Category Archive: Fish Health

Fish Health Section holds annual meeting and honors some of its top professionals

ITHACA, NY – The American Fisheries Society’s (AFS) Fish Health Section (FHS) held its annual meeting here in mid-July. In addition to the regular program schedule of scientific talks and the highly informative continuing education session, the meeting gave those of us in the section a chance to pay tribute to members who have gone …

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Fish Vet Group brings expertise to the field

PORTLAND, ME – The Fish Vet Group (FVG) is more than just another private fish health lab. It has a global presence encompassing diagnostic service, vaccine and pharmaceutical development, biosecurity products, and a wealth of knowledge on health, welfare, and husbandry issues. In this issue we’ll look at FVG’s Portland facility and how the personnel …

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Fish Health Notes: Eastern Fish Health Workshop showcases field’s student talent

MT. PLEASANT, SC – This year’s Eastern Fish Health Workshop (EFHW), which was held here March 2-6 just across the river from Charleston, featured some of the top student talent in the aquatic animal health field. Graduate student talks ran the gamut from catfish pathogens and DNA vaccines to Sea Star Wasting Disease and the …

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Kennebec River Biosciences continues to diversify

RICHMOND, ME – Private fish health labs are few and far between here in the US, so I’d like to profile a couple of these valuable businesses in 2015.  In this issue we’ll look at Kennebec River Biosciences Inc. (KRB), a growing lab that already serves over 500 fish farmers and fisheries managers in the …

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Updated drug guide can steer fish farmers away from trouble

BOZEMAN, MT – In the last issue of Fish Farming News, I focused on the Fish Health Section Blue Book, which I described as the virtual bible of the fish health world.  This time, I’m going to discuss an equally important publication from the Fish Culture Section of the American Fisheries Society – the 2014 …

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Fish Health Section Blue Book now free

PORTLAND, OR – Perhaps the most exciting news to come out of the Seventh International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health held in September in Portland was the announcement that the “Blue Book” – a virtual bible in the fish health world – is now available online in “open-access” format for free. The Blue Book is …

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Fish Health Notes: Birds play a role in disease transmission

ITHACA, NY – I recently was asked to review a hatchery biosecurity plan and realized I had never discussed in this column the dangers that birds pose to fish facilities.  In the past, I’ve explained the value of egg disinfection protocols, HAACP planning, and removal of mortalities, to name just a few tasks related to …

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FISH HEALTH NOTES – Biofilms have value but need watchful eye

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV – Anyone who runs a fish facility needs to deal with biofilms.  So, it was especially fitting that one of the most interesting sessions at the 2014 Eastern Fish Health Workshop, held here April 28-May 2, was devoted to this important topic. Biofilms are groups of microorganisms that stick to each other and …

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Fish Health Notes – Rox Smolowitz: Shellfish doc extraordinaire

BRISTOL, RI – If you need to know something about a shellfish disease, Roxanna Smolowitz is the doctor to call.  Few veterinarians focus on disease testing and treatment of aquatic animals.  Even fewer specialize in shellfish.  Yet Roxanna is fulfilling a large and growing need for disease screening, diagnostic services, and treatment options for these …

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Fish Health Notes – Budget cuts threaten aquaculture drug approvals

by Rod Getchell BOZEMAN, MT – One of the most helpful government research programs dealing with the needs of fish farmers is about to take a huge budget cut.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership (AADAP) program may lose more than half of its funding – and three valuable …

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Fish Health Notes – Can we use bacteriophages to kill fish pathogens?

by Rod Getchell ITHACA, NY – Bacteria-eating viruses have been generating some buzz lately as a growing number of headlines have pointed to them as potential tools to fight the next big war against “superbugs.” The buzz continued last month when a seminar speaker from Tufts University described her work on a strain of virus …

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Fish Health Notes : Rocco Cipriano: respected leader, innovator

BY ROD GETCHELL KEARNEYSVILLE, WV – As I get older, I find myself getting emotional when I thank the folks I look up to and respect in this world. Many of these people resist the recognition they deserve, but I admire their selfless dedication to helping others. Rocco Cipriano is one these individuals. Cipriano trained …

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Fish Health Notes – Molecular methods

Molecular methods:  Are they the next enforcement tools? ITHACA, NY – Scientists these days love to use the latest fancy molecular techniques to find evidence of pathogens in samples such as tank water, feces, mucus, and, of course, fish themselves.  I confess I am one of those “CSI”-type guys. Now, ecologists are starting to use …

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Nanoparticles: Next generation vaccines for farmed fish?

FISH HEALTH NOTES  BY ROD GETCHELL  ITHACA, NY – Until recently, I had no idea that nanoparticles could serve as vaccine and drug-delivery devices. These miniscule spheres are the subject of lectures and articles in our campus newspaper at Cornell University, and our NanoScale Science & Technology Facility focuses on their manufacture and application. We …

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Pacific oysters serving as ocean acidification sentinels

SEATTLE, WA – Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) are assisting Northwest shellfish hatchery managers with their fight against a collapse in oyster seed production. Carolyn Friedman and Steven Roberts, faculty members of the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at UW, are heading up the work.  Together with their students, they are testing …

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Cleaner wrasse can control sea lice

BY TONI ERKINHARJU   Guest columnist OSLO, NORWAY – Sea lice are external parasites that feed on the skin, mucus, and blood of marine fish, causing wounds, secondary infections, and reduced growth of their hosts. In Norwegian aquaculture, an estimated 10% of the production cost of rearing Atlantic salmon is related to sea lice control. …

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Fish sedative AQUI-S® 20E clears another hurdle

by Rod Getchell LA CROSSE, WI – Fish farmers and fisheries professionals who anesthetize fish are about to read some welcome news involving mandatory drug withdrawal times. Here’s the nub of it.  Authorization has been granted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the immediate release of all freshwater finfish sedated with AQUI-S® …

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Can mussels keep finfish healthier?

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell Mussels may alter salmon farm disease dynamics PLYMOUTH, MA – During the 2010 Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition (NACE) held Dec. 1-3 here in Plymouth, researchers from the University of Maine (UMaine) showed evidence that blue mussels filter fish pathogens like Vibrio anguillarum and sea lice from the water. …

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Remembering the iconic career of scientist Graham L. “Pete” Bullock

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell LEETOWN, WV – The 36th Annual Eastern Fish Health Workshop, held March 28–April 1 in Mt. Pleasant, SC, was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Graham L. “Pete” Bullock, who passed away on Jan. 8 at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Ranson, WV after a long battle with degenerative polymyositis. …

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Good samples critical for accurate diagnosis

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ITHACA, NY – Mortalities are bound to occur at fish farms, and, when troubling situations arise, it’s tempting to collect the first mortalities you find to send out for testing. But remember this: A fish doctor needs fresh fish to provide an accurate diagnosis. Over the years, our fish …

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High pressure makes oysters safer to eat

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell DOVER, DE – We’re all under pressure these days, but researchers at the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) at Delaware State University are taking high pressure processing (HPP) of shellfish to a new level. These specialists, along with collaborators from Virginia Tech and Emory University, …

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Zebrafish may hold key to future of fish health

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ITHACA, NY – The greatest advances in fish health may come from one of the smallest cultured fishes, the zebrafish. The new white rats of biomedical research, zebrafish have become the model organism in hundreds of laboratories. For each of the last six years, over 1,000 scientific papers have …

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Non-lethal samples may work for disease testing

FISH HEALTH NEWS by Rod Getchell SEATTLE, WA – Last summer, my message to fish farmers was focused on sample quality. This time, it’s about non-lethal testing of farmed fish. Why? Because taking a biopsy without having to sacrifice an animal is a great option – if you can get accurate diagnostic results. Those of …

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Off-flavor detectives making steady progress

FISH HEALTH NOTES BY ROD GETCHELL ITHACA, NY – I’ve seen a number of scientific articles recently about off-flavor problems in fish. What surprised me most was the location of the authors – Quebec, Israel, and China – and the progress being made towards solving one of aquaculture’s most troublesome problems. Off-flavor issues clearly have …

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Moving live fish is risky business

FISH HEALTH NOTES BY ROD GETCHELL ITHACA, NY – Bringing live fish onto your fish farm is risky business. Probably the biggest risk factor is that live fish can carry unwanted pathogens, and these pathogens can lead to trouble if they take hold within your facility. This disease-transmission problem is well documented. Fish health pros …

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Separate out runts to reduce disease risk

FISH HEALTH NOTES BY ROD GETCHELL The phenomenon of runts as disease carriers has not received a lot of research attention, but weighing the pros and cons of keeping them around is something fish farmers should think about. ITHACA, NY – One of the first things I learned about fish health inspections was the importance …

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Carbon dioxide contributes to cod cataracts

FISH HEALTH NOTES BY ROD GETCHELL LAKE PLACID, NY – Atlantic cod cataracts focused my attention during the most recent Eastern Fish Health Workshop held here the week of April 23. After viewing more than 100 presentations, I am not joking about the focusing remark. Kevin Neves, one of many University of Maine researchers at …

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Egg disinfection may keep viruses at bay

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell MADISON, WI – Keeping fish viruses such as Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) and Spring Viremia of Carp (SVC) out of your hatchery takes a complete biosecurity plan. With the appearance of both of these viruses in wild fish in Wisconsin in 2007, the state has taken the lead in …

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HACCP planning keeps fish farms secure

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell WEST HENRIETTA, NY – Sea Grant and the US Fish and Wildlife Service have been conducting Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) workshops directed at the baitfish and aquaculture industries for a number of years. Their aim is to slow the spread of aquatic invasive species like zebra …

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Advances in disease testing raise concerns

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ATLANTIC BEACH, NC – The subject of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing vs. traditional methods of detecting fish pathogens always leads to a lively discussion among fish health professionals. The arguments often revolve around the good aspects of PCR testing, like rapid results and high levels of sensitivity, vs. …

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Yanong is Florida aquaculture’s “Mega-Man”

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ATLANTIC BEACH, NC – Every fish farmer has a fish doctor they think of as their superhero. At the most recent Eastern Fish Health Workshop held here in Atlantic Beach, there were several top fish health specialists in attendance. I want to focus on a fish veterinarian from Florida, …

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“Bring out your dead” – how to handle morts

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ITHACA, NY – “Bring out your dead” is a famous movie quote that gets at the gist of this column. What the Monty Python folks asserted as humor – the need for quick removal of dead bodies during the plague of the Middle Ages – actually is a sound …

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Natural feed supplements need more study

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ITHACA, NY – Having been bombarded with advertisements touting the health benefits of herbal supplements for people and even our pets, I am somewhat of a skeptic when it comes to claims of this nature. However, two recent articles in the November issue of the Journal of Fish Diseases …

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Gas supersaturation gives fish bubble disease

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ITHACA, NY – Have you ever noticed that a cold glass of water will get tiny bubbles on the inside surface as it warms up? Bubbles form because dissolved gas – primarily nitrogen and oxygen – in the water comes out of solution and coalesces on the irregular surface …

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Healthy aquaponics is a balancing act between fish and plants

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell ITHACA, NY – While I was preparing a lecture for Dr. Mike Timmons’ recirculation aquaculture class this spring, an article appeared in the New York Times describing the delights of starting an aquaponics system in your backyard. Half hydroponics, half recirculation aquaculture, aquaponics combines gardening and fish rearing. I …

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Mussels may alter salmon farm disease dynamics

FISH HEALTH NOTES by Rod Getchell PLYMOUTH, MA – During the 2010 Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition (NACE) held Dec. 1-3 here in Plymouth, researchers from the University of Maine (UMaine) showed evidence that blue mussels filter fish pathogens like Vibrio anguillarum and sea lice from the water. The work involved integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), …

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