Author: TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Aquatic veterinary medicine, pathology and educational services for fish. A repository for useful information and events.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF OVA RETENTION IN KOI Carp

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

DON’T MISS THE NEXT WAVMA FREE WEBINAR!

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF OVA RETENTION IN KOI

Date: October 27, 2017
Time: 16.00 UTC

This webinar will cover normal koi spawning cycle, differentials for distended coelom, diagnostic techniques and treatment options in koi.

Presenter: Dr. Nick Saint-Erne DVM, CertAqV
Read more and register

Researchers seek to use the koi herpesvirus for statewide bio-control of the unwanted fish, USA to follow Australia’s experiment.

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish
University of Minnesota researchers see a recent fish virus outbreak as a chance to combat an invasive species plaguing state lakes.

Researchers at the University’s Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) in St. Paul have been studying the usage of Koi herpesvirus (KHV) — responsible for recent carp deaths in Minnesota lakes — for potential bio-control of invasive carp. Koi fish are a subspecies of common carp, making them both susceptible to the virus. “We want to find ways to kill carp and zebra mussels and all these invasive species,” said MAISRC Director Nick Phelps. “We started this particular project in 2014 — went two years and didn’t see [the virus] anywhere, then saw it in seven to eight lakes in a matter of a month and a half.”

MAISRC first confirmed a naturally-occurring case of KHV in Elysian Lake in early August. Researchers confirmed cases in several more lakes on Friday. “We initially ran a lot of tests and they all came back negative,” said Meg Thompson, a first-year Ph.D. student at MAISRC. “And then we finally got a positive result. All the sudden there was an explosion of the virus around the country. It’s exciting to be at the forefront of this.”

Isaiah Tolo, another first-year Ph.D. student, has taken on an active role in the project, conducting many of the dissections and driving to Minnesota lakes where KHV may be present. “Carp have been here for more than 180 years, and they often wreck lake environments,” Tolo said. “It’s a big problem here.”

Tolo and fellow researchers dissected several bags of carp sent from various Minnesota lakes on Tuesday confirming more cases of the virus. Tolo said it’s important to educate the public on mass fish kills. “It can be a little alarming when thousands of fish wash up on the shore. People wonder if the water is safe,” Tolo said. “We want to let them know what fish kills are and what they can do to report them.”

Through a MAISRC website, members of the public can report fish die-offs. The site lets people click on a lake, fill in data about their discovery and send the data directly to researchers like Tolo — who then travel to the lake with testing materials to assess causes of death. Phelps said the research team wants to release the virus in Minnesota lakes to curb the spread of invasive carp. The disease wouldn’t threaten other fish species, he said, because of its specificity to carp. “We’ve never found it in a walleye, musky or bait fish,” Phelps said.

Phelps said MAISRC hopes to learn from researchers in Australia, who have spent the last 10 years looking into bio-control as a means of eliminating carp in their country.

The Australian government plans on releasing KHV into the environment next year.

“It’ll be the first time that pathogens will be used for aquatic animal control,” he said. “They’re pushing the envelope a bit, so we’re sitting back and learning what we can from that experiment.”

http://www.mndaily.com/article/2017/10/u-researchers-look-to-harness-fish-virus-in-fight-against-invasive-carp

Source: WAVMA email list-serve.

Need your water sample.

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Attention Cichlid keepers,

Husbandry, particularly water quality, can play a pivotal role in many disease processes. As part of a research project attempting to determine the role of water parameters in Hole in the Head disease, Malawi Bloat, or Diarrhoea, Cichlid owners whose fish are affected by these diseases are encouraged to bring a ½ liter (500 mL) water sample to Paul at Morley Aquariums (

1/141 Russell St, Morley WA 6062) by 10:30am October 5th, 2017 (i.e. tomorrow morning).

This water sample will be analysed for a variety of parameters that may play a role in the development of these diseases.

NB: This will not be a comprehensive evaluation of the fish or tank heath, but your water sample will play an important role in understanding the disease processes and ultimately finding a cure.

With much appreciation,

Dr Richmond Loh
DipProjMgt, BSc, BVMS, MPhil (Pathology), MANZCVS (Aquatics& Pathobiology), CertAqV, NATA Signatory.

Aquatic Veterinarian & Veterinary Pathologist.
PERTH | MELBOURNE | SYDNEY | TOWNSVILLE | BRIBIE ISLAND.
THE FISH VET – AUSTRALIA.

Aquatic Veterinary Medical & Diagnostic Services.
Web: http://www.thefishvet.com.au
Ph: +61 421 822 383
Mail: PO Box 5164, East Victoria Park, WA 6981, Australia.

EELS up bum is NOT the solution to a shitty problem.

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

“When your blockage won’t pass, Shove an eel up your ass – That’s a moray….” BM

Read more – https://www.foodbeast.com/news/mister-eel/

Fish Joke for Monday-itis: legs & chins of echinoderms.

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Q: A flat starfish has 5 legs by definition. How many chins does a round starfish have?

A: One. Because they only have a-chin (urchin).

Have a FINtastic week! R <+>{

How to defend yourself in a koi herpesvirus (KHV, or Cyprinid herpesvirus-3) outbreak?

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

In short, there is no treatment for the viral disease. Here’s the latest on the topic, on why…

There is the idea that raising the temperature (to 30°C) might save fish from dying due to KHV (Source link). However, other reports say that raising the water temperature only marginally increases the survival rate, and complicates other matters such as lower dissolved oxygen, increased bacterial and parasitic infections. Moreover, koi that survives the initial KHV exposure likely become carriers of the virus, capable of dying from the disease in future, or pass it to other koi for as long as they live (herpes is for life!).

In the USA, there is an approved attenuated live vaccine for prevention of KHV disease (for fish > 100 g). The vaccine studies are still in their infancy, scientists not having sufficient data to its efficacy and length of protection for vaccinated fish. It is also unknown whether vaccinated fish become carriers of the vaccine strain, or if they are protected against infection by the wild-type strain of virus. Another challenge with regards to the vaccine is that no diagnostic tests are commercially available that can differentiate vaccinated versus naturally infected/exposed fish (Source link).

Since it is a reportable disease in Australia, this means that if your fish test positive, all your fish will need to be culled, and ykur entire system disinfected.

Different strains of common carp have been shown to vary in their level of resistance to KHVD. Survival rates range from approximately 8%, to the most resistant strain being 61‒64% (Source link). So breeding for resistance to KHV may be possible longer term solution (providing there remains sufficient local stocks of koi, since koi imports to Australia is not legal).

41x $5000 scholarships available

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

See below for details of the MSD Animal/WVA Veterinary Scholarship 2017

Selected students from countries in the regions of Latin
America (16 grants), Africa (10 grants), North Africa/Middle East (10 grants) and Asia/Oceania
(5 grants) by mid-2018.

Eligibility requirements for students:
• Citizen of one of the countries under the grant coverage.
• Second or Third year veterinary students (accomplishment of first year exams).
• Currently enrolled and in good standing at a recognised school of veterinary medicine in their
country.

The applications will be reviewed by the WVA Review Committee. The announcement of the selected students will be done during the World Veterinary Association Congress in Barcelona, Spain between 5 and 8 May 2018.

The application can be downloaded by clicking on the following link.

Completed application must be submitted by 1st January 2018, 12:00 pm (Brussels time) to
secretriat@worldvet.org or to:
Dr. Zeev Noga
Veterinary Policy Officer
World Veterinary Association (WVA)
Avenue de Tervueren 12
B-1040 Brussels , Belgium

Please note that incomplete nominations and nominations received after the deadline will be automatically rejected.

MSD Animal Health and the World Veterinary Association are encouraging qualified students to submit their applications and wish a success to all the candidates.