Canada confirms new case of Dermo disease in oysters

OTTAWA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Wednesday confirmed the presence of Dermo disease in oyster samples collected in the Atlantic province Nova Scotia.
This is the first confirmed case of Dermo in this province and the second confirmed case in Canada, said the agency which announced the first case in the neighboring province of New Brunswick last week.
The disease, spread from oyster to oyster, does not pose a risk to human health or food safety, but it can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates with several symptoms including making their shells open out of water, according to the agency.
The agency said they are applying movement controls to oysters in the affected area to limit the spread of the disease.
Perkinsus marinus is a protozoan that causes Dermo, a serious disease of American oysters that can cause significant mortality and reduce the production and harvest of both cultured and wild oysters. In Canada, Perkinsus marinus is a federally reportable disease. ■