In May, 2004, the OIE Reference Laboratory for Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) was established at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), with Dr. Fred Kibenge as the OIE Expert.

OIE

The OIE is the World Organisation for Animal Health. Its goal is to safeguard world trade by encouraging international solidarity in the control of animal diseases. Headquartered in Paris, the OIE was first established in 1924 by 28 countries. It has a global network of more than 150 reference laboratories and collaborating centres. The OIE totals close to 170 member countries. Each member country, through its official delegate, reports on detected animal diseases to the OIE. This information is disseminated by the OIE to other member countries who can then take the necessary preventative actions to control or eradicate the disease.

To review the principal mandate of OIE Reference Laboratories, click here. 

ISA

ISA is a viral disease that has caused major disease outbreaks in marine-farmed Atlantic salmon in the Northern Hemisphere. The causative agent, ISA virus, is an orthomyxovirus that resembles the influenza virus.

The OIE Reference Laboratory for ISA at AVC maintains an ISA virus database consisting of virus isolates; nucleotide sequences deposited at GenBank database; and other reagents, such as antibody reagents against ISA virus.

Contact:

Frederick S.B. Kibenge. BVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVM
Professor of Virology
OIE Expert for Infectious Salmon Anaemia
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, AVC
Tel: (902) 566-0967
Fax: (902) 566-0851
E-mail: kibenge@upei.ca