 |
|||||
 |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
Koi herpes virus (KHV) is a viral disease highly contagious to fish and may cause
significant sickness or disease & even mortality in common carp, koi & other fish.
KHV is currently classified as a DNA-virus belonging to the virus family Herpesviridae, a
herpes virus. As with other herpes viral infections, KHV is believed to remain in the
infected fish for life, thus exposed or recovered fish should be considered as potential
carriers of the virus.
KHV disease may cause 80-100% mortality in affected populations, & fish seem most
susceptible at water temperatures of 72-81°F. This viral disease affects fish of various
ages, but cohabitation studies show that younger fish have a greater susceptibility than
mature fish.
Clinical signs of KHV are often non-specific. Onset of mortality may occur very rapidly in
affected populations, with deaths starting within 24-48 hours after the onset of clinical
signs. KHV infection may produce severe gill lesions & high mortality rates. In some
cases, secondary bacterial and parasitic infections may be the most obvious problem,
masking the damage caused by the primary viral infection. Behaviorally, affected fish
often remain near the surface, swim lethargically, & may exhibit respiratory distress &
uncoordinated swimming.
External signs of KHV may include gill mottling with red & white patches, bleeding gills,
sunken eyes, pale patches or blisters on the skin. Internal signs of KHV are
inconsistent & non-specific, but they may include adhesions in the body cavity & a
mottled appearance of internal organs.
The virus appears to have an incubation period of 14 days following the introduction of
infected fish to fish that have not been exposed before. Mortality related to KHV
disease typically occurs between 64°F and 81°F. Almost no mortalities occur below 64°
F, and there has been no reported occurrence of the disease at or above 86°F.
There is no known treatment for KHV. Antiviral drugs are not currently available
to treat KHV or any other viral diseases of cultured fish.
Hoffman's Garden Center's Plan To Protect Your Fish...
ADVICE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
Before buying fish anywhere, ask if they have had any major unexplained losses. If
suppliers have had major losses, KHV should be considered as one possible cause.
HOFFMAN'S GARDEN CENTER'S QUARANTINE PLAN
Hoffman's Garden Center has been planning for the arrival of new fish for months.
Once we learned of the KHV outbreak & how devastating it can be to ponds &
other fish - we began doing research & constructing a quarantine house. Here
new fish arrivals would be kept separate from our naïve fish population. They will be
constantly observed as warmer weather comes & water temperatures rise.
Quarantine is the most dependable method to avoid introducing KHV to a naïve
population. To apply a quarantine effectively, all new fish will be kept in a separate
tanks in a different building or area from the resident fish.
For the quarantined fish, separate equipment such as nets, buckets, & siphon
hoses will be used only for them. These fish will be quarantined for a minimum of 30
days.
To minimize the spread of KHV disease, we have placed koi & all our fish coming from
different suppliers into separate systems, & used very careful disinfection & sanitation
between systems. This means making sure our employees carefully wash & disinfect
their hands & arms in between contact with different systems, having separate nets &
other equipment.
New fish will be quarantined & observed for four plus weeks prior to addition into
existing populations of our fish & sale. At the end of this quarantine period & before we
place all fish together, we place the new fish with several fish from our established
population in a separate area away from the rest of the established population & watch
them for signs of disease. This "test" helps us determine with a smaller number of fish
whether placing the two populations together following quarantine could cause
problems.
KHV has proven itself to have a massive impact on the entire pet fish industry.
We are doing everything possible here at Hoffman's Garden Center to make sure
the fish we sell are the healthiest they can be & that you have an enjoyable &
worry-free water gardening experience.
