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Photo . Barramundi ( Photo courtesy of Mainstream Aquaculture )
Epidemiological investigations into the causes of death and disease in a group of terrestrial animals have traditionally worked under the premise that disease does not occur randomly . In the sphere of aquatic animal health we are working in a complex ecosystem where it may be challenging to establish the underlying cause of a disease outbreak as the environment , underlying health condition of stock , management practices and the presence of infectious or toxic agents must all be considered .
The traditional approach in aquatic animal disease events is to concentrate on laboratory diagnoses in individual animals . When we look at the whole population , whether on a farm or in a wild environment , we aim to identify and analyse patterns of disease and ultimately institute control measures ( Figure 1 ).
The logical “ outbreak approach ” as outlined in these guidelines has been followed for many years in terrestrial animals and should be more widely employed when investigating dead or diseased animals in the aquatic environment .
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