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Editor:  Alfonso Lopez, Atlantic Veterinary College

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Issue 12,  June 2010

 Solving a Fishy Mystery

“Something started killing farmed Atlantic salmon in Chile in about 2007,” says Dr. Fred Kibenge, Professor of Virology at UPEI’s Atlantic Veterinary College. “And kibenge.300px-wideit was thought to be a bacterial disease, so they treated with antibiotics. But the fish kept dying.” Until this point, Chile was the number two producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the world, and well on track to becoming number one. “We tested samples for a disease known as infectious salmon anemia, or ISA, and it was confirmed,” says Kibenge. “The effect has been terrible. Production in Chile is now barely 30 per cent of what it was just three years ago.” Kibenge’s findings, and how he came to them, read like a script for the television program C.S.I. But instead of finding a murderer, he’s tracked the route of a virus that jumped an ocean to decimate the Chilean aquaculture industry.  To read the rest of this article, please click here.

Photo from Fish Information & Services

Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre Members Perform Necropsy

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On June 16, following a day and night of very strong wind and heavy surf, a dead minke whale was found on the north shore of Prince Edward Island.  A complete necropsy was performed by a team of professionals and students from the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre (CCWHC).  The whale was a young adult female that seemed to have drowned after being caught in fishing gears.  Since 1988, the CCWHC group has necropsied seven other minke whales. Three of those whales had become entangled in fishing gears from lobster traps, and observations on two others also suggested that they had been caught in fishing gears.  For more on this story, please click here.

Dr. Paul Hanna Recipient of Vetoquinol Clinical Teaching Award

At the AVC graduation award ceremony on May 7th, Dr. Paul Hanna was surprised and honored to receive The Vetoquinol Clinical Teaching Award. The recipient is selected by a senior class vote. It is awarded to a faculty member who promotes interest and enthusiasm for veterinary medicine and who exemplifies teaching excellence in senior clinical rotations. Dr. Hanna has significant teaching responsibilities in anatomic pathology at various levels and is recognized by peers and students as a skilled pathologist and dedicated educator. Congratulations Dr. Hanna!

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Dr. Scott McBurney invited to present at UFAW International Symposium

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Dr. Scott McBurney recently presented “A pilot study to determine epidemiological factors associated with the emergence of trichomonosis in the Canadian Maritime Provinces’ wild finch populations” at  the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare’s International symposium.  The focus of the symposium was on “Wild bird care in the garden:  A scientific look at large scale, do-it-yourself, wildlife management” and it was held at the Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom (UK) on May 4, 2010. Following the symposium, Dr. McBurney participated in a one day workshop to discuss the emergence of trichomonosis in UK, Fennoscandian and Canadian finch populations.

Dr. Arnost Cepica Invited Conference Speaker

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Dr. Arnost Cepica was an invited speaker at the meeting of the Research Committee of the Canadian Mink Breeders Association (Toronto, June 3rd, 2010). He focused on the analysis of the probability of success or failure of the current and future control strategies for Aleutian Disease. In addition, he presented the rationale for a research project that would investigate induction of the local mucosal immunity in the absence of the detrimental systemic antibody response.

Dave Speare delivered key note research address at the 1st Annual Comparative Pathology & Immunology meeting

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Dr. Dave Speare provided the key note research address at the First Annual Canadian Comparative Pathology and Immunology Workshop (CCIPW) held recently at Renison University College, University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario. 

The next meeting is planned in June 2011 in Calgary, Alberta.

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Springboard Atlantic funds pilot study

Congratulations to Drs. David Speare and Nicole Guselle, who have just received word of receipt of a $5,000 research funding award from Springboard Atlantic to fund a pilot study on oral delivery of a prototype vaccine against the salmon disease (Microsporidial Gill Disease of Salmon) caused by Loma salmonae.  If results are successful, they can then move into a larger pool of funding through the same agency. 

19th Annual Descriptive Veterinary Pathology Course in Virginia Beach

Drs. Soraya Sayi and Carolyn Legge attended the 19th Annual Descriptive Veterinary Pathology course held in Virgina Beach, Virgina on June 10–14.  Drs. Legge and Sayi found the course invaluable as it was designed to improve their descriptive skills on gross and microscopic pathology.  The course included lectures on interpretation and description of electron micrographs and immunohistochemical preparations, and correlation of gross, microscopic, cytologic and clinicopathologic findings.  There were also quizzes to prepare them for the board examination by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP). 

53rd Pathology of Laboratory Animals (POLA)  in Virginia Beach

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Dr. Carolyn Legge stayed on at Virginia Beach to attend the 53rd Pathology of Laboratory Animals (POLA) course (June 15-17).  In this course, attendees reviewed the pathology and pathogenesis of infectious and  neoplastic diseases, as well as the iatrogenic, nutritional and metabolic diseases of laboratory animals.  This course is for pathology residents preparing for the ACVP board examination and for those specializing in laboratory animal medicine.  Following completion of this course, Dr. Legge felt she was better equipped to recognize and interpret conditions which may affect experimental results or alter the health of laboratory animals, as promised by the course facilitators.  Photo Carolyne Legge with Bruce Williams , Course Director.

New Project Manager Carolyn Thorne joins ACOA AIF Research Group

Carolyn Thorne has joined the ACOA AIF research project group lead by Drs Anne Muckle, Pathology & Microbiology, David Sims, Biomedical Sciences, and Dennis Olexson, Diagnostic Services, in May, 2010 as part-time term Administrative Project Manager.  Carolyn has also been working since 2009 with Dr. Laurie McDuffee, Health Management, and Dr. Andy Tasker, Biomedical Sciences, as part-time Administrative Project Manager on their AIF research projects.  Carolyn received her Master of Public Administration Degree at University of Alaska Southeast in 2008, her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management at Atlantic Baptist University in 2004, and her Animal Science Technician Diploma at Nova Scotia Agricultural College in 1989.  Carolyn’s office is located in 2351, AVC North Annex.

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Welcome New Post Doc

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Dr. Jen Corvello is a new Post Doc with the Department of Pathology and Microbiology.  After completing her PhD at the University of Tasmania, Australia, Jen Covello has accepted a post-doctoral fellowship position under the direct of Dr. Mark Fast.  Jen’s interests are centered on host-parasite interactions, of which she will focus on parasitic sea lice and host salmonids.  Given the recent decrease in efficacy of current sea lice treatments, the goal of her research is to identify alternative methods for controlling sea lice infestations on commercial salmon farms. 

Welcome New Graduate Students

Whitney Kelly-Clark

Whitney is originally from Stratford, PEI, and recently obtained her BSc (Hon) from the University of Prince Edward Island, majoring in Biology. She is beginning an MSc under the co-supervision of Drs. Spencer Greenwood and Scott McBurney with essential input from Dr. Maria Forzan. Whitney's research will focus on various aspects of trichomonosis in wild finches in the Maritimes

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Ravinder Sappal

Ravinder is a native Punjabi.  She graduated from Punjab Agricultural University, Punjab, India, with a Bachelor's degree in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH) and Master's (MVSc) in Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology. After completing her MSc in Aquatic Toxicology from UPEI, she is currently pursuing a PhD under the supervision of Dr. Spencer Greenwood and Paula Jackman (Environment Canada). Ravinder's research focuses on developmental studies in wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and will shed light on endocrine disrupting mechanisms of the pesticide, endosulfan. She is one of the recipients of the 2009/2010 Department of Pathology and Microbiology graduate student scholarships.

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Peter Gaudet

Peter is originally from Montrose, PEI, and recently obtained his BSc (Hon.) in Biology-Chemistry from the University of New Brunswick.  His past research focus was on a parasitic nematode of both wildlife and veterinary concern.  As an MSc candidate under the co-supervision of Drs. Rick Cawthorn and Spencer Greenwood, he will be studying a parasitic dinoflagellate of snow crab that poses a significant threat to both snow crab and other crustacean fisheries in the area.  As part of his research, he will be cultivating the parasite in vitro to better understand the basic biology of this emerging threat.

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Special Departmental Seminars

Dr. Phil Byrne, Seminar title: Developing an aquatic animal biocontainment lab to support the National Aquatic Animal Health Program. Tuesday June 8, 2010.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

 6th International Congress of Pathophysiology:  “Gene-environment interaction in health and disease”  Montreal, PQ.  September 22-25, 2010  

Recent Publications

Guselle NJ, Speare DJ, Markham RJF.  Efficacy of Intraperitoneally and Orally Administered ProVale, a Yeast β-(1,3)/(1,6)-D-glucan Product, in Inhibiting Xenoma Formation by the Microsporidian Loma salmonae on Rainbow Trout Gills. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 2010; 72: 65-72.

Important Deadlines

  1. The 2010 CIHR Regional Partnership Program competition; internal ORD deadline is Thursday July 15, 2010. (see the link for CIHR RPP requirements: http://www.upei.ca/research/pei-cihr-rpp)
  2. NSERC Discovery Grant 2011 competition: deadline for Form 180 & related documents is Sunday August 1, 2010.
  3. PEI Innovation Premier's Medal deadline is August 4, 2010 (internal deadline not yet set).
  4. ACOA AIF-8 deadline for submission of project  proposals is Wednesday September 1, at 2:00 p.m

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Please don’t print this newsletter unless you really need to!

 

For comments or suggestions for our newsletter, please contact
Dr. Alfonso Lopez (566-0943)
 lopez@upei.ca

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