Koi Disease: Protecting Your Pets From Khv

When it comes to taking care of your Koi, part of it is protecting them from a deadly virus known as the KHV (or Koi Herpes Virus). Fact of the matter is that your pet is really susceptible to this kind of disease. So what can you do to protect them from it? The only way you can protect them from this virus is to ensure that they never get exposed to it. Getting the necessary information that you need to know about this virus will get your pet the best protection that they're going to need.

The Facts About KHV:

So what is KHV? Since its first outbreak, a little has only been learned about the virus. Knowing the facts is an essential thing for the protection and survival of your own pets. The KHV is a deadly disease which has just recently popped up in the industry. In the late 1998 and early 1999, the first outbreak has been reported and confirmed in Israel, then in the following years has been confirmed in places like Europe, Asia and the United States.

The virus is known to infect the victim throughout their full lifespan. Even those who do not show any signs of the virus, they are considered as carriers if they have been exposed to it. The mortality rate for those that have been exposed is around 60 percent to 80 percent.

There is no known cure for this virus. Even if proper treatment has been given to your pet, never again will they be able to go to a new home, and this is because if you put them in a healthy population, they will be able to spread the virus to the others (this can cause a potentially higher rate in terms of mortality). Remember that this virus can spread in various ways, like the fish coming into contact with the infected ones, tools used to handle the infected fish, the water in which the infected fish swam, etc.

Stress can increase the mortality rate of the fish, although it does not directly cause the disease itself. Temperatures around 74 degrees Fahrenheit can be used to track the disease, and it will allow the necessary testing and quarantining of your fish to observe if they have been exposed or not.

Preventative Measures: Depopulation and Quarantine

Depopulation is one of the best preventative measures that you can do, which means the elimination of your whole pet population. Although it may seem as a harsh method if you look at it, with this you can really ensure that you don't infect the other fish in your pond. Another method is by quarantining. If you buy a new fish, make it a point that you quarantine it before mixing it with your current population (for a period of no less than 15 days).

In quarantining your Koi, they should be totally shunned and isolated from anything else. Separate the food, tools and water that you'll use for the quarantined ones, and make sure that the tools that you use for them doesn't leave the area in which they have been used. Procedures for proper hand washing in handling your pets and the essential items should be observed. Following these effective preventative measures can help you avoid your pet from catching the infectious disease.