VET331 Differentiation in Aquatic Animal Medicine

Content in Salmon Production/pharmacology/fish welfare. The teaching deals with smoltification, biology of salmon and clean fish, welfare of salmon and cleaner fish, salmon lice / algae / therapy and practical review of analgesia / anesthesia. The teaching deals with the principles of fish biology, general principles in the welfare of fish including legislation and animal welfare considerations using fish as experimental animals and principles in fish farms and legislation on food residues in food and feed.

Content in Diagnostics and Diagnostic Methods. The teaching deals with the use of various diagnostic methods for detection of infectious diseases in farmed fish. This includes a review of methods used with practical demonstrations (real time PCR, serological methods, virus cultivation) - histology in fish health practices (including the use of histology in risk assessment by mechanical handling of fish) - practical implementation of withdrawal and interpretation of results (practitioner veterinarian).

Content in Water Quality and Fish Health The teaching includes a review of criteria for determining adequate water quality in fish in hatcheries, methods for assessing both flow-through and recirculation plants, and health challenges related to deviating water parameters. The importance of good water quality for optimal fish health has a particular focus throughout the lectures given.

Content of Disease/biosecurity/vaccinology The teaching deals with disease control in the broadest sense. Prevention through vaccination, biosecurity principles, screening for infections, review of analytical tools to help understand cost related to illness, interaction veterinarian / Food Safety Authority. The course also includes an introduction to comparative immunology as a basis for understanding current vaccination practices/technologies.

Content Clinical nutrition of farmed fish Nutrition of carnivorous fish species, Introduction and overview of the importance of nutrition as a basis for good health, and the effects of malnutrition

Content External work veterinarian/breeding farm Practice: Appointment with a practicing veterinarian / fish health biologist with involvement in daily tasks / health control, and this may also include visits to facilities along with the operations manager or veterinarian. Review of daily routines on site (feeding, smoking, care, clarification of cases, etc.). Practice can also take place at one of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority's regional offices, at diagnostic laboratory laboratories (private or public), at pharmaceutical companies, or at various laboratories that work on the testing of vaccines / therapeutics for fish.

Content Scientific and methodological specialization related to the thesis

Self-study and preparation work to accomplish a thesis within 13.5 weeks.

Scientific and methodological specialization related to the thesis through participation in conferences, meetings and self-study in a relevant subject.

Aim Differentiation in Aquatic Medicine

The teaching in the differentiation year in aquatic medicine will provide students with in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge about infectious diseases in farmed salmon, the diagnosis of these, principles about prevention by vaccination and the underlying immunological mechanisms, importance of nutrition for good fish health, criteria for good water quality and how this is documented / analysed both in flow-through and recycling plants and the connection between water quality and fish health.

Purpose and learning outcomes Production of salmonids

Give the student a good introduction to the production principles for salmonids, medicine in aquaculture, and introduction to fish welfare in modern fish farming (with emphasis on salmonids). Upon completion of the course the students should know: The basic principles for absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of medicinal products in fish. Be familiar with indications of use and behavior for the most common groups of medicines intended for fish. The basic concepts for a toxicological risk assessment and know and understand how ADI, MRLs and retention times are calculated. National and international legislation on food residues in food and feed, and know about surveillance programs for drug use and drug residues in fish. · Have good knowledge of the welfare criteria for salmonids. · Have knowledge of concepts used in the field of welfare and how they are defined. · Know critical points during the production of salmonids that affect the welfare of the fish. · Legislation and animal welfare considerations using fish as experimental animals.

Purpose and learning outcomes Diagnostics and diagnostic methods

Provide an overview of the most important infectious diseases in fish with special emphasis on coldwater fish and diagnostic principles used to detect disease, After completion of the course the students will be taught: Have good knowledge of pathogenic agents for the most important infectious diseases affecting coldwater fish. Have good knowledge of virulence mechanisms including bacterial antibiotic resistance where this is included in the subject. Be able to explain the basic principles of national legislation on fish diseases. Could perform routine sampling for diagnostic examination after autopsy, could suggest preservation method for samples for various diagnostic procedures and know the limitations regarding the possibility of identification of agents causing disease. Be able to understand the principles of molecular characterization of a pathogenic agent.

Purpose and learning outcomes: Water quality and Fish Health

Give an overview of definitions and documentation of water quality in hatcheries with emphasis on physicochemical parameters that define good water quality, and deviations from such that impact on fish health. After completion of the course the students will know the criteria for good water quality, know the importance of water quality for fish health and welfare, especially negative consequences of poor water quality, and know how to measure / determine water quality from laboratory analyses.

Aim and Learning outcome Clinical nutrition

Provide an overview of the importance of nutrition for good fish health (with emphasis on salmonids).

After completing the course the students will:

• Have good knowledge of the nutritional requirements of salmonid fish.
• Have knowledge of nutrient sources used in feed for salmonids.
• The relationship between vegetable and marine feed ingredients in fish feed.
• The importance of anti-nutrients in vegetable feed ingredients.
• The vegetable feed ingredients and intestinal health.

Aims and learning outcome Disease control / biosafety / vaccine in aquaculture

Provide an introduction to disease control, biosecurity principles and vaccination methods and vaccination principles in disease control in aquaculture (with emphasis on salmonids).

The students will after completing the course:

• Have good knowledge of the principles of disease control in aquaculture, including an overview of the use of vaccines as a tool to prevent disease in farmed fish.
• Know the basic principles of immunological reactions associated with vaccination.
• Know the principles that underlie good biosecurity
• Have knowledge about the systematisation and presentation of data describing disease in farmed populations.
• Have knowledge of remedies used in disease control.
• Have knowledge of methods for cost-benefit assessments of resources used in disease control.

Aim and learning outcomes occupation in fish farms / diagnostic companies / pharmaceutical companies

Provide an insight into the clinical fish health/aquatic medicine and understand the basic principles applied and requirements for a practicing veterinarian in an aquaculture operation. After completing the practice period the students will have knowledge of typical, clinical problems in fish farms, understand how to analyse and diagnose disease problems under practical conditions. With the work experience from service providers of pharmaceutical companies the students will be familiar with the services provided, the use of diagnostic services by fish farmers or practicing veterinarians and how the diagnostics contribute to disease control and risk management in aquaculture operations.

Aim and Learning outcome Fish welfare

Provide an introduction to fish welfare in modern fish breeding (with emphasis on samonids).

After completing the course the students will:

• Have good knowledge of the criteria for the welfare of salmonoids.
• Have knowledge of the concepts used in the field of welfare and understand how it is defined.
• Know comparative aspects of welfare in modern animal husbandry.
• Harvest practical experience of critical points during the production of salmonids that are important for fish welfare.
• Know the legislation related to fish welfare in Norway and the responsibility of veterinarians in this context.

Aim and Learning outcome Scientific and methodological specialization related to the thesis

Give more time associated with tasks that require extra preparation.

After the practice period the students will have detailed knowledge of the academic subject as the thesis deals with.