Two oyster diseases have been confirmed in samples collected in the Spence Cove area of southeastern New Brunswick.
MSX and Dermo do not pose risks to human health, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
But officials with the federal agency said they do cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rate.
This is the first confirmed case of MSX in New Brunswick and the first confirmed case of Dermo in Canada. MSX has previously been found in oysters in Prince Edward Island and certain areas of Cape Breton.
Spence Cove is located not far from the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island.
“To limit the spread of these diseases, the CFIA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Province of New Brunswick are working together with stakeholders, provincial partners, and Indigenous communities to monitor the situation and take necessary action,” said a statement from CFIA.
That includes restricting the movement of oysters in the area and further investigating the potential source of the detection.
Haplosporidium nelsoni causes MSX in cultured and wild American oysters while Perkinsus marinus causes Dermo.
Officials said with MSX, it is presumed there is an unknown intermediary host which makes it harder to determine how it is spread.
With Dermo, the spread is direct from oyster to oyster, making infected oysters and contaminated water the main vectors for transmission.
