Health and welfare

The Aquatic Animal Health Programme assists members to reduce the risks of aquatic animal disease impacting the livelihoods of farmers, national economies, trade, environment and human health by:

  • Improving regional cooperation in aquatic animal health and welfare.
  • Developing and implementing national strategies on aquatic animal health.
  • Improving surveillance, reporting and response to disease emergencies.
  • Promoting harmonisation of diagnostic procedures and risk assessment.
  • Widespread promotion of better aquatic animal health management practices at the farm level.

Key activities

Key activities of the programme include:

  • Convening the annual meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health, coordinating the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report and bringing regional issues to the attention of global standard setting bodies such as the Office International des Epizooties.
  • Establishment and expansion of a three-tier shared resource in aquatic animal health.
  • Development of farm-level health management tools for key aquaculture commodities.
  • Supporting regional disease surveillance and reporting.
  • Strengthening aquatic animal health and biosecurity in the region.
  • Facilitating harmonisation in disease diagnostic techniques.
  • Developing resource material in support of diagnosis and surveillance.

Contacts

Creative Commons Attribution.

Related

Subject tags

A collection of subject tags relating to technical matters.

In this collection

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease card

In the absence of identified biotic or abiotic cause(s) of the syndrome, this disease card provides information on signs that can be used for presumptive (pond level) and confirmative (animal level) diagnosis of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome of shrimp. The syndrome involves mass mortalities of up to 100% during the first 20-30 days after stocking. Affected shrimp consistently show an abnormal hepatopancreas, which may be shrunken, swollen or discoloured; loose shells, corkscrew swimming, pale colouration and slow growth.

Opening remarks

Opening remarks at the Emergency Regional Consultation on Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome.

Background objectives, structure and expected outputs

Presentation on the background objectives, structure and expected ouputs of the Emergency Regional Consultation on Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome.

Characterisation, distribution, impacts and case definition

Presentation on the characterisatoin, distribution, impacts and case definition for acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome.

Research progress on bacterial and viral causes of AHPNS

Presentation on research progress into the bacterial or viral causes of AHPNS.

Disease emergence - why and how?

Presentation on mechanisms for the emergence of new diseases.

Novel methods for hunting for ghost viruses

Presentation on novel methods for detecting previously unknown or "ghost" viruses.

AHPNS epidemiology and risk factors - what do we know?

Presentation on the epidemiology and risk factors for acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome.

Is EMS a management problem?

Presentation on the role of management in acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome and "EMS".

AHPNS - experiences from China

Presentation on the impact of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome on shrimp farming in China.