These guidelines have been developed to use in the event of a disease outbreak in aquatic animals including finfish , molluscs and crustaceans . For the purposes of these guidelines , in the context of an outbreak , the term “ disease ” will be used for any event where there are animals that have clinical signs or are dead , irrespective of cause . The approach to determining what is affecting animals will be similar whether the cause is an infectious pathogen or an environmental issue such as a chemical toxin .
The outbreak investigation process follows 10 basic steps , but these steps do not necessarily need to be completed in sequence .
The information collected will provide the evidence required to conduct an epidemiological investigation . This will aid in understanding if the disease event is an outbreak , what may be causing the disease , what controls to apply and ideally , how to prevent future outbreaks .
Clear Information on diagnostic tests and how to submit the best sample possible is provided towards the end of the guidelines ( see page 67 ).
Photo . Photoperiod lights over Chinook salmon raceways ( Photo courtesy of Snobs Creek Hatchery )
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