First case of dermo disease detected in Newfoundland and Labrador oysters

Oysters harvested in Canada are seen at Bryan Szeliga's Fishtown Seafood in Haddonfield, N.J., Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP, Matt Rourke)

Federal food safety officials say they have confirmed the first case of dermo disease in oysters from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Inspectors detected Canada’s first case of the disease in November in New Brunswick, and it has since been found in oysters from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the disease has now been detected in oyster samples from Notre Dame Bay, N.L.

The CFIA notes the parasite doesn’t pose a risk to human health or food safety, but says the illness can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates.

It says dermo, also known as perkinosis, can spread from oyster to oyster and also through water contaminated with the parasite.

The agency says it’s working with the province and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to increase oyster monitoring, control the movement of oysters in the area and look for the source of the illness.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.

The Canadian Press