Birgit Oidtmann works in the Epidemiology and Risk team at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) (an agency of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)). Birgit studied veterinary medicine at the University of Munich (Germany) and was awarded the Dr Vet Med there in 1994.

Her area of work ranges from import risk analysis, development of models for risk ranking fish farms, development of surveillance schemes over leading experimental research work to advice to support Defra aquatic animal health policy.
Currently, she leads a Defra funded research project on risks associated with commodities imported for human consumption and an European Food Safety Authority (efsa) funded project on risk categorisation of fish farms. She worked on an OIE ad hoc group on risks associated with aquatic animal commodities and a number of EFSA working groups.
She is a guest lecturer and the Royal Veterinary Collage, London. She have been involved in the development of a number of EFSA working groups, e.g. Assessment of the health risks of feeding of ruminants with fishmeal in relation to the risk of TSE (2007); 2. Aquatic species susceptible to diseases listed in Directive 2006/88/EC (2008); Scientific Opinion on Epizootic Ulcerative syndrome (2011)

Selected publications

B. Oidtmann (2012) Review of biological factors relevant for import risk assessments for Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (Aphanomyces invadans). Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 58, 469-482

B. Oidtmann, M. Thrush, K. Denham and E. Peeler (2011) International and national and biosecurity strategies in aquatic animal health. Aquaculture 320 (1-2); 22-33

B. Oidtmann, C. Crane, M. Thrush, B. Hill and E. Peeler (2011) Ranking freshwater fish farms for the risk of disease introduction and spread. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 102, 329-340

B. Oidtmann and G. Stentiford (2011) White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) concentrations in crustacean tissues – A review of data relevant to assess the risk associated with commodity trade. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 58, 469-482

S. Tuffs and B. Oidtmann (2011) A comparative study of molecular diagnostic methods designed to detect the crayfish plague pathogen, Aphanomyces astaci. Veterinary Microbiology, 153, 343-353

B. Oidtmann, C. Joiner, D. Stone, M. Dodge, R.A. Reese and P. Dixon (2011) Risks associated with commodity trade: Transmission of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) to rainbow trout fry from VHSV-carrying tissue-homogenates. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 58 (3) 224-231

B. Oidtmann, C. Joiner, D. Stone, M. Dodge, A. Reese, P. Dixon (2011) Viral load of various tissues of rainbow trout challenged with Viral haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus at various stages of disease. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 93:93-104

E.J. Peeler, B.C. Oidtmann, P.M. Midtlyng, L. Miossec and R.E. Gozlan (2011) Non-native aquatic animal introductions have driven disease emergence in Europe. Biological Invasions 13(6):1291- 1303.

M. Marcos-Lopez, P. Gale, B.C. Oidtmann and E.J. Peeler (2010) Assessing the impact of climate change on infectious disease emergence in freshwater fish in England and Wales. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 57 (5); 293-304.

G.D. Stentiford, Oidtmann, B., Scott, A., Peeler, E. (2010) Crustacean diseases in European legislation: implications for importing and exporting nations. Aquaculture 306, Issue 1-4; 27-34.

E.J. Peeler and B.C. Oidtmann (2008) Demonstrating freedom from Gyrodactylus salaris (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) in farmed rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (2008) 79, 47-56