PWS_for_Aquatic_Animal_Disease_Testing_Dexter.pdf

140FS226Q0165 Aquatic Animal Disease Testing (5-year BPA) Page 1 of 4 Southwestern Fish Health Unit

PWS for Aquatic Animal Disease Testing for Southwestern Fish Health Unit (SWFHU)

1 General:

1.1 The Project: The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or “Service”) Region 2 is seeking a third-party laboratory to conduct aquatic animal disease testing in support of its work primarily with hatchery programs in the Southwest Region. The work includes laboratory tests and reporting. The Service will continue to provide disease prevention and management services for FWS entities, cooperators and partners through its aquatic animal health professionals, but we are seeking a partner to receive and test samples and to submit test results to Service aquatic animal health professionals.

1.2 Purpose: The aquatic animal health professionals at the SWFHU and private veterinarians provide fish health services to federal and tribal hatcheries in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, and conduct surveillance of wild fish for important pathogens. To support that work, the SWFHU needs access to high quality, dependable laboratory testing for fish pathogens, and diagnostic histopathology services.

1.3 Contractor Qualifications: The FWS will require that the partner laboratory conduct testing for the Service (described below in 3.1.1) under either ISO 17025 or American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) accreditation. Accreditation is necessary to ensure the reliability of test results, to meet evolving regulatory and agency requirements, and to align with a nationwide effort by the FWS to do all aquatic animal disease testing in accredited laboratories.

The FWS will also require custom IT support that will enable us to use accession sheets and to receive reports and data exports in formats suitable for the Service’s work.

2 Place and Period of Performance:

2.1 Test samples will be shipped by overnight express from locations throughout the Northwestern

US to the designated testing laboratory.

2.2 Start and end date: The FWS anticipates creating an IDIQ for these services. This will become effective from the date of issuance and renewable through a period of up to 5 years. Renewal will be based on performance.

2.3 The laboratory must be accessible by phone or e-mail during normal business hours (Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM) for consultation on test results or interpretation, and for scheduling of testing. The Service will strive to submit samples for arrival at the laboratory on Monday through Thursday mornings but expects a provision for Friday and Saturday services in case of emergency (acute disease epizootic, shipping delay, or unplanned fish movement).

2.4 Non-duty hours include weeknights, weekends, and Government holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, President’s Day, Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Columbus Day, Christmas).

3 Scope:

The laboratory will provide inspection and diagnostic testing services on aquatic animal samples submitted by the Service. The laboratory will also provide consultation (section 3.1.1) and custom IT support (section 3.1.2).

3.1.1 Testing

Inspection Services: The FWS will submit tissue samples from apparently healthy and moribund aquatic animals to the testing laboratory in accordance with the laboratory’s submission guidelines. The laboratory will:

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A. Test samples by cell culture (typically EPC and CHSE cells) for viruses including IPNV, IHNV, and

VHSV. If there are cytopathic effects in cultures, rule out IPNV, IHNV, and VHSV, and attempt to characterize any viruses present.

B. Test the samples for Myxobolus cerebralis by pepsin/trypsin digest and PCR confirmation.

C. Test samples by culture for Yersinia ruckeri, Aeromonas salmonicida, and for flavobacteria associated with Columnaris and Bacterial Coldwater diseases. Conduct antibiotic sensitivity tests on a subset of isolates.

D. Perform DFAT tests from samples from adult and juvenile salmon for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Report DFAT Results according to SWFHU formatting requirements.

E. All testing will be conducted according to the methods described in Section 2 of the most current edition of the AFS-FHS Blue Book.

F. All testing will be done under full accreditation by either ISO 17025 or AAVLD.

G. Accessioning, reporting, and archiving test results will be through an electronic system maintained by the laboratory, accessible to the FWS, and with the accession interface customized to FWS needs.

H. All testing will be completed and reported within timelines set by the laboratories accredited SOPs.

I. All shipping containers, racks, and blue ice will be shipped back to sample submitters.

J. The laboratory will archive bacterial and viral isolates of interest to the Service and provide these isolates to partners (e.g. to the USGS) as needed.

Diagnostic Studies: The FWS will submit fish and fish tissues to the laboratory for the diagnosis of outbreaks of infectious diseases. Submission will be made in accordance with the laboratory’s submission guidelines. The laboratory will:

A. Conduct clinical tests (virology, PCR, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, histology) to determine the cause of infectious and non-infectious disease in populations of aquatic animals.

B. Use AFS-FHS Blue Book methods when available C. Other tests may be conducted according to the OIE Aquatic Manual (preferred) or peer reviewed journal articles.

D. Accessioning, reporting, and archiving test results will be through an electronic system maintained by the laboratory, accessible to the FWS, and with the accession interface customized to FWS needs.

E. The laboratory will make provisions to export data to the FWS National Wild Fish Health Survey database.

F. All testing will be completed and reported within timelines set by the laboratory’s accredited SOPs

G. All shipping containers, racks, and blue ice will be returned to sample submitters.

H. The laboratory will archive bacterial and viral isolates of interest to the Service and provide these isolates to partners (e.g. to the USGS) as needed.

Consultation: The laboratory will provide the following support as part of the testing cost.

A. Provide consultation by phone and e-mail with laboratory staff and a Veterinary Pathologist on the interpretation of laboratory results as needed

B. Provide consultation by phone and e-mail with a Veterinary Pathologist on the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory’s test results as needed

C. Provide a semi-annual report showing the total value of tests ordered by month.

D. Provide an annual report showing the total number of tests and total value of tests sorted by test type, by submitter, and by hatchery client.

3.1.2 Required IT support:

A. The laboratory accession form(s) will be customized to meet FWS needs

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B. Simple test results will be readily available through the internet.

C. The laboratory will work with the FWS to provide data exports in a digital format as required for entry into the National Wild Fish Health Survey Database. The nature and format of that data export have not yet been determined by the FWS, but the Service intends that the export will be achievable through standard LIMS.

4 Deliverables:

The annual testing requirements of the FWS vary according to fish production needs, agreements with partners, regulatory requirements, disease outbreaks, and the goals of the National Wild Fish Health Survey.

4.1 Sections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2 provide estimates of the actual number of tests required on an annual basis.

4.1.1 Inspection tests required: The best estimate is that annual requirements for surveillance purposes will be as described in the attached spreadsheet.

4.1.2 Diagnostic tests required: The best estimate is that annual requirements for surveillance purposes will be as described in the attached spreadsheet.

4.1.3 Estimates for years 2-5: With some variability associated with disease outbreaks, hatchery program changes or changes in reimbursable agreements, we anticipate the number of tests required to be steady from year to year. Therefore, the total cost should change only in response to inflation.

4.2 Documentation to be provided: The laboratory will annually provide documentation of its accreditation status and accredited tests offered.

4.3 The laboratory will provide immediate notice of any accreditation non-compliance affecting the testing of samples sent by the Service.

5 Government-Furnished Equipment and Government-Furnished Information

5.1 The FWS will continue to provide, for the duration of the contract, any used FWS equipment already in place at the contracting laboratory.

5.2 Service, calibration, and repair of any equipment provided is the responsibility of the laboratory.

Any equipment provided by the FWS, but no longer needed by the laboratory (obsolescence), will be disposed of according to Service policy under Service direction. The Service will not replace any provided equipment that breaks down or becomes obsolete during the contract unless the Service has suitable equipment remaining in its used equipment inventory.

6 Evaluation and acceptance

6.1 The contractor will be evaluated as outlined below. These criteria are in addition to the requirement that the laboratory be accredited (ISO 17025 or AAVLD) to conduct the testing described in 3.1.1.

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6.1.1 Experience: The offeror demonstrates solid experience with the work described in this solicitation. Please provide a description of the laboratory’s history and involvement with aquatic animal health, especially anadromous salmonids.

6.1.2 Capability: The proposal demonstrates that the offeror has specialized experience, procedures, equipment, and facilities to respond to the task orders anticipated by this solicitation.

6.1.3 Personnel: The offeror identifies the in-house, standing, personnel to conduct task orders anticipated by this solicitation. The offeror identifies specialized personnel that they have access to in the event they are needed to address a task order.

Total Points. 100

6.1.4 Price: The evaluation of the proposal will also consider cost. In addition to the items requested in 6.1 above, the offeror should prepare and submit an itemized price schedule organized as described in 6.2 below.

6.2 Prices will be quoted as follows:

a) Costs for Inspection Testing to include a price list for the tests described in this Statement of

Work. The contract will be structured so that all inspection testing is billed under a single heading.

b) Costs for Diagnostic Testing to include a price list for the tests described in this Statement of Work. The contract will be structured so that all inspection testing is billed under a single heading.

c) Costs for the required IT support. The contract will be structured so that all inspection testing is billed under a single heading.

7 Quality Control/Quality Assurance

7.1 As described in 1.3 and 3.1.1.F, testing will be performed under ISO 17025 or AAVLD accreditation.