Toffan Anna

Anna Toffan IZSVe Role and Structure Veterinarian at SCS6 – Virology
Head at WOAH Reference Laboratory for Viral Encephalopathy and Retinopathy
Phone +39 049 8084333-371
E-mail atoffan@izsvenezie.it

Professional profile

Anna Toffan is a veterinarian who is currently managing the Fish Virology Laboratory hosted at the Italian National Reference Centre for Fish, Molluscs and Crustacean Pathology. She graduated in Veterinary Medicine and attended the Doctoral school in Public Health and Comparative Pathology. She earned the specialization in “Breeding, hygiene, pathology of aquatic species and control of derived products.”

Her research interests are mainly focused on the diagnosis and control of viral diseases of salmonids (VHS, IHN, IPN) and marine species (VER/VNN). She is particularly focused on research into the pathogenesis of viral diseases and the development of safe and efficacious vaccines in the above-mentioned species. In 2016 she was appointed WOAH expert for the WOAH Reference Laboratory for Viral Encephalopathy and Retinopathy located at the IZSVe.

Anna Toffan is involved in numerous national and international research projects, some of which are related to the study of the pathogenesis and characterization of viral encephalo-retinopathy (RC IZSVe 07/10; RC IZSVe 05/11; RC IZSVE 02/14; RC IZSVE 09/15) and the development of vaccines to address this pathology (EU Project MedAID). Another area of interest is the study of viral diseases of salmonids, such as VHS, IHN and IPN (RC IZSVe 21/11; RC IZSVe 17/13; RC IZSVe 09/18; RC IZSVe 13/19) and of other fish species (RC IZSVE 07/14, RC IZSVE 08/16). Other projects involve the creation of monitoring networks, technological transfer and training and development of innovative product for aquaculture industry (EU project VetBioNet; EU project PathoGelTrap).

She cooperates with the European Reference Laboratory for fish disease (DTU-AQUA Copenhagen) and several other research centres across Italy and Europe.

Publications

  • Colorio S, Toffan A, Lewisch E, Dalla Pozza M, Stifter E, Pircher A, Meraner A, Bettini A, Tavella A. Koi herpesvirus disease outbreak: Input for the implementation of a surveillance program in South Tyrol – Italy. Prev Vet Med. 2020 Aug;181:105089
  • Boukedjouta R, Pretto T, Abbadi M, Biasini L, Toffan A, Mezali K. Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy is endemic in wild groupers (genus Epinephelus spp.) of the Algerian coast. J Fish Dis. 2020 Jul;43(7):801-812. doi: 10.1111/jfd.13181.
  • Toffan A, Marsella A, Abbadi M, Abass S, Al-Adhadh B, Wood G, Stone DM. First detection of koi herpesvirus and carp oedema virus in Iraq associated with a mass mortality in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Transbound Emerg Dis. 2019 Nov 21. doi: 10.1111/tbed.13428.
  • Toffan A., De Salvador M., Scholz F., Pretto T., Buratin A., Rodger H.D., Toson M., Cuenca A., Vendramin N., Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus, Linnaeus) is susceptible to viral nervous necrosis: Result of an experimental infection with different genotypes of Betanodavirus. J Fish Dis. 2019 Oct 14. doi: 10.1111/jfd.13088;
  • Bedendo, G., Panzarin, V., Fortin, A., Zamperin, G., Pretto, T., Buratin, A., Quartesan, R., Sabbion, M., Salogni, C., Pascoli, F., & Toffan, A. (2018). Detection and characterization of a rhabdovirus causing mortality in black bullhead catfish, Ameiurus melas. Journal of Fish Diseases, Mar 23 doi:10.1111/jfd.12797
  • Pascoli F, Guazzo A, Buratin A, Toson M, Buonocore F, Scapigliati G, Toffan A. Lack of in vivo cross-protection of two different betanodavirus species RGNNV and SJNNV in European sea bass Dicentrachus labrax.Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2017 Oct 19. pii: S1050-4648(17)30640-X. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2017.10.033
  • Toffan A, Pascoli F, Pretto T, Panzarin V, Abbadi M, Buratin A, Quartesan R, Gijón D, Padrós F. Viral nervous necrosis in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) caused by reassortant betanodavirus RGNNV/SJNNV: an emerging threat for Mediterranean aquaculture.Sci Rep. 2017 May 2;7:46755. doi: 10.1038/srep46755
  • Panzarin V, Toffan A, Abbadi M, Buratin A, Mancin M, Braaen S, Olsen CM, Bargelloni L, Rimstad E, Cattoli G. Molecular Basis for Antigenic Diversity of Genus Betanodavirus. PLoS One. 2016 Jul 20;11(7):e0158814. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158814. eCollection 2016
  • Toffan, A., Panzarin, V., Toson, M., Cecchettin, K., & Pascoli, F. (2016). Water temperature affects pathogenicity of different betanodavirus genotypes in experimentally challenged Dicentrarchus labrax. 119, 231-238. Diseases of aquatic organisms, May 26 doi:10.3354/dao03003
  • Pascoli, F., Serra, M., Toson, M., Pretto, T., & Toffan, A. (2016). Betanodavirus ability to infect juvenile European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, at different water salinity. Journal of Fish Diseases, doi:10.1111/jfd.12440
  • Abbadi, M., Fusaro, A., Ceolin, C., Casarotto, C., Quartesan, R., Dalla Pozza, M., Cattoli, G., Toffan, A., Holmes, E.C., & Panzarin, V. (2016). Molecular evolution and phylogeography of co-circulating IHNV and VHSV in Italy.7, 1306. Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers
  • Bigarre, L., Lesne, M., Lautraite, A., Chesneau, V., Leroux, A., Jamin, M., Boitard, P.M., Toffan, A., Prearo, M., Labrut, S., & Daniel, P. (2016). Molecular identification of iridoviruses infecting various sturgeon species in Europe. Journal of Fish Diseases, doi:10.1111/jfd.12498
  • Nuñez-Ortiz, N., Pascoli, F., Picchietti, S., Buonocore, F., Bernini, C., Toson, M., Scapigliati, G., & Toffan, A. (2016). A formalin-inactivated immunogen against viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER) disease in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax): immunological and protection effects.47, 89. Veterinary research