Canada: Detections of MSX parasite in remote Prince Edward Island bays means hopes of containment are increasingly unlikely

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that MSX, a disease that poses a significant threat to oysters, has likely spread to various bays in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), including those with no direct link to the initial outbreak. The disease, which doesn't pose a risk to human health but can cause high mortality in oysters, has been detected in several bays, raising concerns about the potential impact on P.E.I.'s globally renowned oyster industry. Currently, eight bays are designated as primary control zones, with restrictions on the movement of oysters or spat to non-control zones. The CFIA is working closely with the industry to manage the situation and prevent the spread of the disease.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Officials with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency say MSX, a disease that could mean heavy losses for the province’s world-renowned oyster industry, has likely spread to bays across P.E.I., including some that have no link to the site of its original detection. Speaking before a legislative standing committee on Oct. 3, Danielle Williams, a regional veterinary officer with the CFIA, said it appears increasingly likely the parasite has no single point of origin where it was introduced to P.E.I. bays. The parasite has recently been detected in waters near Tryon, an area where few people fish. Seventy-nine of 81 oysters that were tested from that bay were positive, Williams said. “It’s kind of telling when you have these areas that have no direct link to the first outbreak, that we’re not dealing with something that came into one particular spot and spread out,” Williams told members of P.E.I.'s standing committee on natural resources and environmental ...