AquaticHealth.net Disease News Update >> Killer fungus spotted in Western Ghats [India]
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A killer fungus that nearly wiped out amphibian populations in various countries to extinction across the world has been detected for the first time in the country.
The presence of the deadly chytrid fungus has been detected by scientists from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, here, in collaboration with the University of Helsinki and the Imperial College, London.
The villain, bearing the name Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or bd for short, has now been identified in frogs in the Ponmudi region of the amphibian-rich Western Ghats.
What we have detected is minimal, but it is very significant because this virus can threaten the already
declining amphibian population in our forests to total extinction, said RGCB scientist Sanil George, who along with Juha Merilla of the University of Helsinki headed the study.
With permission from the state Forest Department, the scientists had taken swabs off the frogs skin from various locations in Kudremukh, Agumbe, Aralam, Athirapalli, Periyar, Munnar, Vellarimala, Ponmudi and Peppara regions of the Western Ghats.
This was the first such screening reported from the Indian sub continent, which until now, was generally believed to be free of the deadly fungus.
While the initial infection is on the skin, causing lesions and shedding of top-layer, the fungus causes problems that are more than just skin-deep. The amphibians absorbs water and important salts through the skin and this transfer of salts is the first to get affected with the alteration of the skin surface.
Abnormal salt levels causes the amphibian heart to stop and finally death. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has called the amphibian chytridiomycosis the worst infectious disease ever recorded among vertebrates in terms of the number of species impacted, and its propensity to drive them to
extinction.
It is believed that the fungus originated in Africa and travelled all over the world piggy-back riding on the African clawed frog that were exported for various studies and clinical tests.
While almost 40 percent of amphibians in the Western Ghats are already threatened, we need to put in more efforts to screen for emerging infectious diseases of amphibians. With the expansion of pet trade, even these African clawed frogs have started coming to our country, said Sanil George.
Apart from Sanil George and Juha Merial, the other scientists who were part of the study team are Abhilash Nair, Olivia Daniel, Sujith V Gopalan, K Santhosh Kumar and Amber G F Teacher.
The results of the study, sponsored by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and the Finnish Academy of Sciences, and supported by the Kerala Forest Department and the National Biodiversity Authority of India, was published in the latest issue of Herpetological Review, an international journal published by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR).
Fish migrations
Did you know that approximately 2.5% of all known 
fish
species undergo migration at least once during their life cycle?
Migration is the synchronous, directed movement of a large segment of a population between discrete habitats. Although, the physical scale of migration may vary over four orders of magnitude, from hundreds of meters to thousands of kilometers. There are many challenges associated with migration, and numerous factors can influence the migratory success of individuals.
View article here:
A glossary of terms used in the article:
How do you do surgery on fish?
Many people have asked me, “How do you do an operation on a fish? Under water or above water? How do they breathe?”
In a nut shell, it’s done above water and we induce the fish in an anaesthetic bath and maintain the fish under anaesthesia by passing water containing anaesthetic past their gills.
For more details see section in Fish Vetting Essentials or the following article.
Fish surgery
Michael J. Murray DVM 
, a
| a | Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California USA |
Available online 31 May 2006.
As the number and value of captive fishes increases, so too will the indications for surgical intervention by the veterinarian. In general, the most difficult aspect of fishsurgery is the provision of adequate and safe anesthesia, and several different anesthetic regimens are provided. Once one is familiar with the normal anatomy of the piscine patient, the basic concepts of surgery prevail, including appropriate surgical approach, hemostasis, and gentle tissue manipulation. Specific surgical procedures, celiotomy, liver biopsy, renal biopsy, and laparoscopy are discussed. Finally, successful outcome of a surgical manipulation often rests in the postoperative management of the surgical patient. Suggestions for appropriate postoperative management are also discussed.
Key words: Fish; surgery; anesthesia; laparoscopy; celiotomy; biopsy
View full article here:
Happy New Year!
Thank you for following me this past year. Have a safe and happy new year to all from Dr Richmond Loh, The Fish Vet.
Help, I need a local vet for my fish!
If you are not in Perth or Melbourne and require a veterinarian to see your fish, email your details to thefishvet@gmail.com
Dr Loh has a mailing list of veterinarians who may be in your area who can help.
You may also wish to point your regular veterinarian to have a copy “Fish Vetting Essentials” on hand to help with caring for your fish.
However, if the condition permits, you may be able to organise for a site visit.
What role does a lab play in aquatic animal health?
The role of the diagnostic laboratory in fish disease control
disease control| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish Health Research Laboratory, Box 700, Kearneysville, West Virginia 25430 USA |
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fish Disease Control Center, P.O. Box 1595, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54602-1595 USA |
Available online 22 September 2003.
Abstract
The diagnostic laboratory is becoming increasingly important to the productivity and profitability of hatcheries, fish farms, and aquaculture stations. The basic function of the laboratory personnel is to isolate and identify viral, bacterial, protozoan, and other fish pathogens present in cultured and feral fish stocks. New, rapid and accurate methods for the detection and identification of fish disease agents based on immunological, biochemical, and physiological assays are becoming commonly used. Nearly every North American state or province and many foreign countries have fish health regulations that require inspection of stocks for certain disease agents before the fish are shipped into their areas. Decisions from the diagnostic laboratory on identification, treatment, guaranteed isolation, immunization, and disposal of fish populations affect administrative directives, hatchery placement, and national and international transportation of fish and fish products. This paper reviews concepts and describes the equipment, supplies, biologics, and media needed for the basic diagnostic laboratory. Information management, including training of staff, certification procedures, and quality control are also discussed.
Keywords: Fish; Disease; Diagnostic Laboratory; Pathology
View full article here:
Where in the world would you find Fish Vetting Essentials?
You will be glad to know that Fish Vetting Essentials has gained recognition with veterinarians and aquariasts around the world purchasing this highly useful and practical text book on fish health and medicine. Just some of the countries the book has been exported to include:
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Belgium
- England
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Singapore
- USA
View Sample Pages of Fish Vetting Essentials.
To order your copy of the latest Fish Vetting Essentials, visit thefishvet.com.au or click here to proceed directly to the shopping cart.
Fish exams for veterinarians – to certify expertise.
Aquatic Animal Health (or “Fish” health) is a growing area of public interest and associated veterinary activity. Veterinarians are rightly seen as independent guardians and experts in fish health and there is a need, understood within the profession, for specialised knowledge of this complex area to be appropriately recognised.
The establishment of the Aquatic Animal Health Membership subject within the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS) in 2001 signified the growing need and interest in the veterinary profession to gain advanced knowledge, and recognition of this knowledge, in the discipline of aquatic animal health.
The membership subject has been well received and now sixteen veterinarians are members of the ANZ College in Aquatic Animal Health by examination. There is continued strong interest in the subject, with several veterinarians enrolled to sit Membership exams in the subject in 2012.
There are several veterinarians who predominately work with fish as their main stay. There are veterinarians who have the expertise and skills but lack the official qualification.
The examination in aquatic animal health creates this qualification and formalises the training pathway. If the veterinary profession is to further its involvement in aquatic animal health and meet the expectations of the public, industry and government, then it needed to provide the opportunity to enable veterinarians to become specialists in the field and be recognised for this specialisation. The ANZ College fulfils this need through a rigorous programme of training and examination.
Three-eyed fish. Is it Blinky?
This made the headlines last October for those who missed it.
Caught from waters near the nuclear power plant.
Blood test for fish – as part of a koi wellness program.
Few studies have utilised blood testing in fish because of a large number of complicating factors. One of the major complicating factros is that fish are “cold-blooded” animals, many of their enzymes and biological processes continue to occur even at room temperature (this is different to mammals where things tend to stabilise). So, blood samples drawn from fishes need to be analysed immediately. The article below details biochemical reference ranges for koi carp.
Abstract
March 1, 2007, Vol. 230, No. 5, Pages 708-712
doi: 10.2460/javma.230.5.708
Plasma biochemical reference intervals for koi
Brian S. Palmeiro, VMD; Karen L. Rosenthal, DVM, MS, DABVP; Gregory A. Lewbart, MS, VMD, DACZM; Frances S. Shofer, PhD
Department of Clinical Studies–Philadelphia, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Palmeiro, Rosenthal, Shofer); Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606 (Lewbart)
Supported by Abaxis Incorporated.
The authors thank Larry S. Christian for technical assistance.
Address correspondence to Dr. Palmeiro.
Objective—To assess reproducibility of an in-house tabletop biochemical analyzer for measurement of plasma biochemical analytes and establish reference intervals in adult koi.
Design—Prospective study.
Animals—71 healthy adult koi.
Procedures—Plasma was analyzed for concentrations or activities of albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bile acids, BUN, calcium, cholesterol, creatine kinase, γ-glutamyltransferase, globulin, glucose, K, Na, P, total bilirubin, total protein, and uric acid. Duplicate samples were evaluated by use of the intraclass correlation coefficient to determine reproducibility. To assess the magnitude of differences between replicate samples, the absolute mean difference, SD, and minimum and maximum values were calculated for each analyte. Median values and reference intervals were calculated.
Results—Intraclass correlation coefficient values were excellent for all analytes except alanine aminotransferase (good), Na (poor), γ-glutamyltransferase (poor), and P (poor). Reference intervals were established.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The in-house tabletop biochemical analyzer had good precision for measuring most plasma biochemical analytes. Further research and comparison with other reference procedures are needed before reference intervals and precision can be established for globulin, Na, P, K, and albumin. Aquatic veterinarians may be able to use the reference intervals for adult koi as an important diagnostic tool or as part of a fish wellness program, as commonly done in other domestic species.