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KHV- Koi Herpes Virus in 2024

Koi Herpes Virus or KHV is a very dangerous virus, which recently has appeared in the Koi sector. In this page , or in early 1999, its first appearance in Israel was confirmed. In recent years, worldwide outbreaks of the virus have been documented, including in Asia, Europe, as well as The United States of America. As with other herpesviruses, once infected fish will be carriers for the rest of their lives. Koi are carriers of herpes virus even if they do not exhibit any symptoms. Unfortunately, the mortality rate for fish infected with this virus ranges from 60-80%.

In the end all Koi will be at risk. In order to prevent infection, it is essential that you ensure your Koi do not ever come in contact. By educating yourself on the disease, you can significantly lower the likelihood of your Koi being affected by Koi Herpes Virus.

Here are some important points to know about Koi Herpes Virus:

After the initial virus outbreak in the year 1998, the knowledge of this virus has grown significantly. Knowledge of its features could make the difference between introducing this virus to your pond and effectively preventing it.

After a fish becomes infected by the virus it remains a carrier of that virus indefinitely. These fish can't be moved to a new location, even after being properly treated. They risk spreading the disease to other water life. Introduce new Koi to your pond and they could contract the virus, which can lead to higher mortality rates.

Unfortunately, a cure for Koi Herpes Virus has not yet been discovered.

Although stress does not cause the disease in itself, it may contribute to an increased mortality rate.

It is important to know that the Koi Herpes virus can be transmitted by fish at a temperature of 74° Fahrenheit. This allows for quarantining the fish and performing tests in order to identify if they are affected.

The transmission of the virus can occur through various means, such as direct contact with infected fish, exposure to water inhabited by infected fish, and handling of contaminated tools.

Halting the Continued Spread of the Virus

If you have been diagnosed with Koi Herpes, depopulation will be the most efficient way to keep it from spreading further. The best way to prevent further spread is by depopulating your Koi population. While it might seem drastic, this is the only method to make sure that the virus doesn't spread.

Isolating new fish from existing populations for a period of at least 15-days is advisable. It is important to know the precise temperature (74° Fahrenheit) at which the disease starts. This will enable you to detect signs of illness in your fish. The risk that your fish will carry the virus is significantly lower if you can keep them at this temperature without any signs of illness.

In order to ensure that the new Koi are fully quarantined, they must be kept completely separate. In order to do this, you must avoid all contact between your quarantined fishes and the items that were used with your previous population. For this reason, it is important to use separate food, tools and water. Moreover, tools used in quarantining fish should never be moved. Hand washing protocol should also always be adhered to when handling Koi, as well items associated with them.
Website: https://www.grandkoi.com/product-category/jumbo-koi-fish/