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O.
Haenen†, K. Way*, H.-J. Schlotfeldt‡, R.Hoffmann# , F. Lieffrig$,
G. Bovo+, A.O. Ariel@.† Fish and Shellfish Diseases Laboratory, CIDC-Lelystad, The Netherlands. * CEFAS, Weymouth, United Kingdom. ‡ Staatlichen Fisch Seuchen Bekämpfungs Dienst Nieders. & FGD, Hannover, Germany. # Institut für Zoologie, Fisch. und Fischkrankheiten, Univ. München, Germany. $ CER DGRP, Marloie, Belgium. + Ist. Zooprofill. Delle Venezie, Padova, Italie. @ CRL Fish Diseases, Århus, Denmark.
Koi carp (Cyprinus carpio), cultured as pet fish, suffer from a severe gill disease caused by Koi Herpes Virus (KHV), so far only in private farms and private ponds. The impact has increased in the last 2 years, especially in The Netherlands, Germany, UK, Belgium, Italy, and Denmark. Imports from predominantly Israel and Japan continue. Israel is KHV positive, and has instigated a scheme of immunizing koi carp against KHV before they are exported. Some countries, like China and Java have closed their borders to prevent against KHV. The EU still decided not to designate KHV as a notifiable disease.
The disease is characterized by acute or peracute mass mortalities of koi carp and carp (C. carpio), with skin lesions, loss of mucus, and severe gill necrosis between 18 and 29°C. At temperatures outside this range the disease is inhibited. All ages are affected, but the disease occurs often in expensive big koi carp. Because of the intensive international trade in pet fish, KHV is easily spread.This imposes a risk to carps in natural ecosystems and consumption carp farms, for instance in Eastern Europe. Surviving carps act as carriers, and may carry the virus for over 2 years. Control measures include destroying all fish and disinfecting the ponds or basins. To test if fish are carriers by bio assay, new fish are quarantined together with naive young koi carp or carp and observed for the appearance of the disease. It cannot excluded that disease from KHV infection is becoming milder. The latest data on KHV and its risks will be presented in this lecture.
