, Diagnosis an-&& of Shrimp Diseases - Central Institute of ...

diseases. Although India is one of the leading countries in aquaculture production and export,an aquatic animal quarantine policy is yet to be formulated. Quarantine procedures help inavoiding or greatly reducing introduction of unknown etiologic agents of disease. Further, it isimportant to note here that future exports of fishery produce would depend on an effectivequarantine policy.The Australian Quarantine policy is a sort of role model for those countries seeking toestablish fish quarantine policy, which has been based on an exhaustive studies such asimport risk analysis, pre-border, border, post-border quarantine protocols, communityresponsibility, inputs required for quarantine policy and capacity building to achieve thequarantine objective. The Canadian shellfish sanitation programme (CSSP) through foodinspection agency (CFLA) regulates import and export, certification, depuration, and evaluateslaboratories. In addition, the CSSP co-ordinates (i) disease reporting, provide advice ondisease surveillance, and monitoring projects and aquatic animal disease information systems,(ii) assists prioritization of research needs in aquatic animal health, and (iii) undertake policy,co-ordination of functions related to aquatic animal disease management under the CCEAD(Consultative Committee on Exotic Animal Diseases).One of the important aspects of quarantine is the disease surveillance and reportingsystem. Disease surveillance is a process by which information on the disease status,important diseases and pathogen of a farm, zone, country or region is gathered. This will giveinformation required for export /import health certification and providing evidence for thepresence or absence of a disease in that locale. A national surveillance programme is astructured plan for the detection of specified diseases and disease causing agents in a country.This requires input from personnel trained in the diagnosis of diseases in the field that reportsthese facts to the health management personnel. For success this procedure should besupported by accurate and rapid diagnostic procedures to identify the pathogen. The datashould be entered into a database to help routine monitoring. These surveillance programmesgreatly help in import risk analysis and zoning programmes of a country. Further, any newdisease or outbreaks can be contained and eradicated in an area, if suitable surveillancepractice is in place.The design, structure and methodologies employed in a surveillance programmedepend on the purpose, list of problems to be addressed, diseases and pathogens of concern,resources available and the manpower. This is of regional interest, where all participatingcountries follow a uniform code of reporting. FA0 has developed suitable reporting system