Summary Brief: International Symposium on Koi Herpesvirus Disease

Gilda D. Lio-Po

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
Aquaculture Department, Tigbauan 5021
Iloilo, Philippines

The Koi Herpesvirus Disease (KHVD) is the newest viral disease that caused mass mortalities of affected koi and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). The disease was initially reported in Israel and the United States in 2000. By March 2002, the first outbreak in Asia occurred in Indonesia that since then spread throughout the country. In early October 2003, KHVD outbreaks in Japan were first observed in Lake Kasumigaura and Kitaura of Ibaraki Prefecture. With the alarming spread of KHVD in Asia, strategies for its prevention and control need to be initiated. Hence, on 13 March 2004, the Fisheries Research Agency (FRA) of Japan, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) organized the "International Symposium on Koi Herpesvirus Disease" in Yokohama, Japan. It was a forum participated in by scientists from Japan,
SEAFDEC member countries, United States, East Asia, Israel and Europe to exchange the latest information on the disease and its prevention and control. The keynote lecture was given by Prof. Ronald P. Hedrick of the University of California, Davis, a foremost expert on KHVD. Other imminent scientists from Israel, Netherlands, Indonesia, South Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and SEAFDEC/AQD were also invited speakers. A summary of the speakers and their presentations are as follows: 

R. P. Hedrick (USA): Initial isolation and characterization of a herpes-like virus (KHV) from koi and common carp.

Ariel Ronen (Israel): Prevention of a mortal disease of carps induced by the carp interstitial nephritis and gill necrosis virus (CNGV) in Israel.

Marc Y. Engelsma (Netherlands): KHVD occurrence, diagnosis, control, research, and future in the Netherlands and Europe. 

Agus Sunarto (Indonesia): Indonesian experience on the outbreak of koi herpes virus in koi and carp.

Mi-Young Cho (Republic of Korea): The status of viral diseases of carp in Korea: its control and research development.

Min-Kuanhong (China): Viral studies on carp disease in China - with a special reference to herpesvirus on common carp.

Ling Kai Huat (Singapore): Quarantine, surveillance and monitoring of koi herpesvirus in Singapore.
Somikiat Kanchanakhan (Thailand): Thailand's current quarantine status on aquatic animal disease.

Mamoru Yoshimizu (Japan): Survivability of fish pathogenic viruses in environmental water and inactivation and disinfection of fish viruses. Kazumasa Ikuta (Japan): The present state of carp fisheries and aquaculture in Japan. 

Hiroshi Kimiya (Japan): The status of koi herpesvirus disease and its management measures in Japan. 

Motohiko Sano (Japan): Diagnosis of koi herpesvirus disease in Japan. 

Yoji Takashima (Japan): The status of koi herpesvirus disease in Lake Kasumigaura and Kitaura.

Kazuo Yamada (Japan): The preventive measures against koi herpesvirus disease in fancy carp in Niigata Prefecture.

Satoshi Miwa (Japan): Further research plan for koi herpesvirus disease control in Japan.

Kazuya Nagasawa (Philippines): Proposed activities for koi herpesvirus disease at the Aquaculture Department of Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center.

In addition, a satellite meeting on "Pre-KHVD Symposium Meeting" was organized by the Government of Japan Trust Fund Fish Disease Project under the asupices of Dr. Kazuya Nagasawa at the Fisheries Research Agency, Yokohama, Japan, on 12 March 2004. Participants to this meeting were SEAFDEC AQD Chief, Dr. Rolando Platon, Dr. Kazuya Nagasawa, Dr. Gilda Lio-Po and scientists from SEAFDEC member countries who reported on the current status of the KHVD as well as the current status of fish disease quarantine and surveillance in their respective countries. The SEAFDEC member country participants were: Mr. Srun Lim Song (Cambodia), Dr. Chintana Chanthavisouk (Lao PDR), Dr. Agus Sunarto (Indonesia), Dr. Azilah bte Abdullah (Malaysia), Ms. Daw Myat Myat Htwe (Myanmar), Dr. Joselito R. Somga (Philippines), Dr. Ling Kai Huat (Singapore) and Ms. Tran Thi Kim Chi (Vietnam). By and large, the two meetings highlighted the significance of this emerging disease, KHVD, in Asia. Baseline information on the disease outbreaks in Indonesia and Japan were reported. Likewise, research data on recent and ongoing studies conducted in USA, Israel, Japan and Europe were presented. All these information is essential in planning for studies on KHV under the Government of Japan Trust Fund Fish Disease Project that will eventually redound to the prevention of the transboundary movement of KHVD in Southeast Asia.