, e.g. diagnostics, surveillance data analysis, preparation of aquatic animal health information system, including the Western Balkan Aquatic Animal Health Website (Prof Nihad Fejzic/ Dr Snjezana Zrncic) Work plans for the follow-up training/workshop related to surveillance as well as other components of the TCP (Dr Sanin Tankovic)

Participation The workshop will be participated by 5 countries Bosnia and Herzegovina (2) Croatia (2) Macedonia (2) Montenegro (2) Serbia (2) FAO (5)

Products Good understanding of the status and challenges of disease diagnostics capacity for fish and molluscs in the 5 participating countries; Increased knowledge on the basic concepts and principles of diagnostics in general and specifically for fish and mollusc; A workshop report

Thank you for your attention!