The objective of this project is the development of new fish pathogen detection systems specifically tailored for use on fish farms. These detection systems will be formulated to predict disease outbreaks, non-destructive and validated for use on fish farms.

This project encompasses three types of commercially farmed fish species, Atlantic salmon, trout and eel, and four pathogen species that seriously affect their commercial harvesting, Aeromonas salmonicida (salmon), Yersinia ruckerii (salmon and trout), Vibrio vulnificus (eel) and the viral agent of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (salmon and trout).

The four tasks involved in the project are:

a) the development of specific DNA probes for the detection of the four different pahtogens,
b) the development of specific ELISA tests for detection of the four pathogens,
c) the development and validation of standard operating procedures (to use one or both of the detection systems) to detect pathogen on fish farm sites and
d) the use of these systems on farm sites to provide calculated information on potential disease problems to farm management and to allow the formulation and evaluation of new management strategies.