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		Introduction to Viral Diseases of Fish
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		Vaccination Although vaccination is used routinely to prevent viral diseases in humans and domestic mammals, it is not widely used in fish medicine. Vaccine development is extremely expensive and there are only a few viral diseases of fish which have sufficient economic impact to warrant investment in vaccine development. Also, because fish are cold-blooded animals, their immune response to a vaccine is not as predictable as that of warm-blooded animals, and therefore more frequent vaccination may be needed. At present, vaccines used in aquaculture are primarily used in salmonid production and most commercial vaccines have been developed for protection of fish from common bacterial agents. Vaccines are administered by injection or by immersion bath. An oral vaccine has been developed for use in channel catfish to prevent bacterial disease, however, to date, its use has been limited. Summary Viruses are microorganisms which are extremely difficult to study because of their small size and inability to live outside their host tissue. Viruses are classified by the type of nucleic acid they possess, either RNA or DNA, as well as by their size and shape. Initial identification of viral agents which may be causing disease is often based on visualization of viral particles in tissue of dying fish using electron microscopy. Efforts are then made to isolate the virus in the laboratory using special living cells, called cell-lines, and finally serology is used to confirm that the virus in the animal's body is the same as the virus which has been isolated in the laboratory. Identification of viruses and investigation of viral diseases is highly specialized and requires special training and equipment. Once a viral disease is in progress, the course of the disease cannot be altered by medicating the fish. Prevention of secondary bacterial infections and maintenance of a clean environment and good nutrition will help give the fish the best opportunity to overcome the infection using their own natural defense mechanisms. Temperature manipulation provides a method for controlling some viral diseases of fish, and if fish are reared under temperature-controlled conditions, this may be a practical management strategy. -------------------------------------------------------- Footnotes 1. This document is FA-29, one of a series of the Fisheries and Aquatic Science Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published June 1996. Revised December 1998. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Ruth Ellen Klinger, BiologialScientist, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Ruth Francis-Floyd, Extension Veterinarian, Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611. -------------------------------------------------------- The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences / University of Florida / Christine Taylor Waddill, Dean -------------------------------------------------------- Copyright Information This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication. SimplyDiscus.com gratefully thanks the Florida Cooperative Extension Service for permission to use this article. Please visit them at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

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