Further Researches for the Control of KHVD in Japan

Satoshi Miwa

National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Fisheries Research Agency, Mie 519-0423, Japan 

ABSTRACT

In the fall of 2003, the first outbreak of koi herpesvirus (KHV) disease occurred in Lake Kasumigaura in Japan, and the disease spread rapidly over the country. The disease has caused massive mortality of both cultured and wild carp. As the water temperature decrease in winter months, the disease seemed to have been suppressed now, but people fear that the disease will reappear in this spring through summer.

One of the major goals of future research program is to clarify the virological or molecular propertied of KHV, and to compare different strains of the virus so that the epizootiological aspect of this disease could be revealed. The pathogenesis of the disease in carp and sensitivity of other fish species to KHV will also be studied.

The second goal is to develop new diagnostic methods that should be faster, easier, or more sensitive than the present PCR for the detection of KHV.

The last goal is to develop means of controlling the disease. This includes the development of effective vaccine and vaccination technique, the search for chemicals that may suppress the viral activity, and the development of standard protocol to treat the affected fish by changing water temperature. In addition, effective method of sterilizing KHV will also be investigated.