National Reference Centre for Fish, Crustacean and Mollusc Pathology
OIE Reference Laboratory for Viral Encephalopathy and Retinopathy of Marine Fish

The Louisiana crayfish (Procambarus clarkii, Girardi, 1852) is among the most harmful invasive alien species in terms of environmental impact and biodiversity. Since being imported into Spain from the United States in 1972, it has invaded the whole of Europe. In 1989 the species was reported in Piedmont, after which it spread to Tuscany and many other regions of Italy.

After acclimatizing to Friuli Venezia Giulia, probably in 2006, Louisiana crayfish have become a serious problem due particularly to the risks associated with:

• the spread of crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astac), asymptomatically carried by the organism but lethal for native species of crayfish;
• potential toxicity for human health when harvested in environments with phytotoxic blue-green algae in flower (cyanobacteria);
• aggressiveness, resistance to stress, reproductive efficiency, thus guaranteeing a net competitive advantage over indigenous species;
• modifications to the environment caused by digging which make the land porous and permeable, potentially leading to water infiltration and the collapse of river banks.

The aim of the intense, highly structured work programme is to:

• prevent the alien species from spreading;
• strengthen the stock of the native species (Austropotamobius pallipes, Lereboullet, 1858);
• issue regional regulations designed to control Louisiana red swamp crayfish, protect native species, and safeguard aquatic ecosystems and public health; approval of said regulations should preferably be shared with the other players involved (recreational and professional fishermen, environmentalists, institutions, citizens, etc.).

The aim of the research was to study interactions between molluscs and pathogens. The IZSVe’s role was to monitor Pacific oysters (C. gigas) and mytilids (M. galloprovincialis) embedded in the Goro Lagoon.

The health of the bivalve molluscs was monitored for three years by histological, bacteriological and virological examination.

The mytilids tested negative at all times for notifiable diseases and were only rarely infested with trematodes. No distress or abnormal mortality was observed. The oysters tested positive for ostreid herpesvirus 1, diagnosed by PCR or confirmed by sequencing. Mortality was recorded, but in combination with anoxic phenomena in the lagoon.

The aim of the project is to increase knowledge on transmission, prevention and control of viral diseases in aquaculture and to develop a generic approach to viral disease control by using information on epidemiological and phylogenetic attributes from several important aquatic animal viruses.

The project will 1) generate and use spatio-temporal epidemiological data, phylogeographic data and gene expression data for important host-viral pathogen systems to identify important factors affecting the spread of diseases in aquaculture and 2) integrate these in scenario simulation models to assess the effects of various control strategies for selected host-pathogen systems.

The project consists of six workpackages:

• WP 1: Project co-ordination and consortium management;
• WP 2: Collection of virus sequences and epidemiological data;
• WP 3: Phylogeny and evolution of viruses;
• WP 4: Investigation of the effect of temperature on gene expression patterns;
• WP 5: Scenario simulation models for control options;
• WP 6: Dissemination and exploitation for developing the website.

The aim of the TargetFish project is to respond to the lack of existing immunizing products by developing prototype vaccines for the main viral and bacteriological pathologies of the six most widely farmed species of fish.  The project was awarded a 6-million euro grant under the 7^th Framework Programme of the European Commission and will run for five years. The project consortium is formed by research institutes and private veterinary and biotechnology companies.

The National reference laboratory for the study and diagnosis of fish, crustacean and mollusc diseases of IZSVe, alongside other Italian and European partners, will be involved in the development of a vaccine prototype for viral encephaloretinopathy (VER) of sea bass, which is the most serious viral disease to affect one of the most important species in the Mediterranean aquaculture industry.

This project is funded by the Programme for Cross-Border Cooperation (Italy-Slovenia 2007-2013), under the umbrella of the European Regional Development Fund and national funding.

The aim of INNOVAQUA is to create a permanent network of academic/research institutions and companies operating in the field of aquaculture, with a view to orienting available scientific knowledge towards the development of technological innovations for use by producers.

Research and innovation work will be focused on the most commercially viable species in aquaculture, exploring systems for controlling fish health and environmental farming conditions. The aim will be to improve methods to increase animals’ immune response, including research into new probiotic products, and to identify diagnostic indicators and therapeutic principles for protecting against disease.

INNOVAQUA is a network of 8 partners formed by academic (Universities of Trieste, Udine, Padua and Nova Gorica) and research institutions (Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie, Kmetijsko gozdarska zbornica Slovenije) and companies operating in the aquaculture domain (Vodomec d.o.o., Shoreline soc.coop).