Completion of one-year epidemiology study in marine fish cultured in South China

20 June 2006

April 10, 2006 marked the successful completion of a year-long collaboration project among Sun Yat sen University, the local Fisheries Bureau and Intervet Norbio Singapore. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence of viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases in tropical marine fish and its relationship to seasonality and water environment.

Throughout the investigation in Yangjiang, Guangdong province, a number of bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens were identified in various fish species. They include Streptococcus iniae, S. dysgalactiae, Nocardia seriolae, Pasteurella damsela subsp. piscicida, Tenacibaculum maritimum, iridovirus (ISKNV, TFV and SGIV), VNN, Cryptocaryon irritans and several monogeneans.  The results of the investigation will be presented in the upcoming 2nd International Symposium on Cage Aquaculture in Asia to be held July 4 - 7, 2006, in Hangzhou, China (see related article in this newsletter).