CFIA confirms Prince Edward Island's 1st case of dermo, in oysters from Egmont Bay

Carolyn Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 04, 2025 7:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Canadian Food Inspection Agency lab tests person confirmed the beingness of the highly damaging mollusc disease dermo in oysters from P.E.I.'s Egmont Bay. 

"This is the archetypal confirmed lawsuit of dermo successful P.E.I.," the bureau said successful a quality merchandise issued Friday evening. "Dermo does not airs a hazard to quality wellness oregon nutrient safety, but it tin origin accrued oyster mortality and decreased maturation rates."

In a abstracted email, CFIA besides said that tests had confirmed the archetypal cases of some dermo and MSX for the state of Quebec, successful oyster samples collected successful Chaleur Bay.

It's been 8 months since what was considered the archetypal detection of dermo in Canadian waters, in oysters from Spence Cove, astir 5 kilometres westbound of the Confederation Bridge successful New Brunswick.

Dermo disease oregon Perkinsosis, caused by a parasite called Perkinsus marinus, had previously been detected successful Atlantic waters betwixt Mexico and Maine. It affects both cultured and chaotic American oysters (Crassostrea virginica).

"Outbreaks of Perkinsosis usually hap with lukewarm summertime h2o temperatures supra 20 C," a British authorities information expanse connected the illness says. "Clinical signs whitethorn see airy digestive glands, gaping, shrinking of the mantle distant from the outer borderline of the ammunition and stunted growth." 

The CFIA news merchandise said dermo "does not impact different bivalves successful this area, including mussels, scallops or clams."

Already dealing with MSX

News of the affirmative trial results from Egmont Bay volition beryllium different stroke to the Island's oyster industry, which has been reeling from past July's find of MSX, abbreviated for multinucleate sphere unknown.

That oyster illness was first detected successful samples from P.E.I.'s Bedeque Bay, with much cases confirmed in other areas of the state successful the months that followed. Like dermo, it affects lone oysters and not the humans eating oysters from waters known to person MSX. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the parasite that causes dermo is easy transmitted among oysters, mostly erstwhile they are betwixt 1 and 3 years of age. 

"Mortality rates are adaptable but are typically 50 per cent to 75 per cent," the bureau says successful a factsheet connected its website.

CFIA has powerfulness to bounds movement

In a connection to CBC News past month, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency acknowledged that it had been asked to trial P.E.I. oyster samples for dermo, but said it had nary results to stock astatine that time. 

The bureau did spell connected to outline what would hap if the samples did trial positive. 

"To forestall the dispersed of dermo oregon immoderate different carnal diseases, the CFIA whitethorn found a superior power portion (PCZ) successful areas wherever a illness is suspected to occur," the connection said.

That benignant of determination would fto the bureau power however oysters are handled and shipped wrong and extracurricular the zone.

"For example, if a merchandise successful a PCZ is deemed to beryllium a imaginable risk, its question would beryllium controlled; this means that a licence from the CFIA would beryllium required to determination this merchandise within, done and extracurricular of the PCZ," the connection said. 

"Any caller PCZs would beryllium posted arsenic soon arsenic imaginable connected CFIA's website. When a caller PCZ is enactment successful place, the CFIA besides notifies its provincial partners, stakeholders, Indigenous communities and manufacture done pre-existing communications channels."